Brightly coloured Chinese lanterns will light the Auckland Domain at the Auckland Lantern Festival from February 14 – 18, 2019. Celebrating the Chinese New Year welcoming in the Year of the Pig, it’s an event filled with hundreds of handmade Chinese New Year lanterns as well as crafts, performances, and food (plenty of food).
It’s a free family-friendly event, with activities and entertainment for everyone. It is expected to draw nearly 200,000 visitors over the four day weekend, so be sure to check the tips section below for transport suggestions.
Updates for Auckland Lantern Light Festival 2019
- Entrance to the family-friendly Auckland Lantern festival is free.
- The lantern festival is held on the Auckland Domain, the city’s oldest park.
- The hours are as follows:
- Thursday, February 14, 2019 from 6.30pm to 10.30pm
- Friday, February 15, 2019 from 6.30pm to 10.30pm
- Saturday and Sunday, February 16 -17, 2019 from 6.30pm to 10.30pm
- There is no dedicated parking for the event. The standard domain parking fills up quickly, and as with most Auckland domain events, many of the streets are closed to traffic. If possible, head to the city early in the day to enjoy the Auckland Museum and the Wintergardens (both on the Auckland Domain), rather than looking for parking in the evening.
- Even the nearby paid parking lots filled up last year.
- Use the AT Journey planner to find the best public transportation options from your neighbourhood.
- Primary event sponsors are ATEED (Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development), Harcourts, and ASB.
Photo Highlights of Last Year’s Auckland Lantern Light Festival 2018
Food Stalls at the Event
- This year there are about 100 food and craft stalls, so arrive feeling hungry.
- Most only take cash, although there were ASB ATM machines near the food stalls. On Friday night the queue to get cash was the longest queue we saw all evening.
- In honour of the Chinese New Year, most of the food stalls offer Asian foods. Pad thai seemed a popular option, and it was what I selected. There are also smoothies, fresh coconut milk, and plenty of sweets including deep fried ice cream or ice cream in a fresh pineapple bowl.
Special Events at the Auckland Lantern Festival 2018
We didn’t arrive early enough to see many of the timed special events. Some of the highlights include:
- The opening ceremony was on the main stage on Thursday at 7.15 pm.
- The event will close on Sunday (March 4) with a fireworks finale at 10.15 pm.
- Throughout the weekend there are a variety of musical and acrobatic performances on the main stage.
- There is a martial arts arena with martial arts demonstrations until 8 pm nightly, followed by short films from the NZ Film Commission.
- A third arena, the Lion Dance lawn, intermixes Xi’an Shadow Puppets, a lion dance, and face painting, with DJ sessions beginning at 8 pm.
Photos from prior year’s Auckland Lantern Festival
Practical Information on Visiting the Auckland Lantern Festival 2018
- Bring a camera and check out these tips for taking better night light shots.
- If you are going to drive, try to arrive plenty early, or park in the surrounding neighbourhoods. After 30+ minutes of driving around the domain searching for a car park, we ended up finding street parking in Newmarket and walking the 1.6 km back to the Auckland Domain.
- Use the AT Journey planner to find the best public transportation options from your neighbourhood.
- Another option is to spend the night in Auckland. We use booking.com to find the best rates in the city.
→ Click here to check availability at Auckland Hotels
- Auckland Lantern Festival event maps are available, and being distributed by volunteers at the entrances to the festival along any of the primary walking paths into the domain.
→Click here to download a Chinese Lantern Festival map
Will you be visiting the Auckland Lantern Festival this weekend? Which is your favourite lantern?
Check out this page for other Auckland festivals.
If you enjoyed this photo tour of the Auckland Lantern Festival, please share it on Pinterest:
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Mary (cactus catz)
March 9, 2018 at 1:21 amWow, those lanterns look very cool!
Paul F. Pietrangelo
March 8, 2018 at 8:19 amI was amazed with many colorful pictures that you showed us. I would have like to have seen some of the different foods. I enjoy eating, oops, I mean the different types of food. See ya Rhonda.
Cruisin Paul
Margy
March 8, 2018 at 7:17 amBeautiful colours and a variety of themes. – Margy
Amanda
March 8, 2018 at 3:47 amWhat an amazing festival! I love how bright everything is. My daughter celebrated the Chinese New Year in school extensively this year with her teacher who is from China. It is really interesting to see how it is celebrated around the world. Have a great week!
Deb Nance
March 8, 2018 at 12:49 amThe lights seem to make the world more alive. Magical.
Deb Nance
March 8, 2018 at 12:48 amWow! The lights are magical. Lights bring life, somehow.
Alissa Apel
March 7, 2018 at 11:39 amThe lights and colors are so pretty! I like the fifth one down so much!
Lydia C. Lee
March 7, 2018 at 8:48 amWow! They look fanastic!
Lady Fi
March 7, 2018 at 5:35 amFabulously festive.
