Tauranga and Mount Maunganui combine beach-town summers with a strong arts calendar. The city's biggest events are built around Easter, autumn food and the spring arts festival.
This guide covers the events that come back every year. Check dates with each organiser before you book.
Annual Tauranga events
Tauranga Half (January)
A middle-distance triathlon based at Mount Maunganui, held in January.
National Jazz Festival (Easter)
The oldest jazz festival in the Southern Hemisphere runs for around 11 days around Easter, with concerts at Baycourt, the National Youth Jazz Competition and the Uptown Downtown street programme across Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.
Flavours of Plenty (April and May)
The Bay of Plenty's food festival, with long lunches, farm and orchard tours and producer events.
Matariki (June or July)
Community celebrations around the public holiday.
Tauranga Arts Festival (late October to early November)
Ten days of music, theatre, comedy and literature, now held every year rather than every second year.
Tauranga Diwali Festival (November)
A free family celebration of music, dance and food.
Summer music festivals
Tauranga's summer music festivals change from year to year. The One Love reggae festival, usually held on Auckland Anniversary weekend at Tauranga Domain, did not run in 2026 and its organisers hoped to return in 2027. Check current line-ups before you plan a summer trip.
Getting a group to Tauranga festivals
Most big Tauranga festivals have road closures, limited parking and a designated bus or coach drop-off zone. A private minibus or coach keeps your group together and gets everyone home at a set time, without anyone needing to drive.
- Easter is the busiest weekend in Tauranga, so book accommodation and transport months ahead.
- Confirm the official coach drop-off point on the festival's transport page.
- Agree a pick-up time and a meeting spot before your group goes in.
- Book transport as soon as you have tickets, especially for long weekends.
Frequently asked questions
When is the National Jazz Festival in Tauranga?
The festival is held every year around Easter, so the dates move between late March and April.
Is the Tauranga Arts Festival held every year?
Yes. It moved from every second year to an annual festival in 2025.
Bus hire for Tauranga festivals
Bus Hire NZ arranges minibuses and coaches for groups of all sizes, from 11-seat minibuses to 53-seat coaches, with professional drivers who know the venues, the drop-off points and the event traffic plans.
Tell us your event, date and group size through our quick quote form and our Tauranga bus hire page, and we will come back with options.