LGBT in New Zealand held annually in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Auckland and Wellington also hold regular lesbian social events. There are a number of gay and lesbian festivals in New Zealand. Hamilton, Wellington, Tauranga, Christchurch and Dunedin host annual Pride Weeks, usually operated by the local UniQ, related youth-focussed organisations, or the New Zealand AIDS Foundation as a community-building initiative. The was a popular event in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and while the organisation pulled the 2008 festival due to funding issues, it returned in 2009. Until 2008, the Hero Festival was held in Auckland each February, and included the Hero Parade, which
Auckland Auckland Auckland ( ) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand. Auckland is the largest urban area in the country, with an urban population of around It is located in the Auckland Region—the area governed by Auckland Council—which includes outlying rural areas and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, resulting in a total population of . A diverse and multicultural city, Auckland is home to the largest Polynesian population in the world. The Māori-language name for Auckland is ' () or ', meaning "Tāmaki with a hundred lovers", in reference to the desirability of its fertile land