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Nelson

Character parties for Nelson families

Until 2023, Nelson families had two choices: fly an entertainer in from Wellington, or settle for a costume rental. We changed that. We're the only character entertainment specialists serving Nelson, Tasman and Golden Bay.

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A first for Nelson families

Built locally, trained nationally

For most of the last decade, if you wanted a real character at your child's birthday in Nelson, you had two options. You could phone a Wellington entertainer, ask them to fly across the strait, and quietly add a few hundred dollars in travel to the bill. Or you could settle, hire a costume from the local fancy-dress shop, and ask Auntie to wear it. Neither was great.

We changed that in 2023. We auditioned locally, trained our Nelson performers alongside the Wellington troupe, and ran a soft launch through the summer before opening bookings properly. The Nelson team is small by design, currently two trained character performers (our Anna and our Elsa), and we keep it that way so every weekend booking is a performer we know personally, not a contractor we've never met.

We're not the cheapest option in Nelson. We're the only specialist character option, and that comes with a different standard: trained voices, signature songs sung live, full hour-long structure, and the same police-vetting and first-aid certifications we hold to in every other city. If you've been waiting for a real fairytale to arrive in town, this is it.

Available now in Nelson

Bookable today, live calendar

Princess parties with Anna, Elsa, or both together. All bookings are real-time. Pick a date, lock it in.

Our most-loved

Princess Party

$269 NZD
1 hour · up to 15 kids
  • Princess arrival and live singing – a magical entrance with her signature song.
  • Princess dancing – learn and dance along to songs from her movie.
  • Games galore! – all the classic party games children know and love, with a magical princess twist.
  • Basic Face painting, glitter cheeks or nail painting – fun activities for the children to enjoy throughout the party.
  • Colouring-in activities – keeping little hands busy between turns.
  • Photos with the princess – group and individual photo opportunities.
  • A special birthday moment – another live song and the princess leading Happy Birthday during the cake ceremony.
Book Princess Party
Pick your princess

Anna & Elsa

From $269 NZD
Live availability on Acuity
  • Anna. Bouncy energy, infectious laughter
  • Elsa. Ice-queen confidence, signature songs
  • Anna & Elsa together. The full sister act
  • Songs, dancing, games, photos
  • Real-time booking on Acuity

All prices include GST. Extra children $5 each (Princess). Travel inside Nelson and Richmond is included; for Motueka, Mapua, Wakefield and Golden Bay we may quote a small travel fee, always upfront before you confirm.

Growing the Nelson menu

What's Wellington-only for now

We expand based on what Nelson families ask for. Tell us what you want next and we'll prioritise.

Wellington-only for now

Superhero Party

Not yet in Nelson

Our Superhero Party (Spider-man, Captain America, Wonder Woman and more) lives in Wellington for now. If Nelson demand grows, we travel.

Tell us what to add next
Where we travel

Across Nelson & Tasman

From the central city out to Richmond and the Tasman bays. We travel to Golden Bay for special bookings (ask us, the team loves the drive).

Nelson Central The Wood Stoke Tahunanui Atawhai Wakefield Brightwater Hope Richmond Mapua Motueka Tasman Ruby Bay Pohara Takaka

Travelling to Golden Bay or beyond? Get in touch, we travel for special bookings.

Why book early

A small Nelson team, booked weeks ahead

Here is the honest version of the Nelson supply story. We have a deliberately small Nelson troupe, two trained character performers (Anna and Elsa). That keeps the quality high. It also means our weekends fill quickly, and quickly means weeks ahead, not days.

During Nelson school holidays, the long summer break, and the run-up to Christmas, weekend slots routinely fill six weeks in advance. Saturday morning is the most-requested slot in any week, so for a March, April, July, October or December Saturday, get on the calendar as early as you can. Weekday after-school parties (3:30pm onwards) tend to have more late availability.

If your child's birthday is more than six weeks away and you have a date in mind, book now. If it's inside three weeks and the calendar shows full, message us anyway, we sometimes have flex room or can put you first in line for any cancellations.

Nelson FAQ

The local questions, answered

Do you travel beyond Richmond?

Yes. Mapua, Motueka, Tasman, Ruby Bay, Wakefield, Brightwater and Hope are on our standard travel map; expect a small travel fee for the further-out spots, always quoted upfront. For Pohara, Takaka and the rest of Golden Bay we do special bookings (it's a beautiful drive, the team genuinely loves the trip), with a per-trip travel fee discussed before you commit.

Is it easier to book during the school term or holidays?

Term-time Saturdays are usually 4-6 weeks ahead. School-holiday Saturdays are 8 weeks plus; the long summer holidays book even further out. If you have flexibility, a term-time Saturday is your easiest path to your preferred performer and time slot. Weekday parties (any time the kids are out of school) tend to have meaningfully more availability.

Which Nelson venues are great for a party?

Most of our Nelson parties happen at family homes, in a lounge, deck or back yard. For larger groups we love the Stoke Memorial Hall, Tahunanui Community Hall and the Richmond Town Hall (a beautiful old room). In summer the Tahunanui Beach Reserve and Founders Heritage Park grounds are wonderful, with a wet-weather backup at home or a nearby hall. The Trafalgar Centre has worked for very large parties or school events.

Do you travel to Marlborough, Blenheim or Picton?

Not on a standard booking; that is a different region and a long day for our small Nelson team. We have done occasional special bookings as far as Blenheim and Picton when a date and travel fee made sense; if you're Marlborough-based and keen, get in touch and we'll let you know honestly whether we can make it work.

Can we book a character for a Nelson school event or kindy visit?

Absolutely. Schools, kindergartens, daycares and library reading events in the Nelson and Tasman region can book our characters by the hour for in-school visits. We've done storytimes, reading-week appearances, end-of-year prizegivings and gala-day photo booths. Email [email protected] or use the contact form for a school-rate quote.

A Nelson-specific question we haven't answered? Ask us anything →

From Nelson families

What our newest city says

★★★★★
"Booked a party with Enchanted for my twins' 7th birthday at Founders Park. The host arrived ten minutes early, ran an hour of non-stop laughter, and not a single kid sat out. Loved that the booking was online and the payment was fully refundable, real low-stress."
Kate RobinsonStoke · Nelson party

Read lots of 5-star reviews across Google, Facebook and Instagram.

A small Nelson team.
Best to message us first.

Our Nelson calendar is live, but our troupe is small. For school-holiday and Saturday-morning bookings, send a message first and we'll lock in your date personally before you pay in full to confirm.

Message the Nelson team See live availability