As one of the most significant national holidays in New Zealand and Australia, Anzac Day honours the brave soldiers who fought and died for their country. Each year on April 25th, communities throughout both countries come together to pay tribute to them through a range of events, such as dawn services and parades.

We’ve put together a list of some of the gatherings happening throughout New Zealand to help you pay tribute.

Northland

Mangamuka
6am, Mangamuka Marae, Hokianga
Breakfast at the marae post service.

Whirinaki
6am, Whirinaki Monument, Hokianga

Maungaturoto
5:45am, Centennial Hall View Road, Maungaturoto
Members of public invited to light breakfast at RSA clubrooms at conclusion of service.

Whangarei
6am, Laurie Hall Park

Auckland

Auckland has a number of events on all over the region, including one of the biggest dawn services in the country at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Dawn Service
6am, Court of Honour
After the Anzac Day Dawn Service, visit the commemorative galleries for your own personal reflections and to discover more about New Zealand’s history and involvement in conflicts around the world.

Centennial Choir Performance
Approx. 6:45am, directly following the dawn service WWI Hall of Memories, Level 2
As the sun rises on Anzac Day, join the award-winning Centennial Choir from Mt Albert Grammar School as they welcome the dawn in the evocative surroundings of the WWI Hall of Memories, with a programme of reflection and remembrance, under the musical direction of Terence Maskell.

Military Service Research
6:45am - 5pm, Pou Maumahara Memorial Discovery Centre, Level 2
In Pou Maumahara, you can discover more about a service person using Online Cenotaph and other library resources.

Pinwheel Poppies
6:45am - 5pm, Weird and Wonderful, Level 1
Create your own pinwheel red poppy to take home as a reminder of your day.

Peace Tree
6:45am - 5pm, WWI Hall of Memories
Write a message for peace and hope for those living in war-torn countries.

WWI and WWII Tours
7:30am, 8:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm & 3:30pm
Meet outside Pacific Lifeways, Ground Level
Join the experienced guides and explore the stories of the First and Second World Wars.

Lest we Forget Poetry Competition Finalists
11am, WWII Hall of Memories, Level 2
Join in support of the finalists of our Lest We Forget Poetry Competition, as they read their winning entries. Finalists were asked to create a response to our annual theme: Local Stories.

Click here to explore a list of all the services happening across the city.

Waikato

Hamilton
6am, Cenotaph, Memorial Park
Hamilton’s 2024 Anzac Day memorial services take place at the Cenotaph in Memorial Park, on Memorial Drive. Both services go ahead regardless of weather conditions. There will be big screens in the park that will show both the dawn and civic services, meaning people can see and hear both services from further back in Memorial Park.

Dawn service - 6am
Civic service - 10am 

The civic service begins at 10am, with the civic parade leaving Victoria Street at 9.45am, and the service finishing at around 11.15am. Following the civic service, you are welcome to stay and listen to the Hamilton Brass Band and the Hamilton Gospel Choir perform at the Cenotaph.

Click here for more information on this service.

Taupo
6am, Taupo Cenotaph, Great Lake Centre
All veterans, past and present service personnel, local youth groups & other community members that are wishing to take part in the parade, report to the parade marshal: Warrant Officer Class Two [WO2] Lawrence Colvin, Army Command School at 5:40am, at the rear carpark of the Great Lake Centre. Parade steps off 5:50am. Full-service dress equivalent (including medals) to be worn.

9am - Taupō Cemetery Service - Taupō Services Cemetery, Rickit Street
10:30am - Taupō Civic Service - Taupō Cenotaph, Great Lake Centre

Click here for more information on this service.

Whangamata
6am, Whangamata Surf Club
9:30 mix and mingle at RSA. Beach shop vehicles will transport patron to civic parade start point, which starts at 11:40, followed by Civic Service at Memorial Hall and wreath laying. Lunch at RSA followed by entertainment.

Click here for more information on this service.

Bay of Plenty

Pāpāmoa Memorial Dawn Service
5:30am, Pāpāmoa Memorial, Stella Place beach car park, Pāpāmoa Beach Road

Mount Maunganui Dawn Service
6am, Mount Maunganui Cenotaph, Marine Parade (opposite Mount Drury)

Mount Maunganui Civic Memorial Service
9:30am, Mount Maunganui Cenotaph, Marine Parade (opposite Mount Drury Reserve, Hopukiore)

Tauranga Dawn Service
6am, Tauranga RSA Cenotaph, 1237 Cameron Road
Members of the public are invited into the RSA on completion of service and parade. A cooked breakfast is available to be purchased in the restaurant on completion of parade.

