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

More than
35 artists

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.

Mathematical Fibonacci spiral pattern with yellow lines divided into sections on a white background.
Diagram showing the trajectory of a ball bouncing from a height at different angles, illustrating physics concepts.

Events

Best of the Fest

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

24 October, 7:30pm
Holy Trinity Church, Tauranga

Music

Tauranga Arts Festival proudly presents one of four homecoming concerts in October for New Zealand’s international country star Tami Neilson, fresh from her US performances at the Outlaw Festival Series.

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

24 October, 7:30pm
Holy Trinity Church, Tauranga

Music
Free

Neon Cowgirl represents a lifelong dream of chasing Nashville and country music. I’ve loved her my whole life, even when she breaks my heart over and over.

Events for all

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

  • Black and white logo of Tauranga City with stylized abstract shape and city name in cursive font.
  • 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.
  • 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 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.
  • Logo featuring a tree with roots and leaves, a bird flying above, and the text 'Wright Family Foundation' underneath.

Your Festival experience starts here

Festival Garden

Opening hours:

23 Oct–2 Nov
Mon–Fri 10am–10pm
Sat–Sun 8am–11pm

Step into our Festival Garden—the beating heart of this year’s Tauranga Arts Festival.

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, join the pre-festival show party for food, fun, friends and arts and entertainment.

Mathematical Fibonacci spiral pattern with yellow lines divided into sections on a white background.
Diagram showing the trajectory of a ball bouncing from a height at different angles, illustrating physics concepts.

News

Latest updates

Featured
Tami Neilson Early Release May 20
Tami Neilson Early Release May 20
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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