By the time the first wine is poured and the opening tunes drift across Glendhu Bay, Ripe is already doing what it does best: celebrating good food, great music, and genuine care for place.
Held on the shores of Lake Wānaka at Glendhu Station, Ripe is a late-summer festival bringing together Central Otago food, wine and music for a day of local connection, celebration, and taste. A highlight of the Upper Clutha calendar, Ripe draws visitors and locals to the beautiful Glendhu Bay, with local producers, growers and musicians creating an authentic celebration of Wānaka in all her glory.
This year’s festival will be held on Saturday 21 March 2026, with Sir Dave Dobbyn headlining and a field-full of high-quality local vendors making it the perfect end-of-summer celebration: one that gives back as much as it delights.
Ripe has long been shaped by Wānaka’s passion and commitment to place. A stone’s throw from the lake and surrounded by mountain views and rolling vineyards, there’s a responsibility that comes with the territory, and it’s one the Ripe team doesn’t take lightly.
While festivals often carry a reputation for excess and waste, Ripe has chosen a different path: one that prioritises sustainably, care, and thoughtful decision-making at every level. That commitment was recognised last year with the 2025 Sustainability Initiative of the Year award, but for the team behind Ripe, environmental stewardship is simply their baseline.
Hosting an event this size means thinking carefully about what exactly it takes from the land, and what it leaves behind. The same responsibility goes for attendees, which is why Ripe has made it as easy as possible for festival-goers to make the sustainable choice on the day.
Ripe operates as a zero-waste, single-use-free event. Wine is served in reusable glasses, coffee is poured into ceramic mugs, and food vendors provide stainless-steel cutlery and enamel-on-steel plates instead of disposable packaging. Waste is thoroughly sorted on site, with care taken to keep compostable and recyclable materials out of landfill. Any food waste is taken directly to the worm farm onsite at Glendhu Station.
Together, these efforts resulted in nearly 90% of waste being diverted from landfill at last year’s 2025 event which is no small feat.
Of course, making the more sustainable choice takes intention, but the payoff is clear. A thriving annual celebration where people eat, drink, dance and be merry, while the systems quietly do the work of caring for the land beneath their feet.
Ripe’s commitment to the environment extends well beyond what happens on the day. Through its partnership with Love Wānaka, a portion of all ticket fees support local environmental action, with a strong focus on freshwater care through a long-standing relationship with WAI Wānaka.
This dual partnership reflects a shared commitment to both immediate environmental need and long-term restoration. Of the funds raised through the 2026 Ripe Festival, 80% will be pre-tagged to support Wai Wānaka’s on-the-ground mahi, while the remaining 20% will be invested into the Love Wānaka endowment fund, helping to future-proof environmental action for generations to come.
Ripe’s ongoing support for WAI Wānaka will enable them to expand freshwater care and education programmes across the Upper Clutha. Festival-goers are also encouraged to explore Wai Wānaka’s programme of events in honour of World Water Day on March 22. World Water Day is a celebration of our deep connection to the lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands across the Upper Clutha catchment and a chance to take stock of the things we can do to protect these taoka (treasures).
On the other side of the hill, The Valley is a new summer music festival in Gibbston, also hosted by Ripe Events. And, much like Ripe, 50% of ticket fees from January’s inaugural event were donated to Love Queenstown to support local environmental initiatives. It’s a place-based approach to environmental stewardship, helping to support the long-term well-being of the places that bring these events to life.
Combined, the two festivals expect to raise as much as $10,000 through ticket fee donations in 2026, which will be distributed through Love Queenstown and Love Wānaka to projects delivering real environmental and community impact.
At Love Wānaka, partnerships are chosen with care, guided by shared values and practical outcomes that help protect our local environments and ecosystems for years to come.
“We’re so thrilled to be working alongside Nathan and the team,” says Ash Bickley, Community Fund Coordinator. “They’re not just creating a great experience – they’re thinking carefully about their footprint and choosing to reinvest back into the community in a meaningful way. When events lead with values like this, they help reshape what success looks like for our region, and show that celebration and care for place can go hand in hand.”
Want to ensure you’re doing your part on the day? Here’s how.
Where your ticket makes an impact
The Ripe Festival is the perfect example of what environmental stewardship can look like when passionate locals and businesses choose to put this corner of the planet first – and it doesn’t need to be big to be effective.
If you haven’t yet, grab your ticket, gather your crew, and get ready for a damn good time: one that supports the land, water and community we all love.
Interested in how your business or event can give back, too? Head to Love Wānaka for more on becoming an Impact Partner, joining a local volunteer day, or making a donation towards environmental stewardship in our region.
