The BNZ Chinese Lantern Festival was held at the Manukau Sports Bowl from 26 February to 1 March. This year is the year of the horse, with people born in 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, and 2026 being considered zodiac ‘horses’. It was a celebration of the Lunar New Year with many different ethnicities embracing Chinese culture at this free family event, showing us just how multicultural New Zealand truly is.
The festival started in the year 2000 as a one-day celebration. It has now grown to be the largest cultural community festival in New Zealand. The lantern festival originated at Albert Park before moving to the Auckland Domain and finally arriving at the Manukau Sports Bowl, its current location. Over 110,000 people attend the event every year.
“The lantern festival was amazing! I went at night and they glowed so beautifully,” says a Pakūranga College student who attended the celebration.
BNZ expected 160,000 people to attend, and by the start of the event, over 100,000 free tickets had already been claimed. Over 500 handcrafted lanterns shone through the three nights they were on display. Many lantern festival favourites returned, including the 30m long dragon from 2024, and the beautiful birds in the trees. New ones also made their debut, like the silver moa and, of course, the 2026 horses. There was also live entertainment on stage, with a range of different Chinese dances, from traditional to contemporary, mesmerising the audience. Night markets cooked delicious food from a range of cultures and sold amazing trinkets.
BNZ ended the night with a firework performance, and the many buses to Manukau Train Station and bus stop at Westfield Manukau quickly filled with people. Everyone left with a smile on their faces and good vibes.
Happy year of the horse! 新年快乐
Mila Hawkins – Year 9
