What’s On In Queenstown This Month And This Year, In 2025 And Beyond
Alice Rich
Contributor & Former Editor | Urban List NZ
Jam-packed with action, a little bit of adrenaline, music, and *that* onsen shot, there’s something for everyone on Queenstown’s events calendar. To be fair, it’s not like you need another reason to jump on a plane and holiday in one of the most beautiful places in the country… But here are a few more, just for good measure.
Keep reading for some Queenstown events to put on your radar. Here’s what’s on in Queenstown this month, and this year.
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What’s On In Queenstown In December 2025
Sip & Spin: Kinross x George FM
Gibbston | 20 December, 31 January, 28 February
The good folks at Kinross and George FM are putting on a series of beat-infused shindigs called Sip & Spin at Gibbston, one of Aotearoa’s oldest vineyards, complete with a wine cave. Swing by between 2 and 7pm for wine, banter and freshly-spun DJ sets. Entry is free.
Watershed Queenstown
St Omer Wharf | December
Poised to open at an as-of-yet undisclosed December date, Watershed will be Aotearoa’s first ever floating sauna and that’s worth a trip all of its own. Choose from a public or private sauna cabin, sit back, and reflect while enjoying stunning views of Lake Wakatipu. Once you’ve worked up a sweat, hit the plunge pool, then chuck it on repeat ‘til you’re feeling utterly blissed out.
Drop’d
Pavilion | From now until February
Image credit: Pavilion x Fix & Fogg | supplied
Sean Connolly’s Pavilion has just scored a DIY frozen yoghurt dessert bar called Drop’d where you can pimp your froyo to your heart’s delight with nine core yoghurt flavours and some 24 toppings. To celebrate, they’ve teamed up with Fix & Fogg for a summer-long collab in the form of two indulgent limited-edition flavours on tap through to the end of February. The flavours in question? Warm peanut butter sauce and peanut cookie crumble. Holy heck.
Rhythm & Alps
Wānaka | 29-31 December
The ultimate destination New Year’s Eve party, Rhythm & Alps is set among mountains and streams—it’s a venn diagram where sound meets nature, in festival form. And this year, the lineup is bonkers. No, seriously, it’s being headlined by none other than Dizzee Rascal. Plus, Rudim3ntal, Santigold, Synthony, Halfqueen, Beccie B, and more. Already down to final release tickets, if you’re keen to shimmy into 2026, you better act fast.
Great Walk Season
Various | Now until June 2026
One of the best ways to explore Queenstown and the surrounding areas is on foot, specifically, by tackling a Great Walk like Milford, Kepler or Routeburn. And while tickets tend to get snapped up as soon as the season opens, there are always a few rogue dates to pounce on to make any last-minute tramping aspirations a reality. But if you can’t find a suitable date, or the idea of a multi-day hike is a bit daunting, there are a heap of other walks in and around Queenstown that you might like to try instead.
LyLo’s Self-Pour Cocktail And Beer Wall
LyLo Queenstown | Ongoing
Modern accom sitch, LyLo, have just leveled up their… hydration… game with Aotearoa’s first ever self-pour cocktail and beer wall where guests can tap a card to top up craft beer, ciders and cocktails with the added bonus of scroll-stopping views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. The neat lil’ system has built-in sobriety limits and will contribute to massive sustainability savings. Cheers to that.
What’s On In Queenstown In January 2026
Herbalism Course
Sherwood, Frankton Road | 3 January, 7 February, 14 March, 18 April
Perched atop alpine hillside and with views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables, Sherwood makes for a pretty neat place to rest your head. Add a touch of botanical alchemy to your stay by dropping into a Herbalism Workshop where you'll 'wild craft', harvesting direct from the Sherwood's gardens and channeling ancient plant knowledge to transform your foragings into all manner of potions for the year ahead.
Queenstown Bike Festival
Various locations | 16-25 January
Image credit: Queenstown Bike Festival | Facebook
Bikes, beers and BBQ collide in the epic 10-day Queenstown Bike Festival. Expect heli-biking, lake jumps, slalom, downhill race hot rod… Better still, it’s all for a good cause with all proceeds set to be donated to the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club, a bicycle-lover’s utopia that’s beloved for its strong sense of community plus the fact it maintains over 100kms of world class trails for everyone from bike newbs to crazy huckers. Ready to get on ya bike and ride? Snap up tickets here.
The Valley Festival
The Church, Gibbston | 24 January
If your ideal summer involves kicking back—lizard-like—in the sun with a cheeky vino in hand as you soundbathe to homegrown beats, you’ve got to hit The Valley. Just 25 minutes from Queenstown, and with the likes of Kora, The Black Seeds, Reb Fountain and Hollie Smith among the lineup, consider your summer plans, sorted.
What’s On In Queenstown In February 2026
Gin Fest Arrowtown
Arrowtown | 7 February
Image credit: Gin Fest Arrowtown | Facebook
An ice-cold gin cocktail just hits different under the summer sun, especially when it’s set to bangers that get you groovin’. Enter: Gin Fest Arrowtown, a lush curation of gin from 20 distilleries around the motu and abroad including Twelfth Hour, The Cardrona Distillery, Broken Hearts Spirits, Papa Salt and Scapegrace. Sip pretty, soaking up the good vibes, then stay a while longer and make the most of what beautiful Arrowtown has to offer (like these top tier restaurants).
Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon
Ben Lomond Station | 20-21 February
If 2025 saw you step into your treadmill era, this is your sign to take it off-road. Set amidst a spectacular 33,500 acres of sustainable farmland on Ben Lomond Station, the Shotover Moonlight Mountain trail running series offers 56km, 42km, 30km, 21km and 10km challenges, including an especially brutal (but no less beautiful) Ben Lomond Vertical Kilometre. Now that’s some serious cred. If this sounds like a bit of you, register, arm yourself with electrolytes and get ready to hit the trail. (And, hey, if you end up running out of steam, you’ll still score some scroll-stopping content for socials.)
The Ayrburn Classic 2026
Ayrburn | 20-22 February
I love watching people look at cars. It’s the way they go silent with awe, it’s the tilt of the head, bonus points if they give one of the tyres a fond little kick. Whether you’re there for the people-watching or you’re an outright petrolhead, The Ayrburn Classic could be just the ticket, and not least because it’s set at Ayrburn, a food and wine playground that critics have been fawning over.
Keen for more? Check out:
- 20 Of The Best Queenstown Airbnbs For A Vacay With Views
- Queenstown's Hottest Bars
- 7 Of The Most Jaw-Droppingly Scenic Drives In Queenstown
Image credit: Rhythm & Alps | Facebook.