New Zealand Lindauer Queenstown Winter Festival 2006

Go crazy this winter and join the celebration of the Lindauer Queenstown Winter Festival, also known as New Zealand's biggest winter party. Stay in Queenstown for ten fantastic days, from 23rd June to 2nd July, and lose yourself among the 60-plus events lined up.

The 20,000 locals of Queenstown expect 40,000 visitors from all over the world.

Queenstowners are proud of the Winter Festival, which originally started way back in 1975 as a way of announcing the coming of winter. Since then, the Queenstown Winter Festival has evolved into a grand celebration of the town's unique culture, with street parties, fireworks, live concerts, glitzy balls, comedy and theatre.

Activities and Attractions

The organisers are promising an overwhelming array of craziness for this year's Queenstown Winter Festival: snowman making, birdmen flying, undie racing, super sliding, pet parading, big air jumping and dogs' downhill racing. Festival favourites remain on the programme:

• Lindauer Opening Party and Fireworks
  at Earnslaw Park on 23rd June
• Great Comedy Debate on 26th June
• Speight's Dog Derby on 29th June
• Lindauer Jazz Night on 1st July

Great Comedy Debate

A memorable event to catch during the Queenstown Winter Festival--The Great Comedy Debate. Watch a bunch of professional comedians and celebrities tackle the most serious issue now: the merits of our infatuation with reality television. Jason Gunn will host the American Express Great Comedy Debate. Watch out for the guest appearance of New Zealand's award-winning comedian, Len the Loser.

Lindauer Jazz Night

Take in a musical cocktail of jazz, dub, funk and soul, as the Queenstown Winter Festival winds down to a close. Try to catch all the performances:

• Local jazz diva Hine Marchand with Ned Webster
  and Harvey McGuire
• Top Wellington band, The Vipers
• Australasia's leading jazz musicians, Roger Fox,
  Roger Manins, Geoff Culverwell and Stephanie Hearfield

Then finish the night by dancing to the fresh beats and big band sounds of the WBC, dDub and KORA.

More Events to Catch

Other Queenstown Winter Festival events you can't miss:

• Lindauer Boogie Nights Ball
• International Ice Hockey
• Skylines Teddy Bears Picnic
• Lindauer Stars on Snow
• Stolichnaya Expression Session
• Mountain Scene Sporting Spectacular

Get Your Tickets Now

The Lindauer Queenstown Winter Festival is free but some of events are ticketed. You can purchase tickets from the Lindauer Queenstown Winter Festival Web site, ticket outlets or by phoning 0800 FESTIVAL.

Demand for accommodation is high during the Lindauer Queenstown Winter Festival, but most accommodation will be within walking distance of the events. View more information on Queenstown accommodation options.

Check out the official Lindauer Queenstown Winter Festival Web site for more information.

Photos copyright by Barry Harcourt.