SPLORE FESTIVAL
RETURNS SUMMER 2026
Set in a beguiling bay on the shores of Tāpapakanga Regional Park, is a boutique music & arts festival like no other.
A three-day immersive entertainment extravaganza and the greatest costume party in Aotearoa.
We invite you to embrace the theme and join our mindful tribe of party animals!
What is Splore?
Throughout three days — and deep into the night — an eclectic lineup of musical artists from Aotearoa and abroad play the multiple festival stages. Multi disciplinary performances, interactive visual art installations, workshops and forums unfold across the site. And people dance like nobody’s watching.
It's the best sort of party. But it's more than a party, it's a community. To come to Splore is to be part of Splore.
About
Things to Know
Whether you're an OG Splorer or first timer, you'll have a better time if you know the basics about how we do things at Tāpapakanga. Please take some time to read our Thriving Guide, browse the INFO tab, and subscribe to our newsletter for all the most important knowledge.
Mana Whenua
Splore takes place on the ancestral land of the mana whenua, Ngāti Whanaunga and Ngāti Paoa. Every visitor to Splore is welcomed each year with a Pōwhiri.
Whare Tapere is an exciting Iwi-led cultural village and programme of activities that will take place across the weekend.
We are guests here, and parts of the site are tapu, holding particular significance to our hosts. These are well-marked and all need to respect these boundaries.
Music
Sweet, sweet music. The Splore team spends months each year checking out the world's best festival acts – bands, singers, MCs and DJs – and deciding who to bring home to Tāpapakanga to meet the whānau. Always eclectic, always special.
Performing Arts
Featuring an array of extraordinary talents, Splore is guaranteed to surprise and delight with shows, workshops, happenings, flash mobs and disruptions to view, experience and participate in.
Visual Arts
Dedicated curators put together Splore's arts programme, which encompasses performances, happenings and installations. Take a break from dancing and immerse yourself in the shimmering, spooky delights of the arts trail. Indeed, across the entire site you’ll find wonders that surprise and delight.
Spoken Word
Ideas matter and the time for talking about them is Saturday morning at THE LISTENING LOUNGE at the Havana Lounge. A curated programme of panellists and speakers presented by Russell Brown and Sarah Daniell.
Costume Revolution
Join the Costume Revolution! We love the richness of eclectic clothing influences, inspired designs, and the downright craziness you all bring to Tāpapakanga, so we want to encourage your creativity while making Splore an environmentally & culturally respectful space for everyone to enjoy.
Food and Drink
Our food vendors offer a range of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. It’s nourishing, varied and affordable fare, so leave those baked beans at home and eat your way around Splore. Thirsty? There’s coffee, fresh juice, smoothies and several bars located throughout the festival site serving beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks.
Families and Kids
We welcome families with kids at Splore and offer free and reserved camping zones for families of all sizes. .
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Children 12 and under are free. Parents just need to select a child kids ticket when purchasing their own. There will be a small charge for the child's wristband. This way we can keep a handle on how many kids are going to be onsite and cater for families more accurately.
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We want to make it affordable for growing families to attend Splore, so the price of youth tickets is just $220 + BF for teenagers aged 13-17. Youth must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
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As our Splore Whānau continues to grow we've seen an increased demand for family camping. With reserved family campsites selling out in a flash and the existing free family camp north now starting to feel a bit full, we've dedicated a new area to families.
Free Family Camping South is located in the southern camping field. It is the closest camp to the GA carpark which should make getting to camp and set up much easier. Camp HQ is approx 250m via a flat straight path so easily walkable but if that's too far for little feet the shuttle bus will service this area during child friendly hours. Camp here if you're looking for a bit more room for the family away from the bustle.
We're still offering the original Free Family Camp North just like in previous years, but this time you get a choice of where you camp. With more than twice the space available there'll be plenty of room for everybody.
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Have you heard about the Splore Families page on Facebook? Join up to stay connect with outher familes and stay up to date with the latest news including kids programmes, The Rumpus Room, food, contests and more.
All on at Rumpus Room
Our dedicated kids zone, an infinity of fun! There is so much going on to amuse and entertain junior splorites, so good luck to parents trying to prise their children away from the Rumpus Room..they may get as far as the Par Cour area!!!
More is more at Splore!
Wendy’s Wellness
Elevate your festival experience. Indulge in nurturing your mind, body, spirit and soul. Embrace self-care each day through complimentary transformative workshops in the grand tent, enlightening educational discussions in an intimate tent, or arrange a personal session with one of our diverse team of mindful body work practitioners.
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Delve into a realm of complete well-being at Wendy's Wellness, where you can immerse yourself in a myriad of revitalising workshops, captivating presentations, and immersive activities spanning the entire festival weekend. Uncover the delight of yoga stretching, surrender to contagious bouts of belly laughter, embark on a profound sound journey, dive deep into the exploration of breath, acquire mastery over new massage techniques, revel in embodiment practices, and so much more. Our seasoned practitioners are here to guide you on a transformative voyage, aiding in the release of tension, embracing pure bliss, and nurturing both your body and mind. Prepare to experience the harmonious essence of "hā ki roto... hā ki waho."
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In today's fast-paced world, it's crucial to prioritise our overall health and well-being. Stress, environmental factors, and emotional distress can negatively affect our enjoyment of life and even impact our physical health.
At Wendy's Wellness, we are committed to offering professional and holistic health sessions that address your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
This is your chance to experience the transformative healing power that awaits you.
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We welcome experienced practitioners to join the Wendy’s Wellness team. Whether you're a traditional yogi, meditation master, sound healer, or an expert in various mindfulness, massage, bodywork, and healing practices, we invite you to be part of this transformative experience. Interested practitioners can apply here.
Indulge in a wide range of 33 modalities, including rejuvenating massages, insightful tarot readings, captivating henna tattoos, and more. Treat yourself to these exquisite offerings, and to ensure your spot, you can even pre-book in advance.
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Revive your inner radiance before winding down for the night at Wendy's Wellness After Dark! Indulge in captivating storytelling, soul-stirring poetry, mesmerising sitar melodies, immersive visual experiences, and the soothing beats of downtempo DJs. Prepare to be transported into a realm of tranquillity that guarantees sweet dreams. Get ready to turn up, tune in, and chill out!
Honour whenua
It’s a privilege to connect and celebrate on this sacred whenua, Tāpapakanga. We are very thankful to the iwi who have mana whenua over this space, Ngāti Paoa and Ngaati Whanaunga, and to their tūpuna (ancestors). They welcome us and give us their blessing to be here. Please honour this and be kaitiaki (caregivers) of this place and take pride in being here as part of the Splore community.
Ko Papatūānuku te whaea o te whenua.
-Papatūānuku is the earth mother of the people.
Sustainability
Sustainability is at the heart of what we do. From eliminating single-use plastics and hand-sorting all waste onsite, Splore strives to recover all organic and recyclable materials and minimise what we send to landfill.
Since 2019, Splore has committed to auditing and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021 Splore was the first festival in Aotearoa to gain Toitu’s ‘carbonzero’ certification for its event operations.
Thanks to the Splorers (that's you!) we create a festival environment where we re-write the rules and explore a better and mindful way of living.