- SkyCity Hamilton Christmas Tree2026: Tree Lighting Festival on Saturday 28 November 2026, 5pm-9pm in Garden Place (official Hamilton Christmas Trust)Free
- Temple View Christmas LightsLast season: 2025: 6-25 December, lights on nightly from 8.30pm; choir performances 8.15pm-9pm on 16-24 DecemberFree
🧒 With kids
- SkyCity Hamilton Christmas Tree · Hamilton
- Temple View Christmas Lights · Hamilton
✨ Date night
- Temple View Christmas Lights · Hamilton
🎉 With friends
- SkyCity Hamilton Christmas Tree · Hamilton
- Temple View Christmas Lights · Hamilton
Christmas tree
IllustrationChristmas tree · Hamilton
SkyCity Hamilton Christmas Tree
A 27-metre tree billed as New Zealand's biggest, over six storeys tall to the tip of the star. A team of 15 people installs the frame and lights, fluffs the branches and hangs the baubles.
🧒 With kids🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- 27 m tree in the middle of the city
- Tree Lighting Festival with food trucks, face painting, balloon art and live entertainment
- Meet Santa at the tree (date to be announced)
- First tree colouring competition - winning designs shown on the tree
Hamilton's main free Christmas lights stop and the gathering point of the season.
- 2026
- Tree Lighting Festival on Saturday 28 November 2026, 5pm-9pm in Garden Place (official Hamilton Christmas Trust)
- Last season
- 2025: Tree Lighting Festival Saturday 29 November, 5pm-9pm; tree lit nightly from the end of November to New Year
- Cost
- Free
Getting there and parking
- Garden Place in the Hamilton CBD.
Worth knowing
- Bring a picnic blanket for the lighting festival.
- Lit nightly from the end of November right through to New Year.
City lights
IllustrationCity lights · Hamilton
Temple View Christmas Lights
A free community event hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: nearly 70,000 lights illuminate the Hamilton New Zealand Temple and surrounding grounds in 2025, with Christmas displays along the Legacy Park boardwalk and nightly choirs. Earlier seasons were advertised with 300,000 lights.
🧒 With kids✨ Date night🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Nearly 70,000 lights on the temple and grounds (2025)
- Illuminated Legacy Park boardwalk with Christmas displays
- Nightly choir performances in the last week before Christmas
- All faiths welcome
The big free lights outing in Hamilton - arrive for the 8.30pm switch-on and stay for the choir.
- Last season
- 2025: 6-25 December, lights on nightly from 8.30pm; choir performances 8.15pm-9pm on 16-24 December
- Cost
- Free
Getting there and parking
- Temple View, about 8 km south-west of central Hamilton; the display starts at the Legacy Park boardwalk.
Worth knowing
- Lights come on at 8.30pm, so earlier visits will be in daylight.
- The number of lights has varied by year (300,000 in an earlier season, nearly 70,000 in 2025).