Queenstown hosts the southern hemisphere’s biggest winter party, the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival (24 June – 3 July). This year the town will be a-buzz with around 45,000 people celebrating the arrival of winter in true Queenstown style.
The popular festival celebrates winter with a packed 10-day programme of hilarious, outrageous and unique Queenstown events, including comedy, drag racing, street parades, a charity boxing match and glamorous ball.
Way back in 1975 a bunch of locals decided that the start of winter was a great excuse to have a party. They organised races on the mountain and in town, lollies for the kids, beers for the grown-ups, a concert or two and a town-wide ball, all of which made the Festival a great success. News spread quickly and the next year people came from further afield to join the festivities.
Since then the Festival has evolved into New Zealand’s biggest winter party. It’s a celebration of Queenstown’s unique culture and community with street parties, fireworks, international and local acts, jazz, comedy, a Mardi Gras, family fun, Masquerade Ball, an Invitational Slopestyle event and plenty of mountain mayhem.
If you go
