Christchurch Diwali Draws 1,000 to QEII Park as Holi and Pahela Baishakh Celebrations Span New Zealand
Christchurch's Indian community lit up Queen Elizabeth II Park for a 1,000-strong Diwali festival organised by the Indian Social and Cultural Club, bringing together food, dance and Bollywood performances to mark the ancient festival of lights. Holi drew more than 7,000 people across New Zealand in spring, anchored by the Waitākere Indian Association's event at Henderson Trust Arena in Auckland, with celebrations continuing nationwide through the end of March. The Bangladeshi Student's Association at the University of Canterbury also hosted a cultural programme and dinner on the Ilam campus to jointly mark Eid-ul-Fitre and Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year.
🪔 Holi Spreads Colour and Devotion Across New Zealand's South Asian Communities
More than 7,000 people attended one of Auckland's largest Holi celebrations at Henderson Trust Arena on Sunday 15 March, making it a landmark event for South Asian communities across New Zealand. The gathering was organised by the Waitākere Indian Association and featured a full day of coloured powders, music, dance and festive food. Holi festivities in New Zealand began with Holika Dahan on 2 March, when bonfires were lit to symbolise the victory of good over evil, drawing families and devotees to outdoor spaces across the country. Rangwali Holi, also known as Dhulandi, followed on 4 March with participants throwing coloured water and powder while singing and dancing, and enjoying festive foods. The festival also marks the arrival of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Two legends are most closely associated with Holi: one recounts how Prahlad's unwavering devotion to Lord Vishnu saved him from flames kindled by his malevolent aunt Holika, symbolising the triumph of faith and good over evil. The other recalls Lord Krishna playfully applying colours to Radha's face, beginning the tradition of colour-throwing and infusing the festival with romance and joy. Auckland typically opens its Holi season with Krishna Holi in Kumeu, but construction work on a temple in the area meant that event did not take place in 2026, leaving individual community groups to carry celebrations forward across the city and beyond. [1]
🎉 Diwali Brings 1,000 Celebrants to Queen Elizabeth II Park in Christchurch
More than 1,000 people turned out in Christchurch on Saturday, 26 October 2025 to mark Diwali, the ancient Indian festival of lights. The event was organised by the Indian Social and Cultural Club and held at Queen Elizabeth II Park, providing a prominent central venue that welcomed the broader Christchurch public. Attendees were treated to food stalls, art displays and a stage programme that showcased multiple facets of Indian culture. Performers presented traditional Indian dance forms alongside Bollywood numbers, filling the outdoor venue with colour and movement throughout the evening. Those dressed for the occasion included Christchurch residents Dhwani Tupe, Surbhi Dafade, Sanika Patil and Kanan Yadav, whose festive attire reflected the celebratory spirit of the night. Diwali, one of Hinduism's most widely observed festivals, carries deep spiritual meaning centred on the triumph of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. The Christchurch celebration brought together members of the Indian community and visitors from across the city, reinforcing the Indian Social and Cultural Club's standing as a central organiser of South Asian cultural life in the Canterbury region. The Queen Elizabeth II Park venue gave the event a community-wide profile, drawing attendees well beyond the Indian diaspora and underlining the festival's growing place in Christchurch's multicultural calendar. [4]
BSAUC Unites Bangladeshi Students at Canterbury with Eid and Pahela Baishakh Celebration
The Bangladeshi Student's Association at the University of Canterbury, known as BSAUC, organised a joint celebration combining two of the most significant occasions in the Bangladeshi cultural calendar. Eid-ul-Fitre, which marks the close of the fasting month of Ramadan, was celebrated alongside Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bengali New Year, in a single gathering that honoured both the religious and cultural dimensions of Bangladeshi identity. The event was held at the Living Room, at venue Book 101, on the Ilam campus of the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. Students came together for a cultural programme featuring performances that reflected Bangladeshi traditions, paired with a communal dinner that fostered a sense of shared belonging far from home. The decision to celebrate both Eid and Pahela Baishakh together in one event underscored how Bangladeshi students at Canterbury work to maintain their cultural identity while studying in New Zealand. BSAUC announced the celebration through a press release, signalling the association's active role in connecting Bangladeshi students in Christchurch with their home traditions. The event highlights the diverse South Asian presence at the University of Canterbury, where students from Bangladesh contribute to a broader community of South Asian scholars. The Ilam campus setting provided an accessible and familiar environment for a celebration that blended religious observance with cultural festivity, drawing participants from across the student body. [5]
Sources: [1] RNZ · [4] The Press · [5] Prothom Alo English