Events & Entertainment

There was something for everyone at the Taupō Home & Garden Show on the weekend. Dan Hutchinson went along for a look and to capture some of the action with the camera.

The Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Taupō late last year is being hailed a financial success, with an estimated $23 million spent in the district. About 15,000 international visitors were attracted to the district for the event on December 14 and 15, says a report commissioned by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

All 24 Supercars will return to the streets of Taupō for the pre-event Track to Town journey. Thousands of fans lined the streets to welcome the drivers to the inaugural event in 2024. On April 10, the full fleet of Repco Supercars Championship will be making their way from the Taupō International Motorsport Park to Taupō's CBD by the lake.

Taupō’s Rainbow community is set to dazzle this weekend with some top notch entertainment planned for the annual Taupō Pride Festival. Headlining the Saturday afternoon festival will be Tiki Taane.

Pop-Up Cinema is making a return to Taupō with its first movie sessions of 2025, including te reo and English versions of Moana 2.

Here’s a few events on in the district over the next week or two.

Kiwi Mike Phillips has claimed his third Anzco Foods Ironman New Zealand title and set a new course best time.

Haiming Jiang is bringing his Comedy Hypnosis Show to Tūrangi and is giving away five double passes to Taupō & Tūrangi News readers.

An action-packed Seven Oak Kinloch Triathlon Festival took place last weekend, with more than 400 competitors and supporters enjoying the serene village atmosphere.

Hosts of this weekend’s Whakaipo Lodge Summer Concert have more reasons than most to support the Greenlea Rescue helicopter.

The 2025 series of midday concerts kick off in March with ‘Dave Flynn’s Celtic Guitar Journey’ and an evening time slot.

Lava Glass owner Christine Robb is looking forward to having her favourite local band play in the Lava Glass Sculpture Garden – not that she’s at all biased.

Four hundred swimmers zipped down the first 3.3km of the Waikato River from the Control Gates to Hipapatua Reserve on Saturday in the 2025 Huka River Swim.

In its 11th year, The Big Bike Film Night celebrates cycling in all its glorious shapes and forms and begins its national and global tour in Taupō on February 19.

A tightly woven yet delicate harakeke poi created by Darlene Fay Walters has claimed first prize in the inaugural Ngati Tūwharetoa-led art awards.

 Flash floods and strong winds couldn't stop 800 free hāngi packs being given away at the Ruia Taitea festival on the weekend.

It was a sell-out crowd of 17,000 on the day for the 2025 Greenstone Summer Concert Tour at the Taupō Amphitheatre, with Everclear, Bic Runga, ICEHOUSE and Cold Chisel taking to the stage.

The second half of a massive fortnight of music happens this weekend with the Taupō leg of the Summer Concert Tour.

Leading the horn section for chart topping reggae band L.A.B is all in a day’s work for Taupō-raised musician Louisa Williamson.