If people love asking,
“How did you make that?”…
we’d love to hear from you.
Maker Festival is a celebration of creativity, curiosity and innovation. We’re bringing together makers from across Aotearoa to share what they create, inspire others and connect with hundreds of curious visitors.
Whether you’re building robots, designing sustainable technology, crafting furniture, creating art, experimenting with electronics, restoring vintage treasures or inventing something entirely new—we’d love to showcase your work.
You don’t need to be a business.
You don’t need to be selling products.
If you love making things and enjoy sharing your knowledge, Maker Festival is the place for you.
MakerFest 2026
12 & 13 September 2026
Tauranga, New Zealand
Why Exhibit at MakerFest?
Every great maker has experienced that moment. Someone stops. They look a little closer. Then they ask…“How did you make that?”
MakerFest is built around those moments.
As an exhibitor you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Celebrate creativity, sustainability and innovation
- Share your passion with hundreds of visitors
- Connect with fellow makers, creators and innovators
- Inspire the next generation of engineers, artists and problem-solvers
- Show us your skills, processes and projects
What Can You Exhibit?
If you make it, build it, design it, repair it, invent it or create it—we want to hear from you.
We’re looking for exhibitors from across the maker community, including:
- Robotics and automation
- Engineering and fabrication
- Sustainable technology and renewable energy
- Woodworking and metalworking
- 3D printing and digital fabrication
- Electronics and coding
- Textiles, sewing and fibre arts
- Pottery, ceramics and glass
- Jewellery and traditional crafts
- Cosplay and costume making
- Upcycling and repair
- Student projects
- Start-ups and innovative businesses
Don’t see yourself on the list? Apply anyway! We love discovering makers doing something unique.
12 & 13 September 2026
Ready to take part?
Why MakerFest?
MakerFest isn’t just about displaying finished projects.
It’s about sharing the stories behind them.
The late nights.
The failed prototypes.
The unexpected breakthroughs.
The skills you’ve learnt.
The ideas you’re excited to pass on.
Whether you’re demonstrating your craft, encouraging visitors to have a go, or simply chatting about yo
It’s Free to Exhibit
We believe great ideas should be shared.
That’s why exhibitor spaces at MakerFest are completely free.
Festival entry is also free, making it easy for families, students, educators and the wider community to discover the incredible talent and innovation happening across Aotearoa.
Who Should Apply?
You might be:
- A hobby maker
- An artist or craftsperson
- An engineer or inventor
- A student with an amazing project
- A school or university
- A community group
- A makerspace
- A business developing innovative products
- Someone with a workshop, garage or studio full of incredible creations
If your work sparks curiosity, starts conversations and gets people asking, “How did you make that?” then we’d love to welcome you to MakerFest.
Meet the Makers
From robots and renewable energy to fungi, batteries, board games and things you can make with your own hands — MakerFest is bringing together an incredible mix of makers, innovators, researchers, creators and problem-solvers.
Explore, experiment, get hands-on and meet the people turning big ideas into real-world solutions.
PowerCo
Our headline sponsor, PowerCo, is bringing the future of energy to MakerFest. Discover some of the latest projects and innovations exploring biomethane, biogas and sustainable energy solutions for Aotearoa.
Meet the experts, get your questions answered and take part in a fun hands-on experiment you can take home!
Bella & Bio-Bot: STEM Story Adventure Workshop
What happens when a story comes to life through science?
Join Bella & Bio-Bot for a STEM adventure featuring a live reading of the award-winning Bella & Bio-Bot book. Children will explore the science hidden within the story and discover how curiosity, creativity and science can work together.
This is a bookable workshop. Look out for your email with your booking code.
emroce
Meet Emma, the maker behind emroce, the first zero-waste swimwear company in the world.
Discover how Emma designs her swimwear and cutting plans to create zero fabric waste. Normally 25% of swimwear fabric is discarded when the garment is cut from the cloth. Emma has found a simple way to design this waste out from the beginning and now consults with larger fashion brands to have an even greater positive impact on our environment and local economy. She will sharing her techniques and knowledge with us
MakerFest Design Challenge — Powered by TechStep
Six weeks. Real-world problem. Big ideas.
Meet the teams taking on the MakerFest Design Challenge, powered by TechStep. They’ve spent six weeks designing, testing, tinkering and problem-solving to develop a solution to a real-world challenge.
Now it’s your turn to be the judge! Check out their creations, hear their stories and cast your vote for the solution you think deserves to win.
Board Game Making
Ever wondered what it takes to create your own board game?
Meet Andrew, June and Desi and explore the games they’ve created — and the ones they’re still working on. Discover how an idea becomes a playable game through design, creativity, testing and plenty of tinkering.
Who knows? You might leave with an idea for your own!
Battery Making with Randall
How does a battery work — and could you make your own?
Randall will take you inside the world of DIY lithium battery packs, showing you what goes into making them and sharing examples of battery packs he has built for his electric scooter and other devices.
Come along to discover the technology behind the batteries powering more and more of the things we use every day.
Robots & Us — University of Waikato
Get up close and interact with a real research robot from the University of Waikato!
Inspired by a beloved animated film character, this fascinating robot has been built by university researchers and offers a glimpse into the world of robotics, artificial intelligence and human-robot interaction.
This is a bookable workshop. Look out for your email with your booking code.
Matt’s Pinball Machine
Think you can beat the machine?
Come and interact with Matt’s creative pinball machine, where digital meets physical play. Drop a ball into the screen, see what happens — and challenge yourself to catch as many as you can!
Slash for Cash — Biochar Making
Meet Thabiso from Slash for Cash, a not-for-profit initiative turning a major environmental problem into an opportunity.
Born in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, the initiative responded to the huge volumes of forestry waste — or slash — washed up on Hawke’s Bay beaches.
Discover how this waste can be transformed into biochar, and learn more about the process of turning an environmental challenge into a useful resource.
And That’s Just the Start!
These are just some of the incredible people, projects and ideas you’ll discover at MakerFest.
Whether you’re fascinated by robots, curious about renewable energy, love making things, want to learn a new skill or simply enjoy seeing how things work, there’s something waiting for you.
Want to become an exhibitor? There is still time to apply!