Event Clustering Information

What is Event Clustering?

To support regional visibility and encourage audiences to attend multiple nearby events, Wellington Heritage Festival operates an event clustering approach.

Clustering helps visitors explore their local area more easily and strengthens attendance across the region by focusing attention on different communities at different times during the Festival.

This approach was introduced in 2024 following feedback from Event Hosts and visitors and has continued to be well-received.

What does this mean for Event Hosts?

If your event runs once on a weekend, we may request that it align with the designated “focus weekend” for your area. Events that:

Run during weekdays, or
Run multiple times across different days or weekends

are unlikely to require adjustment and are strongly encouraged.

2026 Festival Dates

Wellington Heritage Festival 2026 runs for 22 days from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 15 November.

This provides flexibility across four weekends and numerous weekdays.

2026 Clustering Timeline

Below is our timeline for clustering. If you note any major issues with this timeline, please tell our team.

Sat 24th, Sun 25th, Mon 26th October (Labour Day weekend):
- Wellington focus. Wellington City & Suburbs, Mākara, and Johnsonville.
Sat 31st October & Sunday 1st November:
- Hutt Valley focus. Lower Hutt & Upper Hutt.
Sat 7th & Sun 8th November:
- West Coast focus. Tawa, Porirua, & Kāpiti Coast.
Sat 14th & Sun 15th November:
- Wairarapa focus.

Important Information

We reserve the right to request date adjustments to support effective regional scheduling.
If an event occurs once on a weekend outside of its locality's focus weekend, we may be unable to include it in the Festival.
Events repeated across multiple days or weekends are rarely required to shift.
Weekday events are unlikely to be moved.