New Zealand’s winter music festival, Mardi Gras, takes over a whole street in the middle of the small town, Ohakune. Run by Audiology Touring, you can expect Drum & Bass at all stages playing all night long.
Getting to the Festival
Getting to Ohakune:
Ohakune is a small town in the middle of nowhere, New Zealand. It’s next to the national park so you can see Mount Ruapehu in the distance and miles of nothing in between. The easiest way to get there is by carpooling with your friends or others heading to the same festival. Otherwise, your options include long journeys by bus or train.
Train with Greater Journeys New Zealand:
For 2025, I decided to catch the train from Auckland to Ohakune on the Great Journeys Northern Explorer scenic train. Ohakune is about the halfway point of the train’s full journey to Wellington. When you buy your ticket, you are assigned a rail car and there you can purchase add-on options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
It really starts to become a scenic journey just before Ohakune, as you enter National Park. On a sunny day you would normally get great views of Mount Ruapehu. Unfortunately, the day I rode the train it was raining most of the time and the fog concealed a lot of the mountains. It was still cool to catch glimpses of forests, waterfalls closer to the tracks along the way though.
Minutes before reaching Ohakune, the train also passes over Hapuawhenua Viaduct – a cool view to catch from the open air carriage as the train curves around on the high bridge!
Where to Stay for Ohakune Mardi Gras
Get in early as accommodation starts booking out very quickly, even up to a year ahead!
Hostels in the city centre often host pre-parties and provide a social atmosphere to make more festival friends.
There are also a couple of hotels/motels, but don’t forget to check sites like AirBnB and Bookabach, especially if you’re going in a large group.
Once you’re in or around Ohakune and settled in, I recommend topping up your wristband online then heading into town before the event and getting your festival wristband. This opens up the night before the festival and during the day of the event. Time and location are usually announced on social media. Don’t forget, you’ll need your ticket and ID to get your wristband. When the time comes, this will make getting into the festival so much faster!
Getting to the festival (Ohakune Junction)
If your accommodation is in Ohakune, walk to the festival. Yes, the town is that small. No, there are no Ubers. Taxis will be busy and expensive. If you can, walk.
Designate a sober driver and drive in to the town centre if your accommodation sits a while out of Ohakune.
What to wear:
Mardi Gras is THE festival for fun group costumes. Round up your friends and co-ordinate a group fit that shows off your style – it makes it easier to find everyone in the crowd and also make some new friends if you went for similar themes! I also learned fast the first time, this is a winter festival so dress up warm. Onesies, oodies or costumes with lots of layers are ideal.
My favourite group fit consisted of my friends and I going as pokemon!
You can find more winter festival outfit inspo on my Pinterest board and check out my blog post for where to buy festival outfits in New Zealand.
Pre-Parties & After-Parties
Before the main event don’t forget to purchase tickets to one of the pre-parties & after-parties held at venues around the town.
These require a separate ticket but don’t fret because they’re a lot cheaper than the festival tickets. However, you’ll have to get in quick because they often sell out quickly depending on the venue & lineup!
The Festival – Ohakune Mardi Gras
The event literally takes over the town, as the entire street of Ohakune Junction, including the venues that hosted the pre-parties become the festival site!
Inside Venues
Turoa Lodge & Powderkeg
Often pubs & restaurants by day and a nightclub by night. DJs take over the entirety of each venue.
.Capacity is managed for the buildings, so you might have to wait in line to go inside.
The Street Stage
At the end of the road sits the main stage, and every year this set up gets bigger and better!
Doof Stage
A smaller stage, closer to the entrance and while it is small, it still keeps the vibes high.
Carnival Rides
Don’t forget to check these out in the downtime!
The VIP Area
VIPs get access to a raised platform to the right of the main stage and they get the best views of the biggest acts. Like many festivals VIPs also get access to an exclusive bar with a slightly wider range of drinks, a heated area and slightly nicer toilets.
Food & Drink
Food stalls and bars can be found along the main street on the way to the main stage. There’s also bars in the inside venues.
Interested in working at Ohakune Mardi Gras?
Apply with Multi Events for roles that include bar work & ticketing. Applications will generally close by June each year.
There’s often a call out for locals to join the festival crew through social media pages too.
As always, whether you’re attending or working them, remember that festivals are a marathon, not a sprint. While Mardi Gras is technically a one-day event, festival crowds can be overwhelming. I recommend having strong hospitality experience in a fast-paced environment.
