Lantern FestivalHistory

The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is produced by the region's cultural and economic agency, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, on behalf of Auckland Council.

Lantern Festival - A New Year

The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival celebrates the culmination of the traditional fortnight of Chinese New Year festivities. The festival date changes every year according to the Chinese lunar calendar and every year a new Chinese zodiac animal is celebrated.

The first Lantern Festival was delivered in 2000 by the Asia New Zealand Foundation in partnership with the then Auckland City Council and was a one-day event at Albert Park. The event has grown to a four-day family-friendly event, having moved venues over the years from Albert Park to the Auckland Domain, before its current location at the Manukau Sports Bowl.

The Venue:

Manukau Sports Bowl

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited explored several venue options and the Manukau Sports Bowl met the criteria. The venue offers great outdoor spaces to accommodate upwards of 100,000+ people over 4 days and is easily accessible to the southern motorway and public transport and airport links. The Manukau Sports Bowl location will expand the visitor footprint to new audiences south of the city centre.

About

Bank of New Zealand (BNZ)

Since 1861 the Bank of New Zealand has been a part of New Zealand’s social and economic history. Two of the country’s most iconic cultural celebrations, the Auckland Diwali Festival and the Auckland Lantern Festival, will continue to delight locals and visitors thanks to a new naming rights sponsorship agreement with the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ).

BNZ CEO Dan Huggins says, "We’re delighted to throw our support behind two of New Zealand’s best loved and attended festivals.”

Our sponsorship of the Auckland Diwali and Lantern Festivals reflects our commitment to growing the social, cultural, and financial wellbeing of New Zealanders. These events align with that mission, bringing hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders from all backgrounds together each year to celebrate Aotearoa’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity.

Dan Huggins Chief Executive Officer, Bank of New Zealand