New Zealand’s First Lankan Fest Draws Around 2,500 to Auckland’s Waikaraka Park Lankan Fest signage at Waikaraka Park, Auckland. Photograph: Hari TV. New Zealand’s first Lankan Fest brought around 2,500 people to Waikaraka Park in Auckland on Sunday, 8 November 2026, for a free day celebrating Sri Lankan food, music, culture and cricket. The inaugural festival welcomed members of New Zealand’s Sri Lankan community alongside visitors from other communities, creating a shared public gathering around the country’s cultural traditions and sporting connections. Organised by Krystal Events and Ormiston Cricket Club, the event ran from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Its programme included Sri Lankan food, live music, a cultural show, a children’s carnival and a cricket camp. The organisers have said they intend to make Lankan Fest an annual event, with the next edition planned for Auckland in 2027. Performers take part in the cultural programme at Waikaraka Park. Photograph: ...