The Napier Art Deco Festival is one of New Zealand's most distinctive and celebrated annual events, drawing visitors from across the country and around the world to experience the most concentrated collection of Art Deco architecture outside of Miami. Each February, the city of Napier transforms into a living celebration of the 1920s and 1930s, with thousands of participants dressing in period costume and filling the streets with vintage cars, live jazz, garden parties, picnics and guided walks.

Napier's unique architectural heritage is the result of a devastating earthquake in 1931 that destroyed much of the city. Rebuilt rapidly in the fashionable Art Deco style of the era, Napier retains an extraordinary collection of buildings that have been lovingly preserved and maintained. The annual festival brings this heritage to life in a way that is joyful, participatory and deeply connected to the city's identity and story.

For visitors, the Art Deco Festival is both a spectacle and an immersion. Whether arriving in costume or simply watching the parade of vintage vehicles and elegantly dressed participants, it is one of those rare events where a whole city commits fully to celebration. The festival's combination of architectural beauty, period atmosphere and Hawke's Bay hospitality makes it one of Aotearoa's most memorable annual experiences.