Get ready for a boomin' good time
The Contact Alexandra Blossom Festival is promising one of its liveliest years yet, with a diverse entertainment programme that brings together Kiwi icons, international performers and family-friendly fun.
More than 15,000 people turned out for last year's festival, record numbers for New Zealand's longest running festival, which started way back in September 1957.
The 68th festival runs 26-28 September 2025 and has lots of events on its calendar, including the Friday night Fulton Hogan Mardi Gras, the FMX Spectacular and The News Round the Clock Race, both also on Friday.
Then on Saturday, there's The Contact Grand Procession, Centennial Avenue, from 11.45am, the Contact Energy Saturday in the Park, in Pioneer Park from 9am-6pm and the Booth's Logistics Parade of Trucks.
At the heart of the celebrations is the Party in the Park, which will host an impressive mainstage line-up.
Two of New Zealand’s most respected singer-songwriters, Barry Saunders and Jackie Bristow, are headliners.
Saunders is well known as lead singer and songwriter of The Waratahs, a much-loved band whose soundtrack is embedded into life in New Zealand for the past four decades. He has also had a distinguished solo career.
Singer/songwriter Bristow took her first musical steps in Gore, honed her craft in the pubs and clubs of Sydney, Australia, and found her voice in the United States, where she has continued to enhance her reputation as a soulful, seductive independent recording artist and dynamic live performer.
Together Saunders and Bristow are a dynamic duo set to entertain and thrill music fans.
Alexandra’s own Paul Foulds, a soulful blues guitarist whose career has seen him share stages with Foreigner, Heart and Huey Lewis, will set the tone with his emotive style and deep local connection.
And rounding out the mainstage bill is Capitol City, a 10-piece powerhouse band renowned for their high-energy live shows. With a reputation for creating dancefloor-filling performances, their infectious synergy has rocked audiences at festivals across New Zealand and beyond. Festival-goers can expect a mix of sing-along favourites and irresistible grooves.
The festival also shines a spotlight on younger audiences with a dedicated Children’s Entertainment Stage. Returning favourites Mullet Man and MiM, a husband-and-wife circus duo with over 50 years’ combined experience, will wow crowds with acrobatics, juggling and comedy. Wayne McEwan Magic Guy, fresh from winning the NZ Variety Artists Children’s Entertainer of the Year and receiving a Magic New Zealand Lifetime Achievement Award, will add his signature tricks – and maybe a talking parrot or two.
New faces include Emma Mackey, a circus performer and teacher bringing her bubbly energy and aerial skills, while seasoned entertainers Mr Heaphy and Mr Wizowski will showcase stilt-walking, sideshow stunts, clowning and comedic chaos. Both have performed nationally and internationally, from the post-quake Christchurch arts revival to world stages such as the Edinburgh Fringe.
Festival organisers say the 2025 line-up reflects the event’s enduring spirit – blending community, heritage and celebration with top-class entertainment. With music that spans blues to country rock, circus artistry that delights all ages, and a strong family focus, this year’s Blossom Festival is set to bloom brighter than ever.
There's also the Delta Garden Tour on Sunday, at various locations from 10am-5pm.
Visit www.blossom.co.nz for more information.
Win a family pass here on the Queenstown App under the 'Win Stuff' tile.
