What to do in Auckland this summer: Ed Sheeran, ASB Classic, and more

Whether you’re city-bound or beachside, there’s no shortage of summer events to fill your days.

While some people are calling the Kiwi summer break an embarrassment of low productivity, others are working hard to create well-organised, large-scale events. If you’re among the privileged New Zealanders with the option to be unproductive this summer, you might be interested in where and how you can spend your downtime. Whether you’re staying in the city or skiving off to the beach, here are some ways to keep your off-duty brains and bodies entertained over the holidays.

1) Serving on and off the court

ASB Classic is back in Auckland. Watch top tennis talent in action and then hang around for good food. Photo / Dom Thomas

One of the main reasons to stick around in the big smoke over the summer is the ASB Classic Tennis. The women are up first, as usual, with Venus Williams, our own Lulu Sun, top-15 ranked Elina Svitolina and Emma Navarro, and 17-year-old WTA Tour title winner Iva Jovic taking to the Manuka Doctor Arena from January 5. Gael Monfils, Casper Ruud, Ben Shelton and three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka will follow the week after. The Pōhutukawa Terrace this year becomes the Lexus Terrace featuring padded seating and in-seat food and beverage services, and there are upgrades throughout the fan zones to provide more shade and spaces to mingle. Tickets in the stands start as low as $20 all the way up to $1200 for a premium full-week tournament pass in the Lexus Terrace.

When: January 5–17

Where: Manuka Doctor Arena, 1 Tennis Lane, Parnell

Price: Tickets from $20; premium passes up to $1200 (asbclassic.co.nz)

2) Less tennis, more beer

A relaxed summer pop-up transforms a historic tennis club into an open-air lawn bar with DJs, drinks and no sporting skills required. Photo / Kayle Lawson

If you’re more of a “let’s not and say we did” tennis fan, you might be more interested in Heineken Silver’s pop-up Club Silver, a new open-air lawn bar at the Parnell Lawn Tennis Club. The 150-year-old club will host Club Silver throughout the summer on Fridays and Saturdays for outdoor drinks and DJ sets. You don’t need a racquet or any ball skills to enjoy this tennis club.

When: Fridays and Saturdays, 2pm–8pm (through summer)

Where: Parnell Lawn Tennis Club, Maunsell Rd, Parnell, Auckland

Price: Free entry (drinks for purchase)

3) Shape of your summer

Ed Sheeran brings his Loop Tour back to Auckland for two stadium shows. Photo / Mark Surridge

It’s hard to believe but, if you act quickly, you still have a chance to get tickets to see Ed Sheeran on his Loop Tour at Go Media Stadium in January. It’s also an excellent way to solve any last-minute Christmas present woes for significant people on your list. It’s Ed’s fifth time in Aotearoa, which has to mean he loves us, he truly loves us. Sheeran always puts on a great show and going will almost certainly be one of the highlights of your summer.

When: January 16 and 17

Where: Go Media Stadium, 2 Beasley Ave, Penrose, Auckland

Price: $109.90–$229.90 + booking fees

4) Good ol’ fashioned fair

The Extravaganza Fair is pure old-school joy, rolling into town with quirky performers, classic games, market stalls and enough food trucks to keep the whole family happily wandering for hours.

The good, slightly eccentric folk behind the Extravaganza Fair haven’t seen a summer holiday in well over a decade - this is their peak season. Until April they’re touring their traditional travelling fair around the North Island. There are live performers - some wacky and whimsical, some daring, all entertaining - market stalls, traditional games like sack races and tug-of-war, art and crafts, kids’ shows, loads of food trucks and more. They work hard to create a sustainable event, so bring your own bags for the market. They’ll be in Whitianga after Christmas, Waihī Beach for New Year, followed by Whangamatā, Ōrewa, Paihia and Whāngarei, making their way to Auckland by Waitangi weekend, then carrying on down the country after that. It’s a fun and affordable day out with the kids.

When: Whitianga: December 26–28; Waihi Beach: December 30–January 1; Whangamatā: January 3–4

Where: Various North Island locations

Price: Free for children; gold coin entry for adults

5) Whangamatā Summer Festival

Head to the Whangamatā Summer Festival for live music, food trucks and markets.

