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BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival returns; dates, timings and what to expect

For Auckland’s Indian community and the wider city, the annual Diwali festival will return at the end of October with two days of music, dance, food, art and cultural activities across the city centre.

The BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival will be held on Saturday, 31 October, and Sunday, November 1, across Aotea Square, Queen Street, Rutland Street and surrounding venues.

The free festival will run from midday to 9pm on Saturday and from midday to 9.10pm on Sunday.

Traditional and contemporary Indian performances will feature across multiple stages, alongside vegetarian food available for purchase, workshops, exhibitions and family-friendly activities.

The celebrations will also extend beyond the main festival area, with a wider programme of Diwali events and experiences planned across central Auckland in the lead-up to the weekend.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Festival Event Manager Arnav Taode said the festival offers Auckland’s communities an opportunity to celebrate together.

“Diwali has always been a joyful time when families and communities come together. That same sense of connection is at the heart of the BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival.

“Auckland’s Indian communities have many different traditions and ways of celebrating Diwali, and the festival gives them a platform to share their culture with all of Tāmaki Makaurau.”

The festival, one of the largest Diwali celebrations in the Southern Hemisphere, marks Diwali, also known as Deepavali, and its themes of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.

This year, the festival will also benefit from the City Rail Link, with Te Waihorotiu Station next to Aotea Square providing direct access to the main festival area.

Several Auckland landmarks will also be illuminated for Diwali in the lead-up to and during the festival weekend.

The Sky Tower, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and Auckland War Memorial Museum will be lit in fuchsia, while lighting will also extend along Queen Street and Te Ara I Whiti, the Lightpath.

Auckland Harbour Bridge will feature fuchsia and orange colours through Vector Lights.

Diwali artworks will also be projected on Auckland Town Hall, while new projection-mapping experiences combining sound, imagery and storytelling will be presented at Auckland Town Hall and Te Waihorotiu Station.

The festival programme will include an Indian art exhibition presented in partnership with India-based Baaya Design.

The Living Arts Chillout Space will return to Aotea Centre with culturally focused workshops, headphones and calming visuals, providing visitors with a quieter space away from the main festival activity.

The Chalk It Up Rangoli Competition will also return, alongside yoga and meditation sessions and activities for tamariki and families.

A wider cultural programme will include a free Indian Cinema Showcase and a free three-hour Indian classical music concert in the Concert Chamber at Auckland Town Hall.

A programme of ticketed events is also planned, with further details due to be announced in October.

Food will remain a major part of the festival, with vegetarian Indian dishes and sweets available for purchase.

Stalls will also feature Indian arts and crafts, fashion, jewellery and henna.

BNZ Chief Executive Dan Huggins said the festival had become an important part of Auckland’s cultural calendar since its launch in 2002.

“You only need to see Aotea Square filled with people each year to understand what the BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival means to Auckland.

“BNZ is proud to continue supporting a free event where people can enjoy Indian music, dance and traditions, explore a wide range of vegetarian food, and experience the festival together in the heart of the city.”

The festival is also part of 100 Years of Unity Through Sport, a year-long national programme led by Sport New Zealand marking a century of connections between India and Aotearoa New Zealand through sport, culture, community and business.

Further programme details and visitor information will be announced in October.

The BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival will run from 12pm to 9pm on Saturday, October 31, and from 12pm to 9.10pm on Sunday, November 1, across Aotea Square, Queen Street, Rutland Street and surrounding venues in central Auckland.

Entry is free.

The BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival will be held on Saturday, 31 October, and Sunday, November 1,...