Welcome
Nau mai haere mai

23 Oct

–2 Nov

Tami Neilson wearing a decorated black top with a lightning bolt and a yellow cape stands outdoors at night.

Tauranga Arts Festival 2025

Tauranga Arts Festival brings bold ideas, creative energy, and unforgettable experiences to life.

We're dedicated to delivering world-class arts festivals in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty. From music, theatre and comedy to stunning visual arts and thought-provoking literature, the Festival is 10 days of inspiration, joy and connection.

More than
35 artists and performers

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Diagram showing the trajectory of a ball bouncing from a height at different angles, illustrating physics concepts.

Events

Best of the Fest

30 October, 6pm
Addison Theatre, Baycourt

Theatre
Family

How did we get here? Are aliens real? Is it possible to lick your elbow? Your burning questions answered... sort of. Based on interviews with people aged between 8 and 102, Creation Creation is a comedy about life’s biggest questions.

31 October, 8pm
Addison Theatre, Baycourt

Comedy

Sky-rocketing towards 40, with a happily untenanted womb and a life of love, leisure and lingus, Hayley Sproull feels less barren, and more… Baroness.

Events for all

The heart of this year’s Festival

Festival Garden

The new events space on the Northern Waterfront Reserve in the heart of Tauranga becomes home not only to the iconic Carrus Crystal Palace but also to our Festival Garden.

Against an incredible scenic backdrop, enjoy a selection of free entertainment showcasing the best of our local musicians alongside a tasty treat from our food truck or our friends across the tracks on The Strand.

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While you’re here, experience the best Tauranga has to offer—from cozy hotels, to vibrant eateries, and places to explore.

About

Curiosity and community

At the heart of everything we do is a vision to spark curiosity, connect people, and reflect the richness of our community. We aim to make the arts accessible, welcoming and relevant—whether you're attending a free event, a headline show, a writers talk or a schools’ performance.

Everyone is welcome to enjoy a vibrant mix of voices, cultures and ideas coming together. Our Festivals are designed to be inclusive, to celebrate who we are—from Tangata Whenua to our newest residents, visitors and loyal Festival goers.

We look forward to sharing our Festival with you.

Black silhouette of a female dancer in a dynamic pose against a white background, with arms raised and one leg bent, wearing a tutu
Series of six geometric black and white illustrations of quarter circles and squares, arranged in a row.

We need you

Join our Festival Whānau

Our Festival thrives thanks to the amazing support we receive from generous funders, sponsors, and individual donors.

As a not-for-profit organisation, your contributions are the lifeblood of our Festival—fuelling us to craft extraordinary, life-changing moments and unforgettable experiences that ripple out to our entire community and beyond.

“We are indebted to the generous support of our funders, sponsors and patrons—there would be no Festival without you.” – Kathryn Lellman, Chair

With your help, we can continue to make magic happen.

A collage of two portraits against a dark red background. The top features a young man with curly hair, face paint, and sticking out his tongue. The bottom shows a young woman with long dark hair, wearing a turtleneck, and with tears on her face.

Our supporters

  • Creative NZ Arts Council of New Zealand logo in black and white with stylized text and a decorative design element.
  • Company logo with a stylized geometric flower symbol and the word 'TEST' in bold black capital letters.
  • Black and white logo of Tauranga City with stylized abstract shape and city name in cursive font.
  • Arvida company logo with a gray globe and stylized white lines, and the word 'Arvida' in black text.
  • Black oval logo with the word "CARRUS" in white capital letters.
  • Logo featuring a tree with roots and leaves, a bird flying above, and the text 'Wright Family Foundation' underneath.
  • Logo of Port of Tauranga with a circular graphic and black text.
  • Logo for Taylor Brostransport Ltd, featuring the company name in bold, black and gray text with a gray horizontal line above it.

News

Latest updates

Featured
Why Cirque Bon Bon is not your average live show
Why Cirque Bon Bon is not your average live show
Tami Neilson: Early release on sale now
Tami Neilson: Early release on sale now
Tauranga Arts Festival goes annual
Tauranga Arts Festival goes annual
A man playing a white grand piano on a sandy beach under a red umbrella, with the ocean and mountains in the background during daytime.
Multiple quarter circles inscribed within squares on a black background, outlined in yellow, arranged in a grid pattern.
A geometric pattern composed of yellow curved lines and right-angled shapes on a white background.

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