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by Eric Lim - Queenstown Multicultural Festival Trust

Celebrate the Festival That Connects Us All

Join us this Saturday, 21 March, for the Queenstown Multicultural Festival 2026. If you missed the last few years, now’s your chance to be part of this colourful, community-hearted day.

We started this event back in 2022 as a simple community gathering, and thanks to all of you, it’s grown into a much-loved local tradition. Why do we do it? To create connection, to celebrate every culture here and to help everyone feel like they truly belong in our Queenstown.

This year, we’ve refreshed the layout at the Queenstown Events Centre to make it flow better. More importantly, we’ve moved the festival to March to align with Race Relations Day celebrated annually on March 21 to coincide with the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It’s an important observance in New Zealand aimed at celebrating and acknowledging the multicultural and racial diversity within the country. It’s a small way to honour the idea that through sharing and understanding each other’s cultures, we can build a kinder, more welcoming home for all.

We all know Queenstown can feel like a bubble—a beautiful, busy place where people come and go. That’s exactly why we need a day like this. A day where anyone from any background, can proudly share their food, their music, their stories, and their heritage. It’s about creating a sense of belonging, right here.

A guiding phrase for us in this work is the whakataukī: He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. It is people, it is people, it is people. That’s what this festival is about. It won’t be perfect, and it will be real. It’s about human connection.

So, we warmly encourage you: wear something that represents your culture if you’d like, try a new dish, watch a performance, make a mark at our community art station. Most importantly, say hello to your neighbour. Make a new friend. Share a smile.

We’re also trying to do our bit for our environment. Lightfoot will be back managing our bike parking—so consider cycling down. And thanks to Sustainable Queenstown, we’ll have the DISHrupt system to cut down on single-use waste. Bring your own cup or utensils if you can.

Come with an open heart. Let’s fill our community with a little more understanding, joy and connection.