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Illumination Tickets selling fast
❄ Illumination Tickets selling fast
The happiest festival in New Zealand is back!
27 June – 25 July 2026
Get your Christmas jumpers (and gumboots) on!
The New Zealand Festival of Christmas is back with a brand new theme for 2026:
A Very Country Christmas
The festival is now on – it’s time to plan your mid-winter Christmas escape.
This winter, Greytown transforms into Aotearoa’s cosiest destination, with glowing lights, crackling braziers, festive food and drinks, and small-town hospitality. Rug up and wander Main Street with friends and whānau.
Keep up to date with the latest info
As a winter festival, sometimes we need to make adjustments due to weather conditions. Keep up to date on the latest updates via Facebook or Instagram
Explore the full programme
Find out about every event, free experience, and festive moment, so you can plan the perfect visit.
Favourites return, with new country flair
Much-loved highlights like the Light Up Truck & Tractor Parade, Snowfall on Main, Fireworks and the Illumination Night Walk are back.
New for 2026 include the Festive Night Glow, and cute wee Gingerbread House!
Stay a little longer
Make a weekend of it and explore accommodation options across the region.
Eat, drink and be merry
From winter lights and fireworks to hearty food, mulled wine, hot chocolate (and even mulled gin), it’s all here.
Best of all, most of the festival is free—perfect for gathering with friends and whānau and soaking up a Kiwi take on a classic Christmas.
It may not be the biggest festival in the world—but it just might be the happiest.
Start exploring and plan your Greytown getaway. Check out our hot tips for families, couples and groups of friends here
It may not be the biggest festival in the world—but it just might be the happiest.
Start exploring and plan your Greytown getaway.
Festival VIP Packs
Every pack and pin purchased contributes directly toward the cost of delivering the 2026 Festival. Purchase your preferred option at the 2026 Festival, while stocks last.
Little Elf Pack
$29.90 – valued at $39.90
The Little Elf pack is a festive treat designed especially for kids. It includes Ruru the Festival Morepork, colour-in postcards and more. It’s also the only way to guarantee getting your hands on our gorgeous, limited edition 2026 festival soft toy!
Festival Sparkle Pack
$59.90 – valued at over $100
Get the ultimate festival experience with the Festival Sparkle Pack. Brimming with goodies and special perks for grown-ups, including a limited edition reusable keep cup and tote, early access and discounts to the hottest events, special offers on mulled wine and hot drinks across town, and a Deals & Steals voucher book, with over $300 worth of discounts across Greytown.
Festival Pin
from $25
Collectible pins are a simple, meaningful way to show your support. The commemorative Festival Pin is a keepsake from this year’s celebration, with every pin purchased contributing directly toward the cost of delivering the 2026 Festival.
With heartfelt thanks
A huge thank you to our partners, Christmas Angels and cherubs whose generosity helps make the New Zealand Festival of Christmas possible. Your support is what keeps the magic alive: The Country Village Heaven Trust, Greytown Lands Trust, Blackwell & Sons, The White Swan, Copthorne Solway Park, Greytown Distilling Co, Mrs Blackwells Village Bookshop, Dave and Jennah from Property Brokers. Join us here
We’re looking for visionary businesses, organisations and individuals who share our belief in connection, joy and community-led experiences.
If you’d like to be part of a festival that welcomes over 60,000 visitors, delivers meaningful exposure, and creates lasting impact well beyond July, we’d love to talk. Supporting the New Zealand Festival of Christmas means being part of something joyful, generous and genuinely loved. Contact rachael@because.co.nz
