‘Rad’ New Brighton’s fireworks going from strength to strength, councillor says

Sunday, 28 June 2026

The annual Winter Fireworks Spectacular at New Brighton on Saturday.

More than 30,000 Cantabrians oohed and aahed at the night sky as the annual New Brighton fireworks showered lights over the sea.

People from across the city flocked to The Winter Fireworks Spectacular, held at the New Brighton Pier on Saturday, braving the 7C chillto witness the dazzling display.

Christchurch City councillor Celeste Donovan, who watched the fireworks from the warmth of He Puna Taimoana New Brighton Hot Pools, said the showcase was getting better each year.

Lights illuminate the sky over the New Brighton Pier.

“I think the fireworks this year were pretty rad,” she said.

“It does seem to go from strength to strength, and it’s great that families can access something for free.”

This year the spectacular’s theme was Dance Songs. Radio hits rang out across the beach as crowds jumped on festival rides or grabbed a bite to eat from 5.30pm ahead of the fireworks at 7.30pm.

About 30,000 people gathered at New Brighton’s beach to witness the fireworks.

Donovan said the crowd appeared to be arriving earlier this year to enjoy the seaside suburb for longer.

This year is the first year the Village Green has been accessible ‒ a community space for events which was put to good use, she said.

“They had entertainment down there, which was cool.

“They had live sets and family fun from the Village Green, so I think what you had was people coming in and enjoying the area earlier.”

Bars and restaurants were also enjoying the influx of people, including the new North Beach Beer Garden, which got its liquor licence on Friday, just in time to pour a few pints for punters on Saturday.

North Beach Beer Garden’s owner Troy Bilbrough said hundreds of people came through the doors on Saturday.

“It was a beautiful afternoon. It was cold and chilly, but everyone came down to support - it was good to see.

“We knew it was going to be the busiest day of the year for hospitality in New Brighton because winter’s pretty tough.”

Buses ran every 10 minutes, which helped curb traffic issues, she said.

“Some years we get a bit of a traffic snarl-up, or there can be things around [such as] rubbish, but this year I haven’t heard any complaints.”

A police spokesperson said they did not receive any reports of issues from attendees.