Unforgettable light sculptures, illuminated waterfalls and quirky coloured lit objects with kids excitedly jumping, running with lightsabers, light wands and trails of laughter. New Plymouth, and now wider Taranaki is the home for a stunning summer festival of lights.
TOP SIGHTS
- Rowing on Pukekura lake beneath a shimmering coloured waterfall
- Sheer joy of the night sky lit large with colourful lights Pukekura Park
- Lit up 3 km route to the park connecting the city and park into a seamless river of coloured lights
- Entertainment and pop up food stalls
- Festival Kids programme
- Summer seniors programme with seating, access and unobstructed views
- Festival of Lights goes on the road to Inglewood and Waitara
- Festival of Lights is FREE
- New Plymouth hosts a free New Year’s Eve party in Pukekura Park
The New Plymouth Festival of Lights is a summer festival stretching from mid-December to late January.
The 2024-25 season opens on 21 December and runs for 37 nights through to 26 January 2025.
The TSB Festival of Lights is an annual event held in, New Plymouth. Running for free every year from mid-December to late January. The summer Festival of Lights has a daytime and nighttime programme of events from entertainment to art installations and Puke Ariki Museum & Library events.
New Plymouth Festival of Lights Interesting Facts:
- Each year 16 kilometers of cable, 1200 light fittings
- Got to love the Waitara (small regional town) installation of lit up road cones
- Up to 9,000 people attend the festival’s free New Year’s Eve 2022 event
- Winter pop up event in 2022 was a success
- Running for over 19 years
- Lights are switched on at 8.30 pm and turned off at 11.00 pm. At 10.45 pm a siren will sound at the band rotunda to notify you to vacate the park before the lights are switched off at 11 pm.
Powerco is a proud sponsor of the TSB Festival of Lights, a free event that runs every summer in the beautiful Pukekura Park in New Plymouth. In 2023 Powerco supported Festival of Lights on Tour, which saw the festival go regional for the first time. We are proud to help connect communities with a taste of the festival outside of New Plymouth.
Donna Cooper, Chief Executive of TSB, says: “The TSB Festival of Lights is a world-class event which brings our local community together and attracts people from across Aotearoa to explore what our region has to offer, boosting our local economy. That’s why as a bank that exists to give back to our community, TSB is incredibly proud to get behind it for the 19th running.
Keep up to date with TSB Festival of Lights information and updates at festivaloflights.nz or via the festival’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The event is sponsored by TSB Bank.
Pukekura Park is a short 10 minute walk from the CBD with lights illuminating the entire way to the entrance.
TSB Festival of the Lights is held at Pukekura Park with access through the park’s main entrance at 10 Fillis Street.
Dogs are banned from the park from 7pm till midnight during the festival.
HOLIDAY IDEAS – WHAT TO DO IN NEW PLYMOUTH, TARANAKI IN THE SUMMER?
A perfect combination of things to do in Taranaki during the summer, visit 10 Taranaki Gardens & Parks worth a detour, travel guide, take the slow lane and cruise Surf Highway 45: Taranaki things to do and connect the dots and explore the Forgotten Highway.
For more information about Taranaki attractions check out Taranaki Attractions, things to do and keep New Plymouth travel guide bookmarked.
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