Farmyard friends

Discover where it all began – experience the heart of the Easter Show with real farm animals, sheepdog trials, and more!

Step into the roots of the Easter Show at Farmworld, where the spirit of rural New Zealand comes to life. The Easter Show had its beginnings 175 years ago, beginning as a purely agricultural event to help the fledgling colony develop a sound farming economy. The first A&P show was held in 1843.

Today, we honour that legacy by bringing the farm to the city — with a celebration of agriculture, animals, and family-friendly fun.

farm animals in 2026

The genesis of the Easter Show is as Auckland’s Agricultural & Pastoral Show. This year’s show returns to these roots with an array of farm animals including cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and donkeys.

The A & P Assn are bringing the iconic Farmworld back to Hall 6 while at the other end of the Auckland Showgrounds are sheep dog trials on the Village Green plus Old MacDonalds Farmyard and goat therapy.

A time-honoured tradition at the Easter Show is sheepdog trials. This year’s sees the return of a full sheep dog trail competition for the first time since 2019. Shepherds and their sheepdogs from around the country will compete at the Easter Show for the Mick Draper Cup, one of the most prestigious trophies in NZ sheepdog trialling.

We had even more animal encounters with roaming goats and surprises around every corner in our Farmyard Friends area — a true Easter Show favourite for young and old.

We partnered with a mobile farmyard that has been bringing animals to Kiwi families for over 50 years, with a strong focus on animal welfare. Their mobile farm creates a calm, enriching environment where you can meet goats, lambs, calves, chickens and more — just as they’d be on the farm.