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Get ready to celebrate the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Snake when the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival opens from February 13-16 at the Manukau Sports Bowl.
The upcoming BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is introducing free ticketing and free public transport for the first time.
The move to a free ticketing system will help manage crowd flow, reduce wait times and ensure all visitors can fully enjoy the festival’s spectacular displays and performances. Every ticket includes free travel on Auckland Transport trains and buses, making it easier than ever to attend.
Free tickets are available from: www.universe.com
The free travel for ticket holders is available two hours before opening times and for one hour after the event finishes.
Free shuttle buses to the festival will also be running every 5-7 minutes on a circuit between Manukau Train Station, Westfield Manukau and the Manukau Sports Bowl during festival hours.
The popular four-day festival, presented by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited on behalf of Auckland Council, brings light, colour and celebration to the region with more than 500 handmade lanterns, traditional and contemporary performances, wonderful street food and activities for the whole whānau.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited CE Nick Hill says the festival is a highlight for Aucklanders and an important part of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s cultural event offering.
“The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival has become a family-favourite event for Aucklanders and we’re delighted to be celebrating with our Chinese and other Asian communities again in 2025. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free public transport and come along to experience the performances, food, stalls and the spectacular lanterns on display.”
“The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival showcases Auckland’s vibrant cultural diversity,” says BNZ CEO Dan Huggins.
“As we welcome the Lunar New Year, we’re excited to support an event that brings communities together in such a meaningful way.
“We’re delighted to bring back the popular BNZ Basketball Court offering free skills sessions and court time, along with the BNZ Grandstand area where visitors can relax and soak up the festival atmosphere.”
New to the festival in 2025
For the first time the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is a free ticketed event, tickets are available now at universe.com. In previous years the event was free but not ticketed.
Ticketing has been introduced to assist with visitor flow and to provide a mechanism for free public transport to the event.
Free travel on Auckland Transport buses and trains will be available with your BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival ticket and free shuttle buses will be running between Manukau Train Station, Westfield Manukau and the event location at Manukau Sports Bowl to transport visitors to and from the event venue.
There will be earlier opening times at the festival: February 13-14: 3pm – 10pm; February 15-16: 1pm – 10pm
In the Chinese zodiac calendar 2025 signifies the Year of the Snake which illuminates the Snake’s wisdom and intuition and symbolises transformation and personal growth.
In celebration of the Year of the Snake, a magnificent handmade snake lantern will be on display beside the main stage at the festival.
Alongside 2025’s Year of the Snake lantern, zodiac lanterns commissioned especially for the Auckland Lantern Festival will be displayed – 2024’s Year of the Dragon, 2023’s Year of the Rabbit, 2022’s Year of the Tiger, 2021’s Year of the Ox, and 2020’s Year of the Rat.
A spectacular fireworks display to close out each night of the festival on February 14-16.
Returning favourites in 2025
More than 500 handmade lanterns.
60 stalls selling delicious food from many cultures, and 26 retail stalls selling gifts and merchandise will be on site.
A cultural courtyard featuring traditional clothing for hire, and traditional and contemporary art.
Shoot for the Stars at the BNZ Basketball Court, which features guest appearances, skills sessions and giveaways.
Take in the mainstage performances from the BNZ Grandstand.
A large outdoor movie screen, provided by Hong Kong’s home carrier Cathay Pacific, showing a series of family-friendly short films that highlight its Disney+ offering onboard.
As part of the celebrations Vector Lights – the partnership between Vector, Auckland Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency – will present a dazzling Year of the Snake-inspired animated light show on the Auckland Harbour Bridge from February 11-16. The light shows will run every 15 minutes between 9pm and midnight.
