BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival will be happening on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November 2026 from 12pm (midday) to 9pm.

The BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival is a free event. No ticket is required to enter. 

Aotea Square is located in Auckland city centre and is easy to reach by public transport. It’s a three-minute walk from Te Waihorotiu Station, which is served by the South–City and East–West lines, and a 15-minute walk from the Downtown Ferry Terminal. To plan your journey and explore all transport options, visit our festival information page.

The festival menu will be serving traditional and contemporary Auckland Diwali food and beverages. Diwali food is all vegetarian, and there's an incredible spread of sweet and savoury options.

Yes, the festival is accessible. Accessible drop-off points and parking is located on Wakefield Street. The Civic Car park has 20 mobility car parks which will all be available as normal.   

The festival is predominantly accessible through paved pathways.

Yes, this is family-friendly event.

Service dogs are welcome at the BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival, but pets may find the large crowds challenging. Please leave your pets at home.  

The festival comprises three action-packed performance zones: The Aotea Stage, The Street Zone, and The Queen Street Stage, all of which will offer an incredible line-up of vibrant and diverse performances throughout the day.

The festival will close with a spectacular fireworks display from Aotea Centre, beginning at approximately 8:50pm.

The naming rights partnership with BNZ is a great example of how Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is working with the private sector to reduce the reliance on ratepayer funding, while still delivering world-class cultural experiences that inevitably make Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland a great place to live, work, and visit.

• We aim to divert 70% of festival waste from landfill.  

• We require 100% of food serve-ware at the festival to be recyclable or compostable.  

Please email [email protected]

The BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival is an Auckland Council Event delivered by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, a council-controlled organisation.

Members of the media should contact Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Communications Advisor:

Kimberly Hinds - [email protected].

Members of public can use our contact us form.