Auckland Photo Day - 2025 - more details in April

Auckland Photo Day is a community engagement project initiated in 2004 by the Festival as way to build democratic visual cultural currency and build an inclusive and equitable arts and cultural environment.

It invites anyone, anywhere in Auckland during a 24 hour shoot to share their perspectives of our region. It creates new on the day photos that offer democratic visual conversations about the place we live, work and play.

We want to see the fascination in the everyday, what is surprisingly different and what is comfortingly familiar. This event celebrates the many individual pockets of culture and identity present in New Zealand's biggest city by building cultural currency.

Whilst celebrated in a spirit of fun this event also fulfills the important role of documenting our life right here and now in the world we live in. A DAY IN THE LIFE of Auckland.

Previous participation has seen thousands of images taken by thousands of members of the community, professionals, enthusiasts, students, young, elderly, men, women, all shades of our rainbow across the Auckland region.

All images are kept in a digital archive for future generations.

If the photo is good enough to show your friends and family - your built-in audience - it might be good enough to win a prize in Auckland Photo Day. Groups, individuals, families, children - anyone with access to an imaging device is encouraged to take a photo or 3 of the scenes, people and places that reflect their Auckland region.

Photographs are kept in an archive for future exhibition and to provide a visual resource for the region.  All images submitted are available to view for reference, research and limited use for promotional purposes under licence.

We want to thank the thousands of participants who have taken part in this popular 24 hour day in the life of Auckland competition since 2004. 

As part of the archive and history of Auckland Photo Day to date, we encourage you to view previous winners and watch the Auckland Photo Day compilation on YouTube.