Winter festival regains its spark
The Light Hub has been the cornerstone of the Winter Festival for its 11 years and returns to its full glory in 2026. Photo: Dan Hutchinson
By Dan Hutchinson
Organisers of the Malcolm Flowers Insurances Taupō Winter Festival have brought back some of the best elements of the event with a full light display, food trucks and even the return of the ice slide, alongside the ice-skating rink.
Up until a few months ago a fully fledged festival was in doubt, with several key sponsors pulling out, but Festival Director Nicola de Lautour says new sponsors have since come on board.
The full line-up of events was announced on Tuesday night, with 28 events running over 17 days, from July 3-19.
Nicola says the festival committee and the One Taupō Trust Board which owns the event had talked about just doing the light hub and the ice-skating rink, in light of financial constraints, but they decided to keep the theatre, music and other entertainment.
Some of the events are third-party events, events that might have happened anyway, but are wrapped into the itinerary of the Winter Festival and with performances tailored to the event.
There will be a big local presence from many of Taupō’s top artists, thanks in part to local teacher, musician, journalist and recently appointed Taupō Arts coordinator for Creative Taupō Chris Marshall.
He is involved with the Taupo Concert Band, Taupō Jazz Band and jazz-blues hybrid band Hot Tub, all of which are performing over the course of the festival. He is also a festival committee member.
One unique event he has facilitated is The Sound of Movement on July 9 which is a collaboration between the Concert Band and Dance Central for a matinee performance where young people dance to live music.
"Young people are on stage to live music. So, they might not normally dance with a live band."
The prices have been priced cheaply at $10 for adults and $5 for children 15 and under, to get as many locals along as possible, Chris says.
The Taupō Concert Band follows with an evening show the same day, featuring music purchased specifically for the festival performances.
"We actually have created a programme which is really celebrating a lot of our local talent this year," Nicola says.
The Light Hub returns with new installations curated by Ant van Dorsen of Vesica Aotearoa.
The Ice Rink returns with the Paradise team from Auckland, which is also bringing back the popular ice slide that was absent last year due to financial constraints.
The festival brings back community art activities reminiscent of its inaugural year. Artist Donovan Bixley returns to create a Matariki-themed mural for community colouring, supported by McDonald's Taupō.
Bixley conducted artwork sessions at the museum during April school holidays and plans to incorporate children's Matariki-themed designs into the festival mural.
Adults can enjoy Liquor and Literature at Taupō Library, described as "a familiar comfort reimagined." The event pairs award-winning wines with short story readings, complete with blankets and bean bags.
The marquee adult event, "Champagne and Ice," is presented by New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty. Local band Hot Tub opens the evening, followed by hugely popular local band Fairly Obvious.
"The feedback we had was ‘wish they just stayed on all night’," de Lautour said of Fairly Obvious, which opened for the Summer Concert earlier this year.
Family activities expand with the Fun Zone returning to Tongariro North Domain. The Scouts help manage bumper balls, whilst bouncy castles operate for three days during the middle of the school holidays.
Lake Taupō Hospice celebrates 40 years with A Legacy in Lights event at St Andrews Church on July 16. Five Mile Distillery hosts Sip and Stitch for gin and craft enthusiasts on July 15.
The museum presents interactive Matariki activities and kids' arts and crafts. Taupō Camera Club displays a photo exhibition in the Great Lake Centre foyer, whilst the Model Railway Club runs its Hobby Expo during the event.
Other events include a midday concert with Tracy Livingston and a comedy night at 2 Mile Bay Sailing Club.
The festival operates under the One Taupō Trust, which raises funds through the festival whilst supporting families needing to travel for sick family members. The trust is chaired by Helene Phillips, with trustees including Natalie Haynes, Brent Winkelman, Chris Marshall, Carolyn James and Shona Smith.
Principal partners of the festival include Wairakei Estate, MB Century, and Drop Zone. Gold sponsors include LePine & Co, More FM, Bevan Martin Electrical, Whakapapa and New Zealand Southeby’s International Realty.
Public ticket sales open on May 11.