Tauranga Civic Memorial Service
9am, Tauranga Memorial Park, Eleventh Avenue

Pyes Pa Remembrance Service
11am, Pyes Pa Cemetery, 403 Pyes Pa Road

Katikati
6am, Katiti War Memorial Hall
Members of the public are invited to the Katikati Bowling Club at the conclusion of the service.

Waihi Beach
6am, Waihi Beach RSA Cenotaph
Everyone is invited into the Waihi Beach RSA for a breakfast buffet.

Manawatu - Whanganui

Marton
5:40am, RSA and Citizens Memorial Hall, Wellington Rd Marton
Participants to meet by 5:40am outside BJW Motors in Wellington Road, Marton, where the RSA Parade Marshal will “fall in” the Parade and instruct everyone to march off in due course, to arrive on the forecourt of Marton RSA and Memorial Hall in Wellington Road by 6am, when the formal service will begin. All participants are encouraged to join in the hall immediately afterwards for fellowship, savoury snacks and a hot drink.

Click here for more information on this service.

Palmerston North
6am, Te Marae o Hine, The Square, CBD, Palmerston North
Form up for the parade at 5:30am in Main Street, opposite the PN Conference & Function Centre. Gunfire breakfast will be served at the PN Cosmopolitan Club in Linton Street from 7:00am onwards.

Woodville
5:45am, Woodville War Memorial, Fountaine Square, Woodville

Canterbury

Christchurch
6:30am, Cathedral Square, Central City, Christchurch
This year for the second time since the 2011 Earthquakes, the community will be returning to Cathedral Square under the newly reinstated Citizen’s War Memorial. The commemorations that mark Australia and New Zealand’s Gallipoli campaign will begin at 6:15am when war veterans will gather at the Worcester Bridge and then parade the short distance to Cathedral Square for the traditional dawn service. The service at Cathedral Square begins at 6:30am. The New Zealand Army Band will perform at the service, which will end with the playing of the Last Post, a minute’s silence, and then the singing of the New Zealand national anthem.

Click here for more information on this service:

Timaru
Dawn Service - 6:15am, South Canterbury RSA
All returned and service people are welcome to join a short parade to start the service. Service includes a dedication from the RSA President, a speech from the Mayor of Timaru, the Ode to the Fallen, prayers, wreath laying, and the Last Post played.

Cemetary Service follows at 7am, at Timaru Cemetary, to commemorate those who went to war and returned, and lived their lives with the memories of what they experienced.

Civic Service – 9:45am

The service will include a Haka performed by students to honour the veterans, a fly over, brass and pipe bands, speeches, poems, hymns, anthems, wreath laying and prayer.

Click here for more information on this service.

Otago

Arrowtown
10:30am
Wreath laying service at the Cenotaph located on Soldiers Hill in Arrowtown (Durham Street).

Arthurs Point
12pm
Bagpipes played on Edith Cavell Bridge.

Glenorchy
9:30am
Remembrance service at the war memorial by Glenorchy Hall, with morning tea to follow in the hall.

Lake Hāwea
7am
Dawn service on the ANZAC Peninsula, Lake Hāwea Dam.

Queenstown
6:30am
Dawn service at the Memorial Gates located on Marine Parade, followed by a march to Queenstown Memorial Centre where wreaths will be laid and a light breakfast.

Wānaka
7am
Dawn service on the Wānaka lakefront, followed by a service in the Lake Wānaka Centre at 9:30am. Immediately after this service there will be a march to the bottom of the memorial hill (Chalmers Street) where people will then make their way up to the memorial for a wreath laying ceremony at 11am.

Dunedin
6:30am, Cnr Crawford & Rattray Streets Cenotaph, Queen’s Gardens

Southland

Bluff
7am, Bluff Memorial Grove, Flagstaff Road
There is car parking at this location. Please gather at the Memorial Grove Gates by 6:50am. Members of the public are invited to the Bluff RSA at the conclusion of the service.

Invercargill
7am, Invercargill Cenotaph Dee St Invercargill