Event

Rotorua Festival of Gardens

Festival Hub at Palmers Rotorua, 147 Sala Street, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010

Overview

Our next event will be for three days from Friday 19th - Sunday 21st November 2027.

Planning for the 2027 Festival is already well underway. Those of you who attended the AGM earlier this month would have heard:

Our key sponsor is again Palmers Rotorua and we thank Sandy Cleland for her ongoing generous support of the Festival.

Cathryn Radley, our garden liaison person, has contacted all 2025 exhibitors to find out who is willing to exhibit again in 2027. Cathryn has received some replies and would love to hear from others as soon as possible – the task of photographing gardens will happen in November/December this year, which is looming close. But also if you have neighbours or friends with gardens that could be of interest to others, please contact Cathryn via the Rotorua Festival of Gardens Facebook page. They might grow the most amazing fruit and vegetables, have the best clipped buxus in the city or have maximized their garden space in something about the size of a pocket handkerchief – every garden has a special story to tell.

The Gardener

Our festivals showcase and celebrate the huge amount of passion, creativity and plain hard work that our gardeners invest in their properties. They also provide an opportunity to share the natural beauty of Rotorua for the enjoyment of locals and visitors alike. Over many years our Rotorua gardeners have earned the reputation of being very welcoming and friendly hosts who are more than happy to share their expertise with visitors, and this is consistently confirmed by feedback from our post-festival surveys.

The Festival is organised by a committee of volunteers who are passionate about gardening and any financial surplus resulting from a festival is donated to local charities. By attending the festival, you are helping us enrich lives of many people.

Garden Size

Our Festival showcases a wide variety of gardens from small urban plots to large rambling country gardens.

Other Facilities

Subscribe to our newsletter on our website www.rotoruagardens.org.nz and follow the Rotorua Festival of Gardens on social media to ensure you don't miss updates on our local programming.

Info

Price

Individuals:
$30 1-day pass
$50 3-day pass
Groups of 10 or more:
$25 per person 1-day passes
$45 per person 3-day passes
Ticket purchasers receive a lanyard/pass, printed copy of the Festival Visitor Guide and a goodie bag with sponsors gifts. Tickets can be purchased now online through our website or from Palmers Garden Centre, Rotorua, from the 1st September. The Visitor Guide provides maps, photos and details of all gardens. Specific activities or facilities on offer are highlighted by the use of icons.
Parking

Specific parking details are provided where necessary and properties with bus parking space are shown.
Wheelchair Access

Accessibility information is provided for each garden.
Dogs allowed?

No animals are permitted except for service animals.
Food available?

Locally-sourced and home-made refreshments will be available in gardens showing the coffee cup icon.
Picnics

Picnics are welcome in gardens showing a picnic table icon.
Children allowed?

Any accompanying children must be supervised by an adult at all times in the gardens.
Toilets?

Properties with a toilet available are shown.
Plants/Sales

Some of our gardeners will have plants for sale.
There are also icons in the Visitor Guide showing gardens that have edible plants, and where live music and arts and crafts are on offer.

View all 11 photos

Contact

Price

Individuals:

$30 1-day pass

$50 3-day pass

Groups of 10 or more:

$25 per person 1-day passes

$45 per person 3-day passes

Ticket purchasers receive a lanyard/pass, printed copy of the Festival Visitor Guide and a goodie bag with sponsors gifts. Tickets can be purchased now online through our website or from Palmers Garden Centre, Rotorua, from the 1st September. The Visitor Guide provides maps, photos and details of all gardens. Specific activities or facilities on offer are highlighted by the use of icons.