The Lyttelton Harbour Festival of Lights is an annual event of lights, music and fun celebrating the Lyttelton community, Matariki, the Māori New Year and the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.
The Festival runs over nine days from 13 to 21 June, and this year boasts two stages active throughout the night, on London Street and at Albion Square. The programme features a parade, masquerade balls, music, waiata, food and wine, live poetry performances, art exhibitions, and, of course, fireworks.
Highlights of the 2015 programme of events [4.4 MB PDF] include:
Saturday 13 June
- Mask and headgear making workshop at Lyttelton Farmers Market, 10am-1pm
- Matariki 2015 at Albion Square, 11am-1pm
- DJ Missy G at the Porthole Bar, 8.30pm
- Toque guitar duo at Civil and Naval, 9pm
Sunday 14 June
- Afternoon Jam at the Porthole Bar, 3.30pm
Monday 15 June
- Astro Dome by Science Alive at Lyttelton Primary School, Voelas Road campus, 4-7pm
- ¡No Siesta Fiesta! at Freemans Deck, 7pm: Spanish and South American music
Tuesday 16 June
- Lyttelton Bingo-tini at The Lyttelton Club, 6pm till late: Bingo, Martinis, and prizes galore
Wednesday 17 June
- A Night with a Future Star at the Porthole Bar, 8pm
Thursday 18 June
- Children's stories and craft after dark at Lyttelton Library, 6.30-7.30pm
- Celebrating Lyttelton Writers at Freemans Dining Room and Bar, 7-8pm
- Josh Rennie-Hynes at the Porthole Bar, 8pm
- Graham James at the Wunderbar, 8pm
Friday 19 June - Street Party
- Lyttelton Soup Kitchen at The Lyttelton Club, 5pm till late
- "We are a Tribe. We come by land and sea and air, travelling through time and space" parade, 6pm
- The Lyttelton Port of Christchurch Fireworks display, 7.30pm
- Visit the beautifully restored church of St Saviour's at Holy Trinity, 6.30-9pm, including a 20-minute selection of musical pieces performed by The Cathedral Grammar Combined Choir from 8pm
- Sexy Animals at the Wunderbar, 8.30pm
- DJ Willie Styles at the Porthole Bar, 10pm
- Kitchen Collective at Civil and Naval, 10pm-2am
Saturday 20 June
- A Feast of Strangers at Naval Point Yacht Club (for Lyttelton Harbour Timebank members), 6.30pm
- Lyttelton Masquerade Ball at The Lyttelton Club, 7pm
- Labyrinth Masquerade Ball at the Wunderbar, 8.30pm
- DJ at the Porthole Bar, 8.30pm
Sunday 21 June
- Mathoms and Art Market at Diamond Harbour Hall, 2-5pm
- Carmel Courtney Trio at Freemans Deck, 3pm
- Mid-Winter Swim at Naval Point Yacht Club, 3.30pm
- Afternoon Jam at the Porthole Bar, 3.30pm
- Alliance Française Music Festival at the Wunderbar, 6pm
- Festival Poetry Session @ Lyttelton Coffee Co., 8-10pm
Lyttelton links
The following resources are helpful for Lyttelton visitors and locals:
- Transport options for the Festival
- Metroinfo bus timetables. Lyttelton can be reached on a number 28 and a number 535 bus.
- Information on Lyttelton Library.
- Find out more about the museums of Banks Peninsula.
- CINCH listings for Lyttelton — Lyttelton organisations listed in our Community information directory.
- See images of early Lyttelton in our heritage photo collection.
- Read books about Lyttelton.
- Find out about the Lyttelton Port Company.
Previous Lyttelton Festivals of Lights
The 2015 Festival is the eleventh time the Festival has been held. Read our post about the 2014 Festival and our interview with Wendy Everingham about the 2007 Festival of Lights.
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