Patrick Weseman
March 7, 2018 at 4:59 amHoly Cow, that looks like so much and what a cool event to go to. Wow. The pics you took are great. Thanks for sharing this.
Kelleyn Rothaermel
March 7, 2018 at 4:11 amThis one puts ours to shame!
stevebethere
March 7, 2018 at 12:47 amFantastic pics and all the colour I want the food heheh!
Have a good week Rhonda and thanks for stopping by 🙂
Veronica Lee
March 6, 2018 at 11:13 pmI didn’t know that Chinese New Year is celebrated so grandly over there in New Zealand! I’d love to attend someday!
Anda
March 6, 2018 at 12:17 pmWhat a gorgeous display of color and shapes! You are so lucky to have all these great festivals in Aukland. Where any of these lanterns for sale? I would love to have something like that in my garden. Can you imagine how beautiful it wood look at night?
Pat
March 4, 2018 at 8:16 amWhat a wonderful and festive parade and celebration! happy year of the Dog, Rhonda!
Alex J. Cavanaugh
March 4, 2018 at 8:10 amHey look, I was visiting you four years ago – there’s my original comment.
The lights are still really awesome. Incredible works of art.
Hilary
March 4, 2018 at 6:26 amHi Rhonda – it looks amazing … lovely photos – but the lanterns etc are so so creative. Thanks for the tour around – cheers Hilary
Sandee
March 4, 2018 at 5:17 amHow fun, but the crowds. I just can’t do all that walking and crowds anymore. I think I’m getting old, Rhonda. I would love to see all this color in person though and the food? I want to try the food.
Great informational post and the pictures are awesome. As always.
Have a fabulous day. ♥
Rhonda Albom
March 4, 2018 at 10:13 amThe crowds were much bigger than I remembered from my last visit, but last time we went on the opening night which is lanterns only – no food or craft stalls, so way fewer people.
Jill
March 4, 2018 at 2:57 amLovely photos of what looks to be a fun festival. I’d love to attend someday!
Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit
March 3, 2018 at 9:18 pmHow pretty!!! #teamlovinlife
Simon
February 19, 2014 at 3:58 pmGreat photos! I loved the Chinese Lantern Festival and wrote about it on my blog too! It’s really cool, cultural events like this one that make me glad to have semi-recently moved to Auckland.
Julie
February 16, 2014 at 9:38 pmThe lanterns are so vibrant with such fine attention to detail! I look forward to reading your guest post.
Claire
February 16, 2014 at 8:38 amBeautiful picture, love the dragons 🙂
Julia
February 16, 2014 at 6:31 amI’ve never heard of this – or any other – lantern festival. Lovely pics.
Kim
February 15, 2014 at 3:02 pmOh, wow! Those photos are fantastic. I spent some time in Auckland when I was living in Sydney and it was so beautiful. New Zealand is a beautiful, beautiful country.
Robyn Engel
February 15, 2014 at 10:38 amIt looks so festive and colorful.
Have a wonderful weekend, Rhonda.
xoRobyn
Kim Marie Ostrowski
February 15, 2014 at 9:59 amThose were so cool!
Esp. that first one was impressive & LOVE THE Dragons I was born year of the dragon.. I want one of those for my room!
Rhonda Albom
February 15, 2014 at 11:05 amMy daughter was also born in the year of the dragon. She has a special red bracelet that she was given when we were in China during a year of the dragon. I think she can only wear it in a dragon year.
Suzanne Furness
February 15, 2014 at 8:03 amWow those lanterns look great, bet it is well worth seeing. My friend, who is a photographer, is visiting us for a few days so may even get to play around with some myself. Mind you, it depends on the UK weather!
Comedy Plus
February 15, 2014 at 6:10 amI like all the lanterns, but the dragons are my favorite.
Have a fabulous day. 🙂
Nana Prah
February 15, 2014 at 3:49 amWonderful pictures you took. My favorite is the lit up dragon with the moon peeking out between the leaves. Nice.
L. Diane Wolfe
February 15, 2014 at 2:33 amGood to hear the book arrived. Wow, that was fast.
I love the goldfish lanterns. Those are adorable.
Cathrina Constantine
February 15, 2014 at 2:20 amI love looking at your pictures. You’re very good! It’s great when timing is perfect, right?
Alex J. Cavanaugh
February 15, 2014 at 1:49 amThe Lantern Festival looks cool!
Can’t wait to hear the fine story.
Joyce
February 15, 2014 at 1:47 amI love the vivid colors and fun displays! Awesome festival and photos.
Lexa Cain
February 14, 2014 at 10:47 pmMy goodness, what a very busy week you’ve had. Congrats on winning the book! Free is always great! Good job on all the errands finished and commitments met. I loved the pics, and I’m waiting for the $fine$ story. 🙂
Anna
February 14, 2014 at 4:51 pmBeautiful lanterns!
Sharon Himsl
February 14, 2014 at 3:57 pmVery colorful photos! With a Chinese daughter-in-law, I have seen similar and always enjoy it. Too bad about the fine!