Major events deliver significant economic and social boost for Wellington

During the financial year 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, WellingtonNZ successfully delivered 26 major and regional event partnerships, attracting a total attendance of 497,725 people. Of those attendees, 275,811 were locals, demonstrating strong community engagement with the capital’s vibrant events scene.

The year-long events programme also attracted 164,468 out of region visitors, generating 225,955 bed nights across the Wellington region and contributing to a total new visitor spend of $56million.

The largest contributors of visitor spend included World of WearableArt (2024), All Blacks vs Australia Rugby Bledisloe Cup match (2024) and Maoriland Film Festival (2025).

Alongside the proven economic results, public sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive for major events. Surveys show a 90% average satisfaction rate across the portfolio, with 88% of local attendees agreeing that hosting major events increases their pride in Wellington.

Meanwhile, 91% said that events make Wellington a more enjoyable place to live - highlighting the social and cultural benefits that come from being a major centre of events.

“Wellington’s reputation as a creative and vibrant city is built on experiences that bring people together, and we know that major events play a huge role in that,” says Heidi Morton, general manager Events & Experiences at WellingtonNZ.

“The past year’s results show just how important major events are, not just for the local economy, but for the sense of pride and connection they create for people.”

WellingtonNZ has recently enhanced its major events team, establishing a new role of head of major events to ensure that Wellington continues to attract, deliver and celebrate quality events both in the short and long term.

“Our people are the driving force behind the success of Wellington’s major events, and we’re thrilled to appoint Tiana Rakete into the new head of major events role. With over a decade of experience in the events industry and well-established relationships with promoters and organisers, she’s a great fit for this important position,” says Heidi.

The current team of six collectively brings over 90 years of industry experience to the WellingtonNZ division and is consistently seeking to bring new events to the capital as well as foster growth for existing events.

Looking ahead, a key priority for the team is to review the major events strategy to ensure Wellington is prepared and can continue to deliver economic, social and cultural impact for locals, businesses and visitors alike.

“The refresh of our major events strategy is essential in today’s changing environment and is good timing following the recent government announcement of the $70million events and tourism fund, which presents a huge opportunity for Wellington. It’s the first time in over 20 years we have seen this level of investment from central government and our team will be collaborating with industry partners near and far to generate the best possible outcomes for the region,” says Heidi.

Wellington has a strong lineup of major events for locals and visitors to attend, including High Tide Festival last weekend (8 November 2025), music megastar Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour concert (21 January 2026), Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts (February – March 2026), and the One New Zealand Warriors ANZAC match (25 April 2026).

Find out more about upcoming events in Wellington.

Date published: 12 November 2025