The Queenstown Winter Festival

The Queenstown Winter Festival is one of the most famous festivals in New Zealand, conducted in and around Queenstown, New Zealand's alpine town. Since 1975, the festival has been conducted annually. It's been dubbed "the Southern Hemisphere's biggest winter celebration." Queenstown is a popular winter destination since it is close to many major ski areas in the southern hemisphere, including The Remarkables, Cardrona, and Coronet Peak. Locals began organizing a winter festival before the start of each ski season in the 1970s, beginning with a 1975 event organized by singer Peter Doyle and Laurie Wilde, manager of Eichardt's Hotel.

Since then, The Queenstown Winter Festival has evolved to the point that events take place over ten days each June, attracting over 40,000 people. The final four days of the festival are the most important, with free live entertainment in and around town. The festival's events are purposefully designed to be both entertaining and interesting. A music and comedy program is supplemented by events ranging from a polar plunge to a ski tug of war. Previous festivals have also featured New Zealand Ice Hockey League games and the Peak-to-Peak endurance marathon. Fireworks and laser light shows are held on a regular basis.

Dates: 21st - 23rd June (Mid-June)

Location: Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand.