New Zealand’s favourite event, TSB Festival of Lights back at Pukekura Park

New Zealand’s favourite event, TSB Festival of Lights back at Pukekura Park

NPDC’s award-winning TSB Festival of Lights is back to light up your summer and New Plymouth’s iconic Pukekura Park from 17 December.

After an almost two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions, planning is well underway for what will be a jam-packed season with an all-new line up of dazzling light installations and a large programme of free entertainment, Festival Kids and Summer Senior events.

The festival will run from Saturday 17 December 2022 to Sunday 22 January 2023 and will feature 13 new installations connecting a three-kilometre light route within Pukekura Park, including Evanescent (pictured) designed by Atelier Sisu from Sydney. The large-scale creation of immersive bubble-tectures is sure to be a favourite as visitors experience the vibrant reflections.

A new addition this summer will see the team taking the festival on the road to Waitara and Inglewood with Festival of Lights on Tour events, so be sure to keep an eye out with more details to come.

NPDC Group Manager – Community & Customer Services Teresa Turner says the festival is almost finalised and organisers were keen to give festival lovers a glimpse of what to expect as people plan their summer holidays.

“Even if you have been many times before, we are always looking to evolve the festival, as we did earlier this year with the Winter Pop-Up event in the CBD, attracting around 15,000 people over four days,” says Ms Turner.

“There’s something for everyone as well, from Festival Kids for families to get involved to Summer Seniors, Light Bites and Refreshments, and amazing entertainment.”

NPDC’s Festival of Lights took home two awards at this year’s New Zealand Event Association Awards (NZEA), including Best Local Government Event and New Zealand’s Favourite Event for the 2020/2021 season.

Donna Cooper, Chief Executive of TSB, says: “The TSB Festival of Lights is a world-class event which brings our local community together and attracts people from across Aotearoa to explore what our region has to offer, boosting our local economy. That’s why as a bank that exists to give back to our community, TSB is incredibly proud to get behind it for the 19th running.”

Venture Taranaki, Chief Executive Kelvin Wright says: “We are thrilled the TSB Festival of Lights is back this summer to light up the world-renowned Pukekura Park, significantly adding to our region's vibrancy and encouraging domestic travel and visitation.”

Keep up to date with TSB Festival of Lights information and updates at festivaloflights.nz or via the festival’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Fast Facts

• Up to 150,000 people visit the TSB Festival of Lights in New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park each summer.
• The last season of the festival (2020/2021), 41% of festival attendees were from outside of the New Plymouth District.
• Up to 9,000 people attend the festival’s free New Year’s Eve event.
• In 2022 the TSB Festival of Lights won two New Zealand Event Association Awards from their last season, including Best Government Event 2021 and New Zealand’s Favourite Event 2021 (as voted by the public).

Caption:

Light feature Evanescent – Designed by ‘Atelier Sisu’ from Sydney