Clydesdales, Shearing Clippers and Country Spirit: Hawke's Bay A&P Show 2026

By Alyssa | WhatsOn local events writer Alyssa picks out timely events, local favourites and useful places to eat, stay and explore.

The Hawke's Bay A&P Show 2026 stands as one of the region's most celebrated spring traditions, uniting country grit and town life across two action-packed days at Hastings' Tōmoana Showgrounds. As the jewel of regional agricultural showcases, this flagship event brings together champion livestock breeders, elite equestrian riders, shearing masters, and artisan producers from across the North Island. It is an enduring spectacle of rural craft and competitive edge, pulling in around 15,000 visitors who come to experience authentic New Zealand pastoral heritage right on the doorstep of Hawke's Bay wine country.

Ringside Battles and Countryside Flavours

Step onto the grounds and the sights and sounds immediately take hold. In the shearing pavilions, the rhythmic buzzing of electric handpieces pairs with the sweat and intensity of competitors turning out fleeces in record seconds, cheered on by vocal ringside crowds. Just across the lawn, magnificent Clydesdales with braided manes and polished brass parade with quiet power, sharing turf with high-flying show jumpers clearing towering rails. The air carries the rich scent of warm showground hot chips, sizzling smash burgers, spun candy floss, and freshly brewed flat whites, punctuated by the unmistakable country aromas of straw, sheep lanolin, and timber shavings. Families can spend hours letting toddlers pet docile calves, piglets, and lambs in the farmyard animal nursery, while spectators looking for excitement can settle along the rails to catch high-stakes sheep dog trials and entertaining novelty dash races.

Town Meets Country on the Showgrounds Turf

What makes this gathering truly distinct is the deep sense of community that fills the avenues between trade stalls and animal pens. You will find multi-generational farming families comparing fleece yields alongside city families from Napier and Hastings introducing young children to farm animals for the very first time. There is an easygoing warmth here, where seasoned stock handlers happily pause their grooming routines to answer questions from curious kids, and local woodcrafters demonstrate heritage woodworking techniques to attentive onlookers. It is a shared regional rhythm that honors Hawke's Bay's working landscape while giving everyone a tangible connection to the paddocks and orchards surrounding our towns.

Know Before You Go

• Plan to arrive right around opening at 9:00 AM to secure convenient parking on-site and beat the heaviest mid-day foot traffic around the popular animal barns.
• Entry gates operate on a strictly cashless policy, so have your debit card, credit card, or digital mobile pay ready for entry scanning.
• Pick up advance online tickets directly through the official Hawke's Bay A&P Society Ticketing Portal or in person at the Hastings i-SITE; while admission gates are cashless, individual food trucks and market stalls inside will accept both cards and cash.
• Wear durable, closed-toe walking shoes or boots suitable for uneven grassy turf, compacted dirt paths, and the occasional dusty stock lane.
• Pack for changeable spring sunshine with a broad-brimmed hat, SPF, and a light windbreaker, as coastal breezes can pick up across open showground rings.
• Check the official daily timetable on the Hawke's Bay A&P Society About Page before arriving to ensure you do not miss feature shearing finals or grand parade showcases.

Make a Weekend of It

With the show falling right before Labour Weekend, it is the perfect anchor for a broader Hawke's Bay getaway. If you need local advice, maps, or in-person ticketing help before heading through the show gates, drop into the central hub at Toitoi – Hawke's Bay Arts & Events Centre along Hastings Street South. Families traveling with energetic children can easily keep the outdoor adventure going with a sun-soaked afternoon at Splash Planet, located just minutes away in Parkvale, or head toward the coast to meet even more animal friends at the Hawkes Bay Farmyard Zoo in Haumoana. For a quiet scenic detour, pack a thermos and wander the tranquil bush track leading down to Maraetotara Falls.

When evening calls for coastal dining, base yourself along Napier's scenic foreshore. Check in for sweeping sea views at Scenic Hotel Te Pania, then wander down for local fare and regional wines right on the water at The Curve Restaurant & Bar, or savour fresh coastal seafood at Hunger Monger. Travellers wanting easy downtown access can settle into modern rooms at expressotel, just a short stroll from cultural exhibits at Kahukura Hawke's Bay Museum and panoramic ocean viewpoints atop Bluff Hill Lookout.

I will see you by the main ring for the grand parade, and make sure to grab a warm bag of mini doughnuts on your way through the pavilions. — Alyssa, What's On Hawke's Bay