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The Toyota Festival is on at Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell, on Saturday 3 April 2027. Toyota New Zealand describes it as the largest manufacturer track event of the year it hosts. You can watch for free, put your own Toyota, GR or Lexus on the circuit, or enter it in the Show and Shine. This guide covers what each option includes, what it costs, and what you need to bring.
Everything below comes from Toyota New Zealand's Toyota Festival page and its Festival terms and conditions (effective 4 November 2026), which we read on 12 and 13 November 2026. Check them before you book, because details can change.
Which option suits you?
- Just watching: free. Entry and parking are free for everyone. Gates open at 7:00am and the official welcome is at 8:00am. If you don't own a Toyota, there is public parking outside the venue.
- Show and Shine: free to enter, with registration. Any Toyota, GR or Lexus of any age or model can enter.
- Track Cruise: $59 per car, with passengers free. You drive your own car around the full GT Circuit.
- Track Plus: $299 per person. Four 15-minute sessions on track, with professional instruction on hand.
- Parade Lap and Main Straight Photo: free. A slow lap with passengers, finishing with the cars lined up on the main straight for a photo.
Track Plus in detail
Track Plus runs from 9:00am to 4:30pm. You get four 15-minute sessions: two on the A+C circuit plus a gymkhana session in the morning, and two on the full GT Circuit in the afternoon. There is a compulsory drivers briefing at 8:00am.
Cars are split into three groups, slow, medium and fast. A professional driver leads each session in a pace vehicle, and Toyota calls the sessions non-competitive. You drive at a speed you feel safe with. No passengers are allowed in Track Plus.
If you have never driven on a track, Toyota suggests entering the slow or beginner group and driving within your own ability. Professional driver instructors are on site to give tips. Racing slicks and semi-slicks are allowed.
Track Cruise in detail
Track Cruise is two 30-minute speed-controlled sessions on the full GT Circuit, starting at 12:55pm. It costs $59 per car and passengers are free. Children in car seats are not allowed in the car.
Show and Shine
Categories are based on vehicle model. Prizes go to Best Original, Best Engine Bay, Best Interior and the People's Choice award. Judging starts at 9:00am and winners are announced at about 3:30pm. Your car needs a Show and Shine sticker on the windscreen to be judged, and the sticker is supplied at the gate. You can enter both the Show and Shine and the track sessions. Register for both and tell the gate staff on the day.
What you need
- The car: it needs a current WOF and registration, or be a race car with a current MotorSport NZ logbook. Toyota says the brakes will be worked harder than usual and recommends a check at your local Toyota store beforehand.
- Licence: a restricted licence is accepted. International driver's licences are not accepted for the track, but you can still spectate.
- Helmet: a certified helmet in good condition. The accepted certifications are FIA8858-2002, FIA8858-2010 and SFI-Spec 38.1. MX helmets are not allowed.
- Head restraint: if your car has a 4-point harness or more, you must wear a frontal head restraint.
- Clothing: a race suit, at minimum a single-layer fire-retardant suit, is required for most track activities. Covered shoes must be worn, with no sandals or jandals.
Track Plus and Track Cruise: the terms in plain English
This is our summary of Toyota's Festival terms. Read the full terms before you register.
- Who runs it: Highlands manages the venue, registration and on-track activities. Toyota New Zealand manages customer communications and off-track activities.
- It is not a race: track activity is a controlled environment with regulated speeds, run by professional drivers and driver trainers. You must follow their instructions on and off the track.
- Waiver: you sign a participant acknowledgement and risk waiver before any driving activity. A copy is made available before the event.
- If you cancel: the entry fee is not refundable unless Toyota and Highlands agree otherwise. Your statutory rights are not limited.
- If Toyota cancels or postpones: if the event is cancelled and not rescheduled, entry fees are refunded. If it is postponed, you can move your registration to the new date or ask for a refund.
- Photos and video: Toyota may use them for event reporting and promotion. If you don't want to be identifiable, tell Toyota before the event or tell an event representative on the day.
- Being removed: Toyota or Highlands can refuse or end your participation if you breach the terms, ignore a safety instruction, or behave unsafely or inappropriately.
- Not covered: the terms do not state a minimum age, whether the car must be your own, or insurance for track sessions. Toyota's FAQ refers to driving your own pride and joy, accepts a restricted licence and does not accept an international licence. Check your own insurance cover and ask Highlands at events@highlands.co.nz if you are unsure.
Getting there
Highlands Motorsport Park is at the corner of SH6 and Sandflat Road, Cromwell. For the festival, Toyota says gate entry is off Cemetery Road, following the signage.
From our Highlands venue page: Queenstown is about 45 minutes' drive via Frankton and Cromwell on SH6, Wanaka is about 30 minutes, and Cromwell township is 5 to 10 minutes away with motels and holiday parks. There is no on-site camping or motorhome parking.
The next day: South Island 4x4 Trek
The annual Toyota Festival 4x4 Trek is on Sunday 4 April 2027 in Cromwell, from 9:30am to 3:00pm. It costs $89 per vehicle. Toyota describes it as a medium-level, five-hour off-road drive over rocks, hilltops and farmland, with a mid-way refreshment stop and Toyota 4WD experts supporting it. Spaces are limited and registration is essential.
Toyota New Zealand runs the Trek. Its terms say each driver needs a current driver licence valid for the vehicle, and each vehicle must be registered, warranted where legally required, insured, roadworthy and suitable for the course. Drivers sign a risk waiver, and the entry fee is not refundable if you cancel unless Toyota agrees otherwise. Toyota's page does not name the exact venue.
Refunds and contacts
Toyota's pages differ on refunds. Its FAQ says refunds are offered until seven days before the event, while its terms say the entry fee is not refundable if you cancel unless Toyota and Highlands agree otherwise. Confirm with Highlands before you book. For on-track and registration questions contact events@highlands.co.nz. For off-track questions contact events@toyota.co.nz.
The full Toyota Festival 2027 listing on NZShift has the times, prices and registration links in one place.
