![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/copy-of-people_crowd_king_edward_st-jpg.webp\")
People crowd King Edward St to enjoy the sights and sounds of last year’s South Dunedin Street Festival. Photo: ODT Files <\/p>\nThe South Dunedin Street Festival will have a new look and a fresh, community-led direction for its next event.<\/p>\n
Preparations are under way for the large-scale community event, set to be held on March 13, 2027, filling\u00a0King Edward St\u00a0from Macandrew Rd to Hillside Rd.<\/p>\n
Run under the umbrella of the South Dunedin Community Network, the festival aims to provide local people with a fun day out that celebrates the people, creativity and diversity that makes South Dunedin special.<\/p>\n
South Dunedin Street Festival co-ordinator Craig McGeady\u00a0 said the plan for the next festival was to keep growing the event, while also making it manageable for a largely volunteer team.<\/p>\n
The search is on for a festival manager, who will lead a team of volunteer zone co-ordinator leads\u00a0who each\u00a0 take responsibility for an area of the festival.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than a standard event structure, we are creating dedicated festival zones tied to specific facets of our local identity \u2014 ranging from active recreation and local history to youth arts and grassroots food culture,\u201d Mr McGeady said.<\/p>\n
Each zone lead will tailor their space to the theme, bringing in performers, artists and creators to help shape the spaces. There will be eight zones overall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe zone leaders will be able to bring in their own ideas and really take ownership of those spaces,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr McGeady said the festival, now in its 14th year, continued to grow in popularity and scale, which was why the move to zones would help with preparations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will still have the many stalls and performances, which will be laid out in a way that will make the event a comfortable space for families to come and spend the day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
People crowd King Edward St to enjoy the sights and sounds of last year’s South Dunedin Street Festival. Photo: ODT Files <\/p>\n
South Dunedin Community Network community engagement and operations manager Rose Dickie \u00a0said the network had been the festival\u2019s umbrella organisation for more than five years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe provide practical support, office space and storage for the festival team, and help out on the day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is great to see the festival continuing to evolve in ways that make it even more accessible for the community and for all the amazing stall holders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms McGeady said the festival team would work to ensure that the event was easily accessible for people with limited mobility, as well as for families with prams.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe envision there will be plenty of space for people to chill out and relax as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
South Dunedin Community Library would take a prominent role in the festival, hosting events and most likely a repair station event.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is really wonderful to have that great library facility in King Edward St now, and also they have fantastic bathroom facilities for people to use,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The South Dunedin Street Festival will\u00a0aim to be a 100% zero-waste event, and would be employing the Dish Library to help with that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is very exciting to be getting to this stage in the preparations for next year\u2019s festival,\u201d Mr McGeady said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce we get our new team in place, it will be full steam ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2002For more information, visit the South Dunedin Street Festival website southdunedin.org.nz<\/p>\n