Te Ramaroa

A free outdoor event featuring light installations on every scale, from tiny discoveries, through to magnificent multi-storeyed projections.

Te Ramaroa celebrates the alluring qualities of light – to illuminate, dazzle, transform, and to make a winter’s night a whole lot more magical.

Te Ramaroa 2023 brought more than 50,000 people into Nelson's city streets, laneways, gardens and NMIT campus to enjoy over 40 light installations and performances, as well as more than a few surprises.

The vibe for the event was relaxed and stress-free, with people savouring the experience of being part of a crowd, as much as marvelling at the installations.

Above all, it was just so obvious how delighted everyone was to see the city alive with installations and entertainment, and so many people! Even when the upper Trafalgar and Cathedral Gardens were at their busiest, everyone was relaxed and truly enjoying the festival atmosphere.

One of the loveliest things about Te Ramaroa is that everyone can enjoy the installations at their own pace, with many returning over multiple evening, but it was also pretty special to have some performances that brought everyone together – the Community Stage was particularly buzzy this year, as well as performances at Cultural Conversations, and Chloe Loftus’ spectacular Firefly, who slowly drifted and whirled above Selwyn Place.

Te Ramaroa is a magical festival, and we’re incredibly grateful to all our sponsors, supporters, Luminaries and volunteers whose much-value contributions ensure we can present such a large-scale event, free to everyone. Our thanks go to everyone who made Te Ramaroa 2023 such an overwhelming success.