About THE
KUMEU SHOW

The Kumeū Show has been bringing town and country together since 1921, when a group of local farmers decided Kumeū should have an agricultural and horticultural show of its own.

More than a century later, the Show remains one of the region’s great annual gatherings. Over two days, around 30,000 people come together at Kumeū Showgrounds to experience agriculture, horticulture, animals, rural sport, competition, entertainment, food, trade and community.

At its heart, the Kumeū Show is still about participation - people growing, showing, competing, demonstrating, learning, trading and sharing skills. It is a chance for rural communities to come together, and for people with little connection to farming or horticulture to experience rural life up close.

Community is at the heart of the Show. Find out how schools, local groups and volunteers can be part of it.

Get Involved

Our Story

For more than a century, the Kumeū Show has grown alongside the community around it - while staying true to its agricultural and horticultural roots.

1921

The First Kumeū Show

The first Kumeū Agricultural & Horticultural Show was held on Saturday 19 March 1921 in Kinloch’s Paddock and the neighbouring Buckland’s Saleyards. Families arrived by horse and wagon, buggy, cart, train and on foot, with competitions, sideshows and a 25-piece band making it one of the biggest events the district had seen.

1930s

THE SHOW KEEPS GOING

During the Depression, the future of the Show was debated more than once. In 1930, the vote was tied until the chairman cast the deciding vote to continue. The following year, support for carrying on had grown.

1948

A Home of Its Own

The Society purchased a 42-acre farm in Kumeū, raising funds from members through debentures. It marked the beginning of a permanent home for the Show.

1950

The Move to Access Road

The Society purchased a 42-acre farm in Kumeū, raising funds from members through debentures. It marked the beginning of a permanent home for the Show.

1991

The Showgrounds Are Protected

After concerns about future zoning and development, an Act of Parliament was passed to secure the Showgrounds for showground and community use and prevent the land from being subdivided.

2002

One Day Becomes Two

The Kumeū Show expanded to a two-day event, giving competitors, exhibitors and visitors even more opportunity to take part.

2027

The 104th Kumeū Show

More than 100 years after the first Show, Kumeū continues to bring agriculture, horticulture, rural sport, entertainment and community together for one extraordinary weekend.

KAHS

The Kumeū Show is part of a wider family of organisations and activities centred around Kumeū Showgrounds. Together, KAHS, Kumeū Show, Kumeū Showgrounds and Kumeū Markets connect people with agriculture, horticulture, community, local enterprise and the unique rural character of north-west Auckland.

KAHS

Kumeū District Agricultural & Horticultural Society – KAHS – is the organisation behind it all.

Established in 1921, KAHS owns Kumeū Showgrounds, operates the Kumeū Show and Kumeū Markets, and provides the governance and long-term stewardship behind the wider organisation.

Its purpose is to help agriculture and horticulture remain relevant to future generations while protecting the Showgrounds and ensuring they remain active, useful and sustainable for the community.

Kumeū Show

The Kumeū Show is KAHS’s flagship annual event and the clearest expression of the Society’s agricultural and horticultural origins.

Once a year, the Showgrounds come alive with animals, competition, produce, machinery, entertainment, food and rural activity.

It is a celebration of rural life that welcomes everyone - whether you have spent your life around farms and orchards or have never stood beside a sheep, watched a woodchop or entered a giant pumpkin before.

Kumeū Showgrounds

The Kumeū Showgrounds are much more than the home of the annual Show. They are a year-round events and community destination, hosting markets, festivals, equestrian activity, recreation, filming, private and commercial events and community organisations.

More than 150,000 people visit the Showgrounds each year, helping make this historic rural space an active part of modern north-west Auckland. As the area around Kumeū becomes increasingly urban, the Showgrounds become even more distinctive - a rare piece of rural Auckland preserved within easy reach of the city.

Kumeū Markets

The Kumeū Markets provide a regular reason to come back to the Showgrounds throughout the year. They bring together local growers, makers, producers, food, traders, small businesses and community organisations in a relaxed rural setting.

More than somewhere to shop, the Markets are about discovery, people, food, atmosphere and spending time together - helping keep the Showgrounds active and connected to the community between major events.

Looking Forward

For more than 100 years, people have given their time, energy and skills to keep the Kumeū Show and Showgrounds thriving. That sense of stewardship remains central today. As Kumeū changes, our role is not simply to preserve the past. It is to keep agriculture, horticulture, rural life and this remarkable piece of land relevant, useful and valued by the generations that come next.