Investigative journalist Nicky Hager will speak at Te Atamira in Remarkables Park at 1pm on Saturday 7 November. The festival runs from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November, with more than 30 writers and guests.
Dates in this update
Taken directly from the key facts
The festival runs from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November 2026.
Key facts
- Fact 01
More than 30 writers and guests are on the programme.
- Fact 02
Nicky Hager speaks with Mike White at Te Atamira, Remarkables Park, at 1pm on Saturday 7 November.
Investigative journalist Nicky Hager has been added to the 2026 Queenstown Writers Festival programme, which runs from Thursday 5 November to Sunday 8 November. Hager, whose eighth book is Dirty Work, will talk with journalist Mike White at Te Atamira in Remarkables Park at 1pm on Saturday 7 November, which is also election day. We read the Otago Daily Times report published on 18 October, and the details below come from it.
Who else is coming More than 30 writers and guests are on the programme, including 2022 Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka, Shihad frontman Jon Toogood, former politician Kiri Allan, journalists Barbara Dreaver and Charlotte Glennie, children's writer Claire Mabey, novelist Charlotte Grimshaw, comedian Pax Assadi and neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis. Festival chairwoman Tanya Surrey says the election weekend timing made it a good moment to invite a writer with a unique insight into New Zealand's political landscape.
Tickets and competitions Tickets are selling fast and some sessions have already sold out, so book early if a particular session matters to you. The festival says the programme and tickets are on its own website, on Eventfinda, and through links on its Instagram and Facebook pages. Writing competitions are also open for children, youth and adults who live in Otago and Southland, with a top prize of $1000.
Planning a visit around the festival? Our Queenstown guides hub has planning help, and the car-free stay guide covers getting around without driving.
Questions visitors are asking
When is the Queenstown Writers Festival in 2026?
From Thursday 5 November to Sunday 8 November 2026.
When and where does Nicky Hager speak?
At 1pm on Saturday 7 November at Te Atamira in Remarkables Park, in conversation with journalist Mike White.
Are festival tickets still available?
Tickets are selling fast and some sessions have sold out. The festival lists the programme and tickets on its own website and on Eventfinda.