TSB Festival Of Lights Gearing Up For Another Season Of Lighting Up Summer

Mark your calendar for New Plymouth District Council’s (NPDC) award-winning TSB Festival of Lights, returning this summer on Saturday 16 December 2023.

The popular TSB Festival of Lights is back for this summer. Photo Charlotte Curd

For 37 nights through to Sunday 21 January 2024, the stunning Pukekura Park will be home to around a dozen light-installations as well as a jam-packed entertainment line-up for the whole family – all for free.

New Plymouth District Mayor Neil Holdom said the success of the last summer’s festival, which pumped more than $8 million into the local economy and attracted around 140,000 visitors, shows how loved the event is with both locals and visitors.

“This iconic event always creates a real buzz across the district and is a great help to keep the tills ringing during tough financial times. I can’t wait to be dazzled again this summer by the lights and entertainment.”

The festival team also delivers the Winter Pop-Up event over the Matariki long weekend, with this year’s event attracting 15,000 visitors over four nights and an independent post-event study noting the event contributed around $1M to the region’s economy and had a 94 per cent satisfaction rating.

Holdom said the winter event was a great addition to the local event scene by bringing the magic of the Festival of Lights into the central business area.

More details for the summer event, including entertainment line-up, light installations and other activities are still being finalised and will be announced closer to the event.

For up-to-date information and new, keep an eye out at festivaloflights.nz or on Facebook.

Fast Facts:

• Up to 140,000 people visit the TSB Festival of Lights in New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park each summer.
• Entry to the festival and events are free.
• The 2022/2023 had a 92 per cent satisfaction rating from visitors and, 100 per cent from event performers and entertainers.
• In 2022 the TSB Festival of Lights won two New Zealand Event Association Awards, including Best Government Event and New Zealand’s Favourite Event (as voted by the public) in 2022.
• Up to 10,000 people attend the festival’s free New Year’s Eve event.
• TSB have signed on as naming rights sponsor of TSB Festival of Lights for another three years, with this summer’s festival marking its 20-year association with the event.

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