7 December 2018

Free street performance festival meets late night Christmas shopping

Late Night Christmas in the heart of Auckland city – Thursday 20 December, 5 – 9pm

A late night shopping event timed perfectly for last minute Christmas gift shopping meets a fun and eclectic free street performance festival in Auckland’s city centre with Heart of the City’s newest event, Late Night Christmas.

Over 90 stores around Queen Street, Britomart and the High Street District will be open late – with 70 of them until 9pm – offering shoppers wide-ranging gift inspiration from high end bakeware to local fashion finds or a one-of-a-kind vintage book and everything in between.

The streets will be alive with over 25 performers and 70 performances by the visually spectacular classical/pop/genre-defying Blackbird Ensemble, K-Pop dance party-starters Rina Chae and Street Candee, stilt-walking Dust Palace circus artists and the one and only Auckland Street Choir – and many more.

Bars and restaurants will be buzzing with week-before-Christmas good cheer and there will be food festivals in the street at opposite ends of town – Street Kai on Takutai in Britomart and SKYCITY Christmas Wonderland in Federal Street.

Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck says that Aucklanders are getting out more and more to make the most of the city’s vibrant night time environment.

“People tell us they’d love to see even more happening in the city centre at night. We’ve run Late Night Art for five years now and it just gets more fabulous, so it’s really exciting to be bringing another evening occasion to the city community.”

Retail manager for Alchemy Equipment on High Street, Stephanie Nossiter, says they’re really looking forward to being part of Late Night Christmas.

“Events like this add a real level of surprise and fun to the city experience – and Aucklanders are more than ready for night retail.”

The trend towards later hours is growing, especially close to the train, bus and ferry transport hub around lower Queen Street – with many stores already regularly open until 7 or 8pm.

Recent changes to public transport in the city will offer better options to many Late Night Christmas attendees staying on in the city after work or coming in for the event, with 12 frequent bus routes to and from the city centre now running at least every 15 minutes until late evening every day and train and ferry services continuing into the evening.

With parking only $2 per hour after 6pm in two of Auckland Transport’s city centre car parks – Downtown and Victoria Street – those planning to buy more gifts than can be carried on the bus will also have easy access to the most exciting new event on Auckland’s Christmas calendar.

ENDS

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