From the first day of December, a tree in Invercargill Central will slowly fill with small tags, each one hung by someone remembering a person who has died. It is one of the quieter traditions of a Southland Christmas, and it sits alongside the louder ones: a stadium full of singers and pipers, a morning of carols at the Civic Theatre and a Santa parade winding through Te Anau.
With the calendar about to turn, the dates for the region's festive season are starting to firm up. Here is what has been announced so far, and why some of it matters as much for the people who find December hard as for those who love it.
The remembrance trees are run by the Southland Loss and Grief Centre, an Invercargill charitable trust that supports people through bereavement, separation, illness, isolation and other big changes in life. Its listing for the trees puts the invitation plainly: "Come along and place a tag on the remembrance tree." The trees go up at Invercargill Central on Esk Street from 1 December, and at the centre itself at 115 Clyde Street. Taking part is free and open to all ages.
The centre is also holding a remembrance service at the Civic Theatre on Tay Street on Wednesday 16 December, from 7pm to 8pm. People are invited to "light a candle in memory of a loved one who is no longer with us." Entry is free, with donations appreciated. It is worth knowing that the centre's own services close for the summer on 18 December and reopen on 18 January 2027.
For something louder, the ILT Christmas Variety Show returns to ILT Stadium Southland on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 December. The two-hour family show brings together more than 250 performers from across Murihiku, including Scottish dancers, the Pipe Band, the Rising Stars and the Christmas Show Band, with tickets on sale for each night.
Two days later, on Friday 18 December, Operatunity's touring concert Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas comes to the Civic Theatre at 11am, with doors opening at 10am for a complimentary morning tea. Santa and his helpers lead a programme of well-known carols, festive favourites and singalongs, with a cast including Karl Perigo, Stuart Coats and Kalauni Pouvalu. Single tickets are $42, or $45 at the door, with discounts for groups of five or more.
Further north and west, Te Anau has locked in its parade. The 2026 Te Anau Santa Parade, organised by Santa's Little Helper Inc, is on Saturday 12 December. Lions' Park on Te Anau Terrace opens at noon with food and market stalls, live music and entertainment, and there is a colouring competition for children. The parade itself sets off from Mitre 10 at 2pm, and the organisers promise, with two exclamation marks, "Fun for the whole Family!!"
The tags on the tree at Invercargill Central will keep gathering right through the month. Anyone who would like help in the meantime can contact the Loss and Grief Centre at 115 Clyde Street, Invercargill, open weekdays from 10am to 3.30pm, on 03 214 0393.
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