Those lucky enough to be soaking up the sunshine in the Coromandel over the break should head over to Whangamatā on December 27 and 28 for the Whangamatā Summer Festival. Held in the park behind the surf club, there’s live music, a twilight market on day one and craft market on day two. There are food trucks on site and a fabulously chilled-out vibe where you can leave all the Christmas chaos behind and ride out the remaining days of 2025 with a cold beverage in hand and nowhere else to be.

When: December 27, 2pm–8pm and December 28, 9am–3pm

Where: Williamson Park, Ocean Rd, Whangamatā

Price: Free entry

6) Waterworld Tour

Waterworld Tour makes a splash at beaches around the North Island, setting up inflatable obstacle courses and slides.

Anyone with young people to entertain or an adventurous spirit should keep an eye out for the mobile inflatable water park Waterworld that’s touring beaches in Auckland and further afield over the summer. This weekend it’s in Maraetai, plus they have their mega slides set up in Rotorua. It’ll be making appearances on the ocean at Browns Bay, Mairangi Bay, Little Bucklands Beach, Whitianga Waterways, St Heliers, Mission Bay, Worser Bay, Whāngarei and more throughout the holiday period and beyond. It’s not suitable for preschoolers but it’s free for over-70s so bring your wiley grannies.

When: Throughout summer

Where: Various locations across the North Island

Price: Ticketed (prices vary, wipeout.co.nz)

7) Summer at Brick Bay

Brick Bay combines art, wine and dining with extended summer hours, new sculptures, evening trail walks, DJ sessions and curated picnic experiences just north of Auckland. Photo / ©Tom Klockseth 2022

Less than a one-hour drive north of Auckland is Brick Bay Wines and Sculpture Trail, which has added a few extras to their summer offerings. There are three new impressive artworks on the sculpture trail, meaning it’s worth a mosey even if you’ve been before. Plus, throughout the summer, the restaurant is open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays and the trail has extended hours those nights as well, so visitors can go for a twilight walk before or after their meal. On Saturday afternoons in December and January there are DJ sessions and you can book curated picnic packages also. Self-guided and guided (subject to staff availability) wine tastings are offered daily. Visit brickbay.co.nz for more information.

When:

Monday–Thursday: 10am–4pm

Friday–Saturday: 10am–9pm

Sunday: 10am–5pm

Where: Brick Bay Wines & Sculpture Trail, 17 Arabella Lane, Snells Beach, Auckland

Price: Sculpture trail $12–$18 per person (discounts with dining)

8) Get behind Auckland FC

Auckland FC hosts a New Year’s Day match against the Newcastle Jets, complete with food trucks and family-friendly activities.

There are at least 11 people who won’t be having a big New Year’s Eve this year and that’s the Auckland FC players. They’re taking on the Newcastle Jets FC at Go Media Stadium on New Year’s Day. If you’re in Auckland that day and not hiding from sunlight and the poor decisions you made the night before, then you should definitely head along to support the team. There’ll be international food trucks on site and a giant blow-up slide for the kids to muck around on. The Newcastle Jets beat Auckland 2-1 last month so this is our chance to even the score.

When: January 1, 5pm

Where: Go Media Stadium, 2 Beasley Ave, Penrose, Auckland

Price: $18 children, $30 adults (aucklandfc.co.nz)

Photo credit: not required.

9) Off to the races

Ellerslie Racecourse hosts a series of major summer race days. Photo / Auckland Thoroughbred Racing

Without doubt, the place to see and be seen in Auckland every summer is trackside. Sky City Boxing Day Races, Sky City New Year’s Day Races and the Gingernuts Salver Raceday are all being held at Ellerslie over the next few weeks. The racecourse has multiple zones with different atmospheres from a relaxed picnic-friendly zone to exclusive high-end hospitality experiences. While gambling is clearly not for the kids, all three event days are family-friendly with dedicated areas for children and activities like a bouncy castle, face painting, mini golf holes, swing ball and more. One of the annual highlights is fashion in the field so start planning your prize-worthy outfits.

