Ticket capacity capped at popular Dunedin midwinter festival

Dunedin has kicked off winter solstice celebrations a week early with its annual Midwinter Carnival this weekend.

The celebration of Dunedin's dark mid-winter has been so popular, that capacity has had to be reduced to prevent overcrowding.

A limit of around 8000 people this year would be spread across two nights.

The 2026 theme is 'A Rustle in the Night', touting glowing dragons, watchful ruru, and ancient tuatara lanterns to light the skies.

Dunedin Midwinter Carnival Trust's Paul McClellan-Smith told 1News the event was "a tradition that harks back to the fire festivals of Europe and the solstice and the shortest day, and shining a light of hope in that cold, dark time of year".

Now into its 29th year, he said in the past about 30,000 people had gathered on one night.

"So we used to really struggle, even with the big processions, having overcrowding and people getting to see what was going on."

Instead of street festivities, the events and displays were now held in throughout the church grounds and buildings of the 153-year-old First Church.

Performers have been rehearsing for three months, including aerial specialist Genia Colling.

“You're constantly up in the air. You're spinning, you're training. You're definitely in pretty good fitness," she said.

The final two sessions of the carnival tonight were also expected to sell out again.