The much loved ACAS Remarkables Picnic Opera enables Christmas to come early with very festive early bird pricing launching today on Eventfinda and a limited supply of tickets available at Arrowtown Pharmacy from Monday 8 December.

The sixth ACAS Remarkables Picnic Opera (Sunday 8 February 2026) will again be held against the spectacular Remarkables backdrop of the Stalker family’s Springpointer rural residence.

In the spirit of the festive season all members who book before 8 January 2026 will be treated to early bird pricing of only $70pp and general admission of just $80pp. Purchases after that date will also be held at last year’s prices ($80pp and $95pp respectively).

“Our 2025 event was a brilliant night, with some of New Zealand’s greatest voices and a record picnic audience of nearly five hundred smiling people,” says Julian Knights, co-chair of ACAS.

Our pricing is made possible by generous sponsorships from Walker & Co, Forsyth Barr and Wakatipu Garden Care and, of course, the generosity of Grant and Sharon Stalker.

The continued success also makes it possible to seek new performance heights. Auckland Studio Opera, which coproduces the event, has hired a leading theatre director to further lift presentation of the production. 2026 will feature seven big voice opera performers. We will be able to reveal details in the New Year, including a number of performers new to the event.

ACAS has also secured the vibrant electric violinist Arna Morton for a pre-show performance while people are picnicking.  Arna, who heads The Morton Trio and is a Christchurch symphony principal, was recently the NZ String Quartet’s guest violinist at its sell out Arrowtown performance in May.

The Remarkables Picnic Opera is a firm favourite and creative highlight on the Queenstown (if not the South Island) arts and cultural calendar. This event is an accessible, relaxed, and affordable way to enjoy a truly outstanding musical experience, and we hope that our early bird pricing will make the 2026 event a great festive gifting opportunity.  

Gates open at 4.00pm, free parking on site, music starts 4.45pm and Opera at 5.00pm.

A final note, as this is an outdoor event all tickets purchases are non-refundable (ie, no refund due to inclement weather) and the event is not suitable for young children.