Top North Island Shows & Performances

Step into Peter Jackson's Middle-earth with this guided group tour of the Hobbiton™ Movie Set from 'The Lord of the Rings' film trilogy. Learn more about the movies than you ever would by exploring by yourself with the help of your local guide. And with a shuttle service at your disposal, you enjoy a truly seamless Matamata experience.

If there's one thing people associate with New Zealand, it’s sheep, so make your trip to Rotorua complete with a visit to the Agrodome. Interact with the wooly animals during and educational and family-friendly farm tour experience that includes sheep-shearing, wool-spinning, and sheep dog demonstrations.

Māori Cultural Experience: Living Taonga Taonga is the Māori word meaning treasure, or something prized. Māori culture is a living taonga of Aotearoa New Zealand. At Auckland Museum, immerse yourself in Māori culture with a powerful performance led by esteemed indigenous artists and orators. Experience the beauty of traditional waiata (songs), the skill of poi, and the enduring spirit of the Māori people through storytelling and dance. Discover the origins and meaning of the world-famous haka, a commanding ritual that showcases strength, unity, and identity. Your ticket also includes general admission to Auckland Museum, where you can explore world-class exhibits on natural history, New Zealand heritage, and treasured taonga (cultural treasures). This authentic cultural experience is perfect for travelers seeking a genuine introduction to Māori traditions and history. PLEASE NOTE: Māori Court & Pacific Galleries are temporarily closed due to essential maintenance work.

Embark on a thrilling Blackwater Rafting adventure in Ruakuri Cave. Choose between two exhilarating tours: the original Black Labyrinth, where you'll float under glowworms and jump off waterfalls, or the longer Black Abyss, which includes abseiling, ziplining, and cave exploration. Both experiences offer unforgettable encounters with the natural beauty of the cave and take you to places impossible to reach on your own.

Learn about traditional Maori practices as you enjoy an authentic cultural performance delivered by the Tuhourangi/Ngati Wahiao people on this experience. Head to the Whakarewarewa Living Maori Village and listen as you’re serenaded with a song and dance that tells the story of the people’s history, traditions, and ancestors.

Spend an evening immersed in Māori culture with a traditional hāngī dinner—food cooked in a heated pit—and live performance, held at the historically important site of the signing of New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi. Enact a warrior challenge on a bush walk and watch energetic Māori music and dance. Your Treaty Grounds admission ticket is valid for two days, so visit the museums and historic sites at your leisure.

Visit two of New Zealand's must-see attractions on this combo tour from Auckland to the Hobbiton™ Movie Set and Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Peek into Hobbit holes, frolic in the Shire, and get a drink at the Green Dragon Inn on a guided tour of Middle-earth, followed by a café lunch. In the afternoon, explore Māori myths and history on an underground boat ride at Waitomo, surrounded by thousands of glowworms.

While Rotorua’s natural geothermal attractions are amazing in the daylight, they glow after dark in the Te Puia geothermal park. Get tickets to the Mārama (meaning moon) geyser light trail and enjoy a self-guided walk along the paths, punctuated with colorful light installations and original music at various points. Stop for a drink at the Pōhutu Geyser (own expense). The trail is about 0.9 miles (1.5 kilometres).

Experience the story of the Mt Tarawera volcanic eruption through powerful live theatre. After a sold-out debut season that drew almost 6,000 people and standing ovations, Tērā te Auahi returns to the Sir Howard Morrison Centre in Rotorua from 15 January to 14 February 2027. Created by Rotorua performing arts collective Te Whare Tapere o Te Arawa, this contemporary production combines theatre, music, movement and kapa haka. Mt Tarawera, a sacred mountain to Te Arawa, is central to Rotorua’s history and the beginnings of its tourism. On 10 June 1886, it erupted in one of the most dramatic natural events in New Zealand’s history. Villages were buried, lives were lost and the landscape was reshaped. Tērā te Auahi tells the stories of the people of Te Wairoa and surrounding villages, exploring loss, survival, resilience and the enduring spirit of the land. Witness the story in the place it happened, through heartfelt Māori storytelling, culture and performance.

New Zealand’s first multi-sensory immersive art experience.Seven dreamlike worlds brought to life through stunning 360° visuals and sound.More than an art gallery — a fully immersive journey for all your senses.Explore seven dreamlike interactive worlds in New Zealand’s first multi-sensory immersive art experience. This is a family ticket, which allows entry for 1 Adult + up to 3 Children.