By evening the central city empties out of office workers and fills with people heading to dinner, and the Avon River / Ōtākaro, which winds through the middle of town past a large urban park on its banks, becomes a quiet backdrop rather than a thoroughfare. Later, the tram loop stops running and the evening belongs to restaurants, bars and whatever is on at the venues around the centre.
Christchurch is a relatively flat, temperate city with a reputation as the "Garden City", and its nightlife reflects that: spread out, low-key and easy to move around, rather than concentrated into one dense strip. It suits visitors who want a relaxed dinner and drinks, a show or a festival, and an early start the next day as much as it suits anyone looking for a late night. Note that the city has been through earthquakes and rebuilding since 2010, so the central city changes more than most, and it is worth checking that a specific place is still trading before you build an evening around it.
Where to go out in Christchurch
1. Central City
The centre is where you find the Christchurch Casino on Victoria Street, which has a dress code (jeans are allowed) and is closed on Good Friday, 25 April and 25 December. It is the most structured night out in the city, and suits a group that wants one venue to carry the whole evening.
The tram loop through the central city runs during the day rather than late, so plan on walking or taking a bus once you are out.
2. Merivale
Merivale is the upscale end of the city's drinking and dining, with Aikmans on Aikmans Road described as an upscale bistro and bar in the area. It suits a quieter, more expensive evening of food and wine rather than a big night.
3. Riccarton
Riccarton has a cluster of straightforward, food-led venues: The Craic Irish Bar on Riccarton Road, and Speight's Ale House Tower Junction in the Tower Junction Mega Centre near the railway station, which is described as relaxed and a good place for meals. It suits an uncomplicated dinner-and-a-few-drinks night, and the location near the station makes it easy to reach.
4. Bealey Avenue and the edge of the centre
Bealey's Speight's Ale House on Bealey Avenue is another ale-house style option serving meals. This suits anyone staying on the northern side of the centre who wants dinner and beer without crossing town.
5. Mansfield Avenue
No. 4 on Mansfield Avenue is a bar and restaurant that is relaxed during the day and busy, but not too busy, on weekend nights, with wines, Monteiths beers and a full menu. It suits a weekend evening that starts with dinner and continues over drinks.
6. Buchan Street and the craft beer end of things
The Beer Library on Buchan Street, one block west of Colombo Street, is a family-run bottle shop and tap room with craft beer, wine and small-batch spirits, and a draft station. It suits anyone who wants to taste rather than sit in a bar all night, and it closes in the early evening rather than late, so treat it as a starting point.
7. Lyttelton
A short drive or bus ride of about fifteen minutes from the city centre brings you to Lyttelton, where The Wunderbar has a small room for gigs and is popular with artists, and The Monster Bar downstairs next door is a smaller yakitori restaurant and bar with more of a focus on DJs. This suits a night built around live music or a DJ rather than a pub meal.
8. The Port Hills and the Gondola
The Christchurch Gondola runs up to the summit of the Port Hills, with a cafe and shop at the top; it operates during the day and into the early evening in the longer months rather than late at night. It suits an early evening of views before you come back down into town, and the shuttle from Cathedral Square runs during the day only.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe Christchurch venues mainly as places to eat as well as drink, with mains priced across a broad range, so dinner tends to be the anchor of an evening rather than something squeezed in afterwards. Some venues are explicitly daytime operations, such as The Beer Library, which closes between 6PM and 7PM depending on the day, and the tram and Gondola, which stop in the late afternoon or early evening. Others, such as the casino and No. 4, are open later and are described as busy on weekend nights. Beyond that, the sources do not set out a general pattern of eating and going-out times for the city, so it is worth checking individual venues for the night you have in mind.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Electric Avenue — a music festival in Hagley Park, running in February.
- The World Buskers Festival — two weeks in January, usually with about 30 comedy, street and circus acts from around the globe.
- Kidsfest — July, during the midwinter school holidays, with the programme announced in early June.
- Christchurch Arts Festival — the largest arts festival in the South Island, held every second year around August to September.
- Carnival Week — a set of events in November, including Guy Fawkes night with a public firework display at New Brighton Pier, the two New Zealand Cup horse racing meetings, and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral show.
- Carols by Candlelight — a long-standing Christmas Eve tradition, 9PM to 10PM on 24 December.
- Open Christchurch — an architecture festival in early May, with about 50 buildings open to the public and some requiring pre-booking.
Frequently asked questions
What time do things close in Christchurch?
The sources give specific hours for only a few places, and they vary widely: the tram runs 8:30AM to 6PM, the Gondola closes mid-afternoon to early evening depending on season, and The Beer Library closes between 6PM and 7PM. For bars and restaurants, check with the venue directly.
Is there a dress code for going out?
The Christchurch Casino has a dress code, though jeans are now allowed. No other dress rules are given in the sources.
Where can I hear live music?
The Wunderbar in Lyttelton has a small room for gigs and is popular with artists, and The Monster Bar downstairs next door has more of a focus on DJs. The World Buskers Festival in January brings street and circus acts to the city.
Do I need to book anything in advance?
Some Open Christchurch buildings in early May require pre-booking, and the casino's birthday meal offer requires booking. For everything else, the sources do not say.
Check the current status and hours of the places you are considering, then plan an evening that starts with dinner and takes it from there.