Demand for tickets to Auckland's Lantern Festival surges

More than 185,000 visitors are expected to attend the Auckland Lantern Festival at Manukau Sports Bowl from 13-16 February. Photo: Supplied

Tickets to Auckland's Lantern Festival are selling like hot cakes, with organisers revealing on Wednesday that almost 90 percent of free tickets have already been snapped up online.

A spokesperson for Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, organiser of the four-day event, said that more than 185,000 advance tickets had been claimed, with online tickets for Saturday now unavailable.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited implemented a free ticket system for the first time this year to better manage crowd flow and improve visitor experience at Manukau Sports Bowl from 13-16 February.

The spokesperson for Tātaki Auckland Unlimited said a limited number of free tickets would be available at the gates but be dependent on capacity.

"We have made provisions for people who arrive without a ticket, including on Saturday," the spokesperson said.

"They will gain entry ... as long as we are safely within the venue's visitor capacity, as people will come and go from the festival.

"They will need to scan the QR code [that] will be displayed outside the venue gates to secure their entry ticket, which will then be scanned as they enter."

The spokesperson said visitors who arrived without tickets were likely to experience delays at the entrance.

The advance tickets provided visitors with access to free public transport on Auckland buses and trains, valid for two hours before the festival opened and one hour after it closed.

Free shuttle buses would also operate between Manukau Train Station, Westfield Manukau and Manukau Sports Bowl during and after the festival.

This year's festival will feature extended opening hours from 3pm to 10pm on 13 and 14 February, and from 1pm to 10pm on 15 and 16 February.

Fireworks will light up the night sky around 9:50pm to end celebrations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.