Become a Supporteur with Benefits!

Our Kaupapa

Today, widely recognised as a profitable start to the summer season in Akaroa, French Festival has regularly attracted approx. 7-8000 visitors since it’s rebirth in 2017. 2019 and 2023.

Organised by the local community for the first time in 1992; it was the brilliant idea of our Patron – Monsieur Steve LeLievre. A proud descendant of those first intrepid souls that set sail from France in 1840 for the shores of Akaroa and a new life.  He gathered as many locals together as he could for that very first reenactment on the beach and the French Festival market.

The Festival today is fully community organised and run by a small volunteer group of committed Akarovians! Having changed shape throughout the years, but always holding true to the founder’s original pride in their heritage, historic events and a desire to share that celebration with whanau, all descendants, the Akaroa community and New Zealand at large.

Our kaupapa remains to produce a fun, sustainable family orientated event that celebrates Akaroa and the Bays unique heritage, our arts, our ecology & geology; plus to support our business community that ultimately involves and benefits the wider Banks Peninsula communities.

Akaroa French Festival works hard to raise the funds needed to produce the Festival every two years, and every time it gets harder. We want to continue giving you the very best experiences that we can.

We strongly rely on our supporteurs to help us out, but we don’t expect you to get nothing in return!

Akaroa French Festival wants you to feel like you’re a part of this great team that brings the shared experiences of many years. Whether you’d like to simply contribute toward our fundraising by becoming a member, making a donation or talking to us about becoming a Festival Partner with sponsorship, we’d love to talk to you.

We’re working on organising some exciting inter-festival events, to which our members will have preferential access.