Auckland Lantern Festival 2019: What you need to know

Wednesday, 13 February 2019

Thursday night, the opening night of the festival, is lantern appreciation night and entertainment and street stalls won't be running.

Aucklanders heading to the 20th annual Auckland Lantern Festival this weekend will be treated to an Oriental feast for the eyes, stomach and soul, with live music, dance performances and nearly 100 street stalls on offer.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the festival, celebrating the Year of the Pig, which runs from Thursday night until Sunday night at the Auckland Domain.

Attendees can expect a spectacular display of handmade Chinese lanterns as well as performances celebrating traditional and contemporary Chinese culture, including martial arts, live music and dance. There'll also be plenty of stalls selling Asian food and crafts.

Thursday night is the opening night of the festival and Lantern Appreciation Night. The opening ceremony will kick off at 7:15pm and run for about an hour. On this evening, there will be no stalls, food or entertainment - just a dazzling display of lighted lanterns.

There will be nearly 100 street stalls selling Asian food and wares at the festival.

* Auckland Lantern Festival lights up Domain for first time

* Chinese Lantern Festival gets bike friendly**

Then on Friday the fun and festivities begin at 5pm with the entertainment and street stalls and will run until10.30pm, then on Saturday and Sunday, 4pm to 10.30pm, with a fireworks finale at 10.15pm on Sunday.

Auckland Transport recommends people use public transport to get to and from the event, due to the number of people attending the festival and road closures around the domain.

Download the programme and take it with you so you don't miss out on anything you hoped to see or do.

Weather forecast

Festival attendees will be treated to a balmy evening for the opening night on Thursday, with Metservice forecasting a high of 28 degrees Celsius on Thursday and a low of 18C.

The remainder of the festival weekend will be fine and warm, with highs ranging from 25C to 27C and agreeable lows of 16C to 17C overnight.

There is a chance of a shower on Sunday however, with MetService forecasting isolated showers and easterlies developing in the morning.

Getting there

Auckland Transport recommends festival attendees travel on public transport with family and friends.

The festival is a 500-metre walk from Grafton train station, there is secure cycle parking and the Domain is close to bus routes.

With tens of thousands of people attending and extensive parking restrictions and road closures in place, Auckland Transport suggests attendees take the train, bus, cycle or walk to and from the event.

Parking spaces in nearby parking buildings will be in high demand, so people should be prepared for queues if driving.

AT recommends festival-goers consider parking further away and walking or taking public transport to the event.

Auckland City Hospital and Starship children's hospital are both open and operating as normal during the Auckland Lantern Festival, including their busy emergency departments.

If you are attending the festival, AT asks people look out for ambulances and give them right of way; help keep the entrances to the hospitals clear for patients, whānau, visitors and staff; and stay out of the hospital grounds and carparks unless you are visiting the hospitals.

Vector Lights will support the Auckland Lantern Festival with a Year of the Pig-inspired laser show on the Harbour Bridge. It will play between 9pm and midnight, every day for the duration of the festival.