WOMAD NZ 2027 Campervan Hire and Camping Guide

Which rental brands suit WOMAD Aotearoa?

Fifteen brands returned campervans in our live Auckland search for 10 to 16 March 2027, 67 vehicles in all: Lucky Rentals, Britz, Apollo, Mighty, Campervan Village, Waka Campa, Maui, Star RV, Spaceships, Jucy, Happy Campers, Eurocamper, LyLo Road Trips, Trekker Adventures and Escape Rentals. WOMAD's Motorhome Camping area takes any campervan or sleeper van and does not list a self-containment rule, so the choice comes down to budget, beds and whether you want your own toilet and shower for three nights on an unpowered site.

• Budget sleeper vans: Campervan Village, Lucky Rentals, Happy Campers, Spaceships, Escape Rentals and Jucy start from NZ$74 to NZ$137 a night for 2 berth vans with a bed and basic kitchen. Use the festival showers and toilets, and check whether the van is self-contained if you plan to freedom camp before or after the festival.
• Compact self-contained vans: Eurocamper, Lucky Rentals, Happy Campers, Jucy and Escape Rentals offer self-contained 2 to 4 berth vans from about NZ$139 to NZ$210 a night, some with a toilet. These suit couples who want flexible freedom camping around Taranaki.
• Toilet and shower on board: Jucy Chaser (sleeps 3) from NZ$253, Waka Campa Explorer Saver (sleeps 4) from NZ$258 and Lucky Rentals Rambler from NZ$295, then Mighty, Apollo, Star RV, Britz and Maui motorhomes from NZ$350 to NZ$483 a night.
• Groups and families: 6 berth motorhomes from Mighty (Big Six), Apollo (Euro Deluxe), Jucy (Chill'd Big Kahuna) and Maui (River) ran NZ$393 to NZ$483 a night. One Motorhome Camping Pass is needed per person, adult or youth.
• 4WD rooftop tents: Trekker Adventures had Hilux rooftop tent campers from NZ$206 a night. The WOMAD FAQ says awnings count as tents in the motorhome camp, so ask the festival before you book a rooftop tent rig.

Travellers Autobarn was in the operator list but returned no vans for these dates. CRG has no Wellington page, so the Auckland search is the one to use. Compare Auckland campervan hire for your own dates.

How much does campervan hire cost for WOMAD?

Prices are NZ$ per night from our live Auckland search on 19 October 2026 for a pickup on Wednesday 10 March 2027 and return on Tuesday 16 March 2027 (67 vehicles, NZ$74 to NZ$879 a night). Mid March is early autumn in New Zealand but still a busy touring month, so book early for the best choice.

• Budget 2 berth, no bathroom: NZ$74 (Campervan Village Freedom Camping Aventus 2, self-contained, on request), NZ$84 (Lucky Rentals Rodeo), NZ$102 (Happy Campers Happy Trail), NZ$131 (Spaceships Beta Original) and NZ$137 (Jucy Crib).
• Compact self-contained: NZ$139 (Eurocamper Euro Escape, sleeps 4), NZ$140 (Spaceships Beta 2S, and Escape with a toilet, on request), NZ$143 (Lucky Rentals Roadie, sleeps 3), NZ$192 (Happy Campers Happy Horizon, toilet) and NZ$210 (Jucy Condo, sleeps 4, toilet).
• Toilet and shower, 2 to 4 berth: NZ$253 (Jucy Chaser), NZ$258 (Waka Campa Explorer Saver), NZ$295 (Lucky Rentals Rambler), NZ$350 (Mighty Deuce), NZ$382 (Apollo Euro Tourer and Star RV Polaris 2), NZ$397 (Britz Venturer) and NZ$446 (Maui Ultima).
• 4 to 6 berth: NZ$306 (Britz Voyager, sleeps 4, toilet), NZ$386 (Mighty Double Up), NZ$393 (Mighty Big Six, sleeps 6), NZ$433 (Apollo Euro Deluxe, sleeps 6), NZ$451 (Britz Odyssey and Wanderer), NZ$464 (Jucy Chill'd Big Kahuna, sleeps 6) and NZ$483 (Maui River, sleeps 6).
• 4WD rooftop tent: NZ$206 (Trekker Single Tent Hilux) to NZ$412 (Trekker 2020+ Defender).

