Auckland BNZ Lantern Festival 2024

Overview

Auckland's BNZ Lantern Festival, widely regarded as one of Auckland's most popular free events, is finally returning to the Supercity after a four-year hiatus. 500 lanterns are descending on its brand-new location, Manukau Sports Bowl, from Thursday, February 22 until Sunday, February 25.

Festival-goers can indulge at 44 food stalls and enjoy cultural performances while wandering around the 500 lanterns sprinkled throughout the festival site. The pièce de résistance will be a 30-metre handmade dragon lantern to celebrate the Year of the Dragon — fun fact, it's the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac calendar and represents power, luck and prosperity.

While the festival will have all the old favourites, a range of new experiences have been added, including an outdoor movie theatre, a basketball court where you can shoot hoops with Auckland's BNZ Breakers and a new grandstand. Keep your eyes peeled for the never-seen-before zodiac lanterns created for the previous year's unheld festivals. Fireworks will close out the three-day festival on Sunday, February 25.