FestivalInformation

New Zealand's largest cultural festival celebrating the Chinese New Year. Join us at the Manukau Sports Bowl on 13 – 16 February as we welcome in the 2025 Year of the Snake!

The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is a free, family-friendly, smoke-free, and alcohol-free event.

FESTIVAL HOURS

13 - 14 February:

3PM - 10:00PM

15 - 16 February:

1PM - 10:00PM

KEY FESTIVAL UPDATES

At this time there are no new festival updates.

GETTING HERE

Festival Address:
Manukau Sports Bowl, 1 Te Irirangi Drive, Manukau City Centre, Auckland

We encourage the use of public transport or alternatives like walking, cycling, e-scooters and ride shares where possible.

Visitors can use free public transport by presenting their BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival ticket on AT buses and trains two hours prior to the event and for one hour after the event.

Free shuttle buses will run frequently from Manukau Train Station, Westfield Manukau and Manukau Sport Bowl.

BUS & Train

There are two convenient transport options to get to the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival:

Public Transport (Buses and Trains): Use the free buses and trains with your festival ticket. The Eastern Line runs between Britomart and Manukau Station. Just show your ticket when boarding and keep it for the return journey.

Shuttle Bus Service: A free shuttle bus will run frequently between Manukau Train Station, Westfield Manukau, where there is free parking, and Manukau Sports Bowl. This shuttle drops off and picks up visitors at Gate C on Sandrine Avenue.

The Manukau Sports Bowl is a 25-minute walk from the Manukau Transport Hub. Regular bus services run to and from the hub, with the final bus to the festival departing Manukau Train Station at 9:15pm. All attendees requiring transport to the venue should ensure they arrive before this time. Return services from the festival will conclude between 11pm and midnight.

Use Journey Planner or the AT Mobile app to plan your journey, or visit the timetables page for scheduled bus times.

PARK AND Ride OR WALK

Please be aware that parking restrictions and road closures will be in place during the event.

If you are driving to the festival, we encourage you to consider one of these parking options:

Park and Ride: We recommend using the free shuttle service from Westfield Manukau and Manukau Station. This option allows you to park and take the shuttle directly to the venue, making your trip more convenient.

Park and Walk: Alternatively, you can park at one of the nearby facilities and enjoy a short walk to the venue.

Please note that there may be some queues at parking locations during peak times, so we suggest arriving early to avoid delays.

Accessibility Parking

Mobility parking for the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is located on Boundary Road, about 100m from Gate B. Refer to the festival map for details.

There are limited spaces available and you will need to display a current mobility parking permit. These areas will be monitored by staff and failure to display these may cause delays upon arrival.

Sandrine Avenue, near Gate C of the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is available as an accessible pick-up/drop-off point.

Please note: Spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is not guaranteed.

Free Park & Walk Options

Westfield Manakau

Free parking is available at Westfield Manukau during festival hours. Westfield Manukau is a 16-minute walk to the festival.

View Car Park Location

Paid Park & Walk Options

Kia Aroha College

Paid public parking is available at Kia Aroha College on Othello Drive, with proceeds fundraising for the school.

St Peter Chanel Church

Paid public parking is available at St Peter Chanel Church on Boundary Road, with proceeds fundraising for the church.

Festival Map

Informative summary of where entrances, vendors, & activities will be across Manukau Sports Bowl.

CLICK MAP TO OPEN

Traffic Management Plan

Map outlining changes in road services around Manukau Sports Bowl during BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival 2025 such as no stopping zones, road closures, resident-only parking areas, accessible parking and more.

CLICK MAP TO OPEN

GETTING HERE

Festival Address:
Manukau Sports Bowl, 1 Te Irirangi Drive, Manukau City Centre, Auckland

We encourage the use of public transport or alternatives like walking, cycling, e-scooters and ride shares where possible.

Visitors can use free public transport by presenting their BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival ticket on AT buses and trains two hours prior to the event and for one hour after the event. Free shuttle buses will run frequently from Manukau Train Station, Westfield Manukau and Manukau Sport Bowl.

FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS

Yes, the festival is a free ticketed event. We encourage you to book your tickets early. Tickets also entitle you to free public transport to and from the event on AT buses and trains.

Simply show your ticket click here to the driver when boarding and remember to hold onto your ticket for the ride home.

Use Journey Planner or the AT Mobile app to plan your journey, or visit the timetables page for scheduled bus times.