What the nightly rate leaves out

• Insurance excess options, kilometre charges, one-way fees and extras such as bedding and kitchen kits. We did not price these.
• Festival costs, checked on the official ticket site on 19 October 2026: Adult 3 Day Festival ticket NZ$395 (second release, one free child 15 and under), Youth NZ$350, and a Motorhome Camping Pass of NZ$125 per person plus a NZ$5.50 service fee.
• Two adults in one van: 2 x NZ$395 plus 2 x NZ$125 is NZ$1,040 for the festival and three nights of camping, before booking fees.

Where can you camp in a campervan at WOMAD Aotearoa?

WOMAD runs its own Motorhome Camping area for the full festival weekend. It takes motorhomes, caravans, campervans and sleeper vans, house buses, RVs and trucks, and all sites are unpowered. The festival FAQ puts it on the outer oval of the racecourse, with general tent camping in the centre oval, and the 2027 campsite map shows a walkway from there to Gate F into the festival.

What you need to buy

• One 3 Day Festival ticket per person: NZ$395 for an adult (second release, includes one free child 15 and under) or NZ$350 for a youth aged 16 to 17.
• One Motorhome Camping Pass per person: NZ$125 plus a NZ$5.50 service fee. It covers one adult or youth for the three days, and the camping add-on can only be used with a 3 Day Festival ticket.
• The 2027 Motorhome Camping ticket includes the tow vehicle fee, so a car towing your caravan does not need its own pass.

Campsite rules that affect a rental van

• Times: the campsite opens at 9am on Friday 12 March and you must leave by 10am on Monday 15 March.
• Arrival: enter at Gate B on Coronation Avenue and stay in your vehicle for check in, ticket scanning and wristbanding. Sites go in order of arrival with no saving spots, so groups should meet up and drive in together.
• No driving out: the camp rules say no vehicle may exit once it is inside the campsite, so fill the water tank, empty the toilet cassette and buy supplies before you arrive.
• Banned in camp: generators, heating appliances, open flames, extra car batteries, compressed gas tanks, excessive gas bottles, amplified sound and animals other than service animals. The noise curfew starts at 1am.
• No tents or awnings: the FAQ says tents are a safety hazard in the motorhome camp, and this includes awnings, so leave the van's awning rolled up.
• No power: all campsites are unpowered. Shower and toilet facilities are in the campsite, the 2027 map also shows water points and a kitchen near the motorhome area, and the camp office is in the TSB Stadium.
• Not published: we could not find a self-containment rule or a vehicle length limit on the official pages. Contact the WOMAD team (ticketing@womad.co.nz) before you book a large motorhome.

The Racecourse Camping site is under construction, so WOMAD has moved some camping zones for 2027. Check the official festival maps and camping page before you go.

Holiday parks in New Plymouth

• Belt Road Seaside Holiday Park: 2 Belt Road, Moturoa, with powered and unpowered sites on the Coastal Walkway, a 15 to 20 minute walk from the city centre and about 4 km by road from the Bowl.
• New Plymouth TOP 10 Holiday Park: 29 Princes Street, Fitzroy, with powered sites for campervans and motorhomes, about 5 km by road from the Bowl.

Freedom camping rules in New Plymouth District

Under the New Plymouth District Council Freedom Camping Bylaw 2024, a certified self-contained vehicle can stay up to three nights in any 30 day period at one location, outside the banned areas. Non self-contained vans may stay one night in 30 days, only in the marked spaces at restricted areas such as Lake Rotomanu, which has six. Banned areas include the Fitzroy Beach car park, Back Beach bottom car park, Ōākura beach front, Waiwhakaiho River Mouth, East End Beach and Kawaroa Park, and the fine is NZ$400. DOC says a green warrant has been needed for self-containment certification since 7 June 2026, so ask your rental brand for proof. Free dump stations for toilet and grey water are at the AA Vehicle Testing Station, 14D Swans Road, Bell Block, and on Rifle Range Road opposite Downer. See the NPDC freedom camping map.

