21 March to 3 May 2026

tuku whakatū

Six weeks of events to share (tuku) Nelson’s unique stories of people and place.

news
about
tuku 26
whakatū
coming
soon!

News about Tuku 26 Whakatū, along with information on how you can take part, will be released here next week.

Visit us again for updates.

Three young girls with decorative hair accessories and glittery makeup, wearing traditional costumes and sitting outdoors on the grass.

all Tuku festival events work on the same principle:

passionate “event hosts” create the events that deliver all those magic moments for the festival goers.

Nelson City Council is immensely proud that each year, over 80% of all the festival events are delivered not by its staff, but ‘by the community, for the community’.

How Tuku 26 Whakatū supports you

Tuku 26 is a well-resourced platform to launch your heritage themed event and benefit from our $25,000 marketing campaign, to share it with the community.

We also offer $50,000 of community grants to those that need a little extra support. Grants generally range from $500 to $2000. Grants aim to subsidise event costs to keep charges for attendance down (ideally free). In this way, you can help the whole community access your activity.

More information coming soon

Man with facial tattoos and sunglasses standing near a rock in a forest.

Group of young men sitting on stairs, wearing medals and brightly colored shirts, smiling and relaxing.

Women laughing and holding a phone at an outdoor event

Two smiling children with colorful paint on their faces, thumbs up, celebrating Holi festival.

Tuku 25 Whakatū was a blast!

Tuku 25 Whakatū delivered 109 events that were enjoyed by an estimated 11,516 people.

The cultural diversity of events rose for the sixth year running, making Tuku the most culturally diverse council-led Heritage Festival in New Zealand.

Click here to see how the festival is tracking.