When: December 26; January 1 and January 11

Where: Ellerslie Racecourse, 100 Ascot Ave, Remuera, Auckland

Price: Tickets from $15; free for under 15s (aucklandracing.co.nz)

10) A New Year’s Eve to remember

Rhythm and Vines delivers its iconic New Year’s Eve experience in Gisborne, combining a major international music line-up with camping, food, bars and festival culture. Photo / Aaron Moffitt

Despite widespread belief, it’s actually not too late to make New Year’s Eve plans, even ones as dramatic as a last-minute road trip to Rhythm and Vines in Gisborne. There are more than 100 acts performing over three days and four nights at the idyllic Waiohika Estate. Headlining acts this year include Kid Cudi, Wilkinson, L.A.B., Turnstile and Maribou State. There are multiple camping spaces available on site, as well as the infamous water slide, garden bars, great food vendors and friends you haven’t met yet. If you don’t have camping gear, you can use their Bookatent service where you book a site with a tent already set up and ready to go when you arrive. There are single-day passes too if a full three-day music festival is out of your budget or more than your body, mind and spirit could handle.

When: December 28–31

Where: Waiohika Estate, Tairāwhiti Gisborne

Price:

• Single-day tickets from $160
• Three-day pass from $395
• Camping packages from $465 (rhythmandvines.co.nz)

11) Ringing in 2026 in the city

See Auckland ring in the new year with Sky Tower fireworks, light projections, and live entertainment.

For those ringing in the new year in the big smoke, Tāmaki Makaurau, get yourselves in view of the Sky Tower before midnight for the annual fireworks display. From 9pm, images of “special moments” will be projected onto the Sky Tower and there will be live entertainment in and around the SkyCity precinct, plus roaming performers along Queen Street all evening. Also from 9pm, the Auckland Harbour Bridge will be putting on the ritz with a new light and sound show by Vector Lights. There are plenty of good viewing spots in the city as well as further afield, like Maungawhau Mt Eden and Takurunga Mt Victoria, which are also excellent spots for a midnight snog with your crush.

When: December 31, from 9pm

Where: Sky Tower, SkyCity precinct and Queen St, Auckland

Price: Free. Visit ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz for more information.

12) Free outdoor concerts

Music in Parks is popping up around Auckland and giving you an easy excuse to bring a picnic and stay out late. Photo / Cactus Photography

Auckland Council’s Music in Parks series continues to provide some of the best free entertainment the city has to offer. It kicks off for 2026 with four consecutive evening concerts at Milford Beach from January 7-10. Throughout the summer the concerts pop up at parks all around Tāmaki Makaurau, each centred on a specific genre like jazz, pop, reggae and more. It’s a great opportunity to discover new local artists and soak up the summer while you’re at it. Visit musicinparks.co.nz for the full schedule.

When: January 7–February 21

Where: Various parks and reserves across Auckland

Price: Free

COMING UP LATER IN SUMMER

Auckland Shakespeare in the Park: January 16-February 14, Takapuna, Auckland.

Bridge Pa Wine Festival 2026: January 17, Ash Ridge Winery, Hastings, Hawke’s Bay.

Auckland Folk Festival: January 23-26, Auckland.

Auckland International Buskers Festival: January 23-26, Auckland Waterfront and CBD.

Opera in the Park: January 24, St Heliers and January 31, Auckland Botanic Gardens.

Takapuna Beach Summer Days Festival: January 24, Takapuna Beach, Auckland.

The Greenstone Summer Concert Tour: January 24 (Taupō), January 29 (Spark Arena), January 31 (Wānaka).

ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix: February 14-15, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland.

Art Deco Festival Napier: February 19-22, Napier.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo: February 19-21, Eden Park, Auckland.

Splore 2026: February 20-22, Tāpapapakanga Regional Park, Auckland.

BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival: February 26-March 1, Manukau Sports Bowl, Auckland.

Moana Auckland Ocean’s Festival: February 28-March 15, Auckland’s Waterfront.