How do you get from Auckland to WOMAD in a campervan?

The festival is in Brooklands Park on Brooklands Park Drive, New Plymouth, about 360 km south of central Auckland. Taranaki's official visitor site puts the Auckland to New Plymouth drive at about 4 hours 30 minutes without stops, so plan on 5 to 6 hours in a campervan with breaks.

The route from Auckland

• State Highway 1 to Hamilton: about 125 km of motorway and expressway out of Auckland. Hamilton to New Plymouth is about 3 hours.
• State Highway 3 to New Plymouth: south through Te Awamutu, Ōtorohanga and Te Kūiti, then down the Awakino Gorge to the coast at Mōkau and on through North Taranaki to New Plymouth. The gorge and hill sections are narrow and winding, with trucks and slips possible, so check the NZTA journey planner before you leave.
• Sealed roads only: rental brands such as Britz limit their vans to sealed roads, so stay on SH3 rather than back roads.

Other ways in

• From Wellington: about 350 km and roughly 5 hours by our route estimate, on SH1 and SH3 through Whanganui. CRG does not have a Wellington page, so compare Auckland campervan hire or ask a brand about a one-way hire.
• Fly in: Air New Zealand flies to New Plymouth Airport from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, about 50 minutes from Auckland, but you would still need a van from Auckland or Wellington.

Arriving at the festival

• Motorhome Camping entry: Gate B on Coronation Avenue, from 9am on Friday 12 March.
• Day visitors in a van: stay at a holiday park and walk, cycle or take a taxi to Gate C (Kaimata Street), D (Brooklands Drive), E (Dell Lake) or F (Racecourse).
• Accessible parking: needs a WOMAD Accessible Parking Pass, applied for in advance and collected in New Plymouth from Wednesday 10 March 2027.

Compare vans for the trip: Auckland campervan hire.

A 7 day WOMAD campervan trip from Auckland

This plan matches the dates we searched, 10 to 16 March 2027, with three nights in Motorhome Camping. Adjust it to your own hire dates.

Day 1, Wednesday 10 March: pick up in Auckland

Collect your van, stock up and head south on SH1. Break the 360 km drive with a night at a holiday park in the Waikato or King Country.

Day 2, Thursday 11 March: SH3 to New Plymouth

Drive through Te Kūiti and the Awakino Gorge to the Mōkau coast and on to New Plymouth. Stay at Belt Road or the TOP 10 in Fitzroy, because the festival campsite does not open until 9am Friday.

Day 3, Friday 12 March: into camp

Fill the water tank, empty the toilet at the Rifle Range Road dump station and buy food and drinks. Enter at Gate B from 9am, set up, then walk in when the festival opens at 4.30pm.

Day 4, Saturday 13 March: full festival day

Music runs from 11am to 11.30pm. The van stays parked, since no vehicle can leave the campsite once inside.

Day 5, Sunday 14 March: final day

The last day runs from 11am to 10pm. Pack up what you can before the night shows.

Day 6, Monday 15 March: pack up and head north

Leave camp by 10am, dump waste water, then drive north on SH3 with a stop on the Mōkau coast. Stay in the King Country or Waikato.

Day 7, Tuesday 16 March: return in Auckland

Drive the last stretch, refuel and return the van. Check depot hours before you book flights.

WOMAD campervan tips

• Buy one pass per person: each adult or youth needs a 3 Day Festival ticket and a NZ$125 Motorhome Camping Pass. The camping pass is an add-on and does not include festival entry.
• Arrive stocked up: vehicles cannot leave the campsite once inside, so fill water, empty tanks and shop before 9am Friday.
• Plan for no power: all WOMAD campsites are unpowered, and generators, heaters, open flames and spare car batteries are banned in camp. Ask your brand about a van with solar or a good leisure battery.
• Keep the awning in: awnings count as tents, which are banned in the motorhome camp. The festival also warns that high winds and rain are common.
• Pack the right food: homemade picnic food is allowed into the festival, but commercially bought food and drink and all BYO alcohol are not.
• Watch the ticket email: tickets are on delayed delivery until 1 December 2026, and the fee-free PayPlan must be paid off by the end of February 2027.