Auckland’s Diwali festivities include ticketed events for first time

Organisers of Auckland's massive Diwali festival have announced plans to feature ticketed events for the first time this year.

The festival, one of the largest annual cultural celebrations in the CBD, is set to return to Aotea Square and Queen Street on 11 and 12 October.

Since its inception in 2002, the festival has been a vibrant showcase of traditional and contemporary music and dance, alongside stalls offering food and crafts.

This year's programme includes Indian cultural performances across three stages, together with theatre, music, dance, exhibitions, art installations, light projections, yoga classes and Bollywood films.

For the first time, organiser Tātaki Auckland Unlimited has added ticketed events to the schedule at Auckland Town Hall, Aotea Centre and Q Theatre from 5 October.

The line-up of ticketed events includes Bollywood Meets Jazz, a musical experience led by jazz pianist Ben Fernandes in collaboration with the Auckland Jazz Orchestra on 7 October at Auckland Town Hall.

"My vision was to have Bollywood tunes played by a jazz orchestra without any Indian instruments," Fernandes said.

"I wanted to show that music is universal, and you don't need prior knowledge of Indian music to be able to play some of the tunes."

Fernandes and the Auckland Jazz Orchestra performed a show at the Auckland Performing Arts Centre in Western Springs earlier this year, which caught the attention of the Diwali festival organisers.

"I had people from different backgrounds at the show and, even though many didn't know the Bollywood tunes beforehand, they all said they enjoyed it," Fernandes said.

Fernandes has spent two years fine-tuning material for the show.

"It's going to be a fun performance," he said.

Also on the programme is a concert by Indian singer-songwriter Lucky Ali on 12 October at Aotea Centre, as well as a Miss India NZ beauty pageant on 10 October at Auckland Town Hall.

Other ticketed highlights include Ram Leela: A Timeless Tale of Valour and Devotion of Lord Rama, directed and choreographed by Anuradha Ramkumar and featuring more than 120 performers, on 11 October at Auckland Town Hall.

On 5 October, audiences can experience Kundalini - The Awakening, an Odissi dance production performed by Sam Goraya, Samir Panigrahi and Santosh Ram.

Across the two-day festival, visitors can also enjoy a Bollywood Dance Battle, light projections in Aotea Square, illuminated art installations in Freyberg Place and Khartoum Place, and performances by the Basant Madhur Ensemble at Ellen Melville Centre and Freyberg Place.

The celebrations will conclude with a fireworks display on 12 October.

"The BNZ Auckland Diwali Festival is one of the region's most popular and beloved festivals," said Nick Hill, chief executive of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.

"Events like this strengthen our community connections, recognise the contribution our diverse population makes to Auckland, support local businesses and contribute to the vibrancy of our city centre," he said.

The festival attracted around 65,000 attendees in 2024, according to organisers.

"With tens of thousands of Aucklanders attending every year and sharing in this celebration whether they are part of Auckland's Indian diaspora or from other backgrounds, everyone can experience this joyful cultural tradition," Hill said.

"We're proud to deliver one of Aotearoa's largest cultural festivals to the region on behalf of Auckland Council."

Auckland's Diwali festival will be held at Aotea Square and on Queen Street from midday to 9pm on 11-12 October.