Whanganui takes centre stage with national Festival of Design
Published on 04 August 2026
Whanganui will be placed firmly on the national and international creative map this October as the city becomes the heart of Festival of Design Aotearoa.
Anchored in Whanganui, Aotearoa’s UNESCO City of Design, and co-hosted with Palmerston North, the festival runs from 16-25 October 2026, bringing together designers, technologists, businesses and communities for a dynamic programme of over 50 talks, exhibitions, installations, performances, guided tours, demonstrations, markets and public activations.
The festival has been made possible through $300,000 from the government’s Events Boost Fund, alongside support from Whanganui District Council, Palmerston North City Council and a wide network of cultural, education, community and industry partners.
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe says the festival is an opportunity to celebrate the city’s creativity while introducing Whanganui to new audiences.
He says, “Whanganui has an extraordinary creative history and a growing international reputation through our UNESCO City of Design designation.
“Festival of Design Aotearoa gives us an exciting opportunity to showcase our city, our people and our creative organisations to visitors from across New Zealand and around the world.
“Most importantly, this is a festival our own community can be proud of and actively participate in. It will bring activity into our venues, public spaces and cultural institutions, creating opportunities for local businesses.”
Festival Director Sam Ryan says the broader vision is to establish a national festival of design in Whanganui that brings leading design, technology, craft, education and creative practice into the city while celebrating and platforming the exceptional talent already based here.
“We have deliberately woven the local, national and international programme together,” Ryan says.
“This will create new connections, lift the local story and give our creative community greater visibility. Whanganui is not simply hosting the festival; the city and its people are central to its identity.”
The programme has been designed to be welcoming and accessible to a wide audience, with a mix of major ticketed events, affordable experiences and free community activity.
Ryan says, “This is not a festival only for people who work in design, it is for families, students, educators, businesses, artists, makers and anyone curious about how the world around us is created.”
“People will be able to attend a keynote or performance, explore an exhibition, watch live making, visit a market, take part in a workshop or simply encounter something unexpected while moving through the city.”
The festival programme includes internationally recognised and locally connected contributors such as former Whanganui School of Design educator Professor Tom Eslinger, type designer Kris Sowersby, Professor Johnson Witehira, LEGO Education’s Dr Bo Stjerne Thomsen, accessibility innovator Minnie Baragwanath, Tyrone Ohia, Anthonie Tonnon, HotHaus and many others.
Festival of Design Aotearoa will also support Whanganui’s wider visitor, economic development and place-promotion objectives by attracting visitors, generating activity for accommodation, hospitality, retail and service businesses, activating civic and cultural venues and strengthening the city and region’s profile as a creative destination.
The festival runs from 16-25 October 2026 and the full programme and tickets are available at festivalofdesign.co.nz