Snow Machine (Queenstown, New Zealand) 2026

About

Set against the snow-capped peaks and lakeside beauty of Queenstown, New Zealand, Snow Machine returns from September 8-13, 2026, turning the country’s adventure capital into a five-day fusion of skiing, live music, après culture and late-night celebration. Now entering its fifth edition, the music festival expands across eight stages and two major ski resorts, with The Remarkables and Coronet Peak providing the spectacular mountain backdrop for daytime performances before the action moves into Queenstown’s Main Arena from September 10-12. The 2026 programme brings together more than 30 artists, led by acclaimed names including Chet Faker, Hilltop Hoods, Example, Nora En Pure, Kanine, Ninajirachi, Restricted, Orkestrated and Keli Holiday, with Mark Knight, Illy, Scribe, Savage, Sunset Bros, Trials and Y.O.G.A. adding further variety to the bill. Chet Faker headlines Friday, September 11, while Hilltop Hoods take over Thursday, September 10 and Restricted closes the Main Arena programme on Saturday, September 12. The festival’s mountain stages create a distinctive après atmosphere where skiing and snowboarding can flow directly into DJ sets and live performances, while the Main Arena brings larger-scale production, dancefloors, VIP spaces, food and special sub-stages once the lifts stop running. Snow Machine also goes well beyond the core music programme, with side events ranging from the Rees Street Party and Revolver x Thick as Thieves takeovers to Polar Bare, Secret Garden Party, Poof Doof Drag Brunch and a Bungy Send Off, alongside after-parties scattered throughout Queenstown. Last year’s edition featured major acts such as Claptone, Amyl and the Sniffers, Netsky, Mallrat, Luude, What So Not and Hot Dub Time Machine, establishing Snow Machine’s reputation as a festival where a winter escape and a serious music programme coexist naturally. For 2026, the combination of world-class artists, alpine stages, two ski fields, Queenstown nightlife and adventure-driven side events once again makes Snow Machine 2026 far more than a conventional festival weekend—it is an entire mountain holiday built around music, movement and the unmistakable energy of Queenstown.