First held in 1975, the Queenstown Winter Festival has since developed into an icon on New Zealand's special event calendar. It is one of the largest winter festivals in the world and in recent years has become known as 'The Southern Hemisphere's Ultimate Winter Party'. The festival announces the arrival of winter, and it has become a true celebration of Queenstown, its community and all the things that make the town's beautiful mountain surroundings so unique. There are over 60 different events taking place over the 10-day period, from jet boating, mountain biking and snow-man making to undy racing, super sliding, drag racing, pet parading, big air jumping and dogs downhill racing. Add to this street parties, fireworks, live concerts, glitzy balls, comedy, theatre and a host of variety shows and non-stop live entertainment all over town, and you will begin to get the idea. A fabulous party that should not be missed.

Times
Various. A full programme of events is available from the organiser website.