A festival of unmissable arts that enriches the people of Whakatū Nelson, Aotearoa every October.

Check out our website and Facebook links for more details!

Now in our 30th year of delivering epic annual festivals, our key offering Nelson Arts Festival continues as a bright beacon for the arts in Aotearoa and a strong pou for the Whakatū creative community. Every Spring, we curate, craft and nurture 11 days of unmissable arts experiences for and with the people of Whakatū Nelson and Te Tauihu (and beyond).

The Nelson Festivals Trust looks to the horizon, igniting sparks of transformation and inciting the power of creativity as a force for positive change.
We fiercely stand as a champion for artists and the arts, a catalyst for crucial conversations, and a mirror to our moment in time.
We foster connections, by uplifting and celebrating our whole community through artistic and cultural experiences.