Mark your calendar. The Auckland (On Water) Boat Show is back at the Viaduct Events Centre, Jellicoe Harbour and Wynyard Wharf from Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 April, 2027.
The setting of the date follows a landmark 2026 edition, which marked 25 years of the show and drew around 12,000 visitors across four days in early March. With 235 boats on display, more than 200 exhibitors and an estimated 1,200 sea trial trips from the dedicated Sea Trial zone, the milestone event was widely regarded as one of the best in the show’s history. Buyer interest was strong and genuine, and feedback from exhibitors pointed to solid leads, new relationships and, in many cases, sales.
Run the NZ Marine Industry Association, the show has operated since 1999 as an industry-owned, not-for-profit event, with any surplus reinvested back into the marine sector. Since those early days it has grown considerably, taking in commercial vessels, trailer boats, fishing seminars, accessories and innovations alongside the recreational heartland that draws the crowds each year.
Jellicoe Harbour remains central to the show’s appeal. As Mercury Marine’s Richard Shaw put it after the 2026 event: people don’t just look at the boats, they get to see them on the water and experience what they’re capable of. That on-water format is what sets Auckland apart from the indoor alternatives, and it’s what keeps exhibitors and visitors coming back.
Details for the 2027 show are still emerging. We will keep you informed of updates.