2025 is the first year the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is ticketed click here, but don’t worry, it is still a free event. We have introduced ticketing to manage visitor flow, make it easier and free for people to get there and to make it more enjoyable event for everyone across the four days. Ticketholders will be able to travel to and from the festival for free on AT buses and trains.

No, tickets to the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival are free for everyone. Top tip: make sure you only get your tickets through Universe click here, which is the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival official ticketing partner. If you’re being asked to pay for tickets, you’re in the wrong place!

It’s easy, just click here to enter your details and how many tickets you would like. There is a limit of 10 tickets per login. Tickets can be saved on your device or downloaded and printed.

Yes! You will get free travel on all Auckland Transport buses and trains by having your BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival ticket with you. Simply present your ticket click here to the driver or train manager. Remember to keep your ticket on you for the return journey home.

Please visit the Ticket Support section on the Universe website:
https://www.universe.com/contact-us/attendees

If you’d like to volunteer at this year’s festival, register via Rosterfy or email us at volunteer@aucklandnz.com to register. You’ll need to supply a few details about yourself, so don’t leave it to the last minute!

There are over 500 lanterns on display at this year's festival, including a brand-new snake lantern to mark the Year of the Snake in 2025. You can also see the lanterns for 2024's Year of the Dragon, 2023’s Year of the Rabbit, 2022’s Year of the Tiger, and 2020’s Year of the Rat on display.

Manukau Sports Bowl is closed to traffic. Access through Sandrine Avenue is restricted to residents and accessibility drop offs. Traffic is managed on Boundary Road. For more information, please view our traffic management map.

While the Manukau Sports Bowl is accessible by bike, we do not have secure bike racks at the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival. Please avoid riding your bike through the festival, as it can be crowded and difficult to navigate.

We are providing a designated bike parking area at Gates A & B. Please check the festival map for the exact location. Please ensure you bring a lock to securely fasten your bike in the designated area.

For safety reasons, pets should be left at home. Service dogs are welcome.

Yes, this is a family-friendly event. Please note that some of the entertainment takes place on green fields with undulating terrain and kerbs. The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is a busy festival. If you’re bringing children, make sure your contact details are on your child in case they get lost.

The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is a smoke-free event. That includes vaping.

The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is an alcohol-free event.

Limited accessible parking is available on Boundary Road next to the accessible drop-off point from Friday to Sunday. Most of the festival is accessible for wheelchair users via paved laneways. Accessible drop-off points, parking and toilets are indicated on the festival map. Some of the entertainment and activations are on green fields with undulating terrain and kerbs, which may be difficult to manoeuvre over for wheelchair users.

We’d love to see your photos, tag @visitauckland and use #AucklandLanternFestival across all platforms.

Larger bags will be checked on entry.

Bags must remain on you, there is no storage available. If bags or belongings are left unattended they will be taken to the Information/Lost Persons booth which you can locate on the festival map.

Some stallholders will have Eftpos available. There are two cash out trailers available on site.

Take a seat in the BNZ Grandstand and enjoy the main stage performances.

Yes, public water stations are indicated on the festival map.

You can report lost persons and property at the Information/Lost Persons booth located on the festival map. The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is a busy festival. If you’re bringing children, make sure your contact details are on your child in case they get lost.

Hato Hone St John medical teams are on site every day of the festival. If you or someone in your group suffers a medical emergency at the festival, please alert a volunteer or staff member who will call for assistance. The Hato Hone St John tent location is indicated on the festival map.

There is no rain date associated with the festival. Please come prepared with layers and waterproof clothing.

We aim to divert 70% of festival waste from landfill. Eco warriors will be onsite manning the bins to make sure waste goes where it’s meant to. 100% of food serve-ware at the festival is recyclable or compostable.

The fireworks display on 14, 15, and 16 February at around 9.50pm and you’ll get a great view of these amazing displays from anywhere in the Manukau Sports Bowl. We recommend the main stage and food stall areas for the best experience.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited explored a range of potential venue options across Auckland that could accommodate the 100,000+ visitors the festival typically attracts over four days. The Manukau Sports Bowl offers large outdoor spaces, new opportunities to grow the festival, and the chance to reach and engage with new audiences in line with the type of experience we would like festivalgoers to enjoy.

You can contact festival organisers via email at lantern@aucklandnz.com

For media inquiries please contact Jacqui Loates-Haver at jacqui.loates-haver@aucklandnz.com.