Warbirds Over Wānaka is New Zealand's premier airshow and one of the finest aviation events in the Southern Hemisphere, held biennially over Easter weekend at Wānaka Airport against the spectacular backdrop of the Southern Alps and Lake Wānaka. Drawing crowds of tens of thousands from across New Zealand and around the world, it showcases an extraordinary collection of vintage warbirds, classic aircraft and modern military jets in a three-day programme of flying displays, static exhibitions and aviation history.
The airshow has built its international reputation on the quality and rarity of its aircraft, with a particular focus on World War II warbirds that are increasingly rare in flying condition anywhere in the world. Seeing a Spitfire, a P-40 Kittyhawk or a Lancaster bomber flying over the Southern Alps is an experience that connects aviation history to one of the world's most beautiful landscapes in a way that is genuinely unforgettable.
Beyond the flying displays, Warbirds Over Wānaka is a celebration of aviation history, craftsmanship and the dedication of the people who preserve and fly these remarkable machines. For families, aviation enthusiasts and anyone with a sense of wonder at what human ingenuity can achieve, it is one of New Zealand's most spectacular events — and the Wānaka setting makes it unlike any other airshow on earth.