Mid-April date for Otago Rally in 2026
- 9th May 2025, 3:00pm
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by Peter Whitten
The Otago Rally has announced the date for its 50th Anniversary event next year, just weeks after it’s 2025 rally concluded.
Yet again, the rally will take place in April, however, two weeks later than in 2025, with the new date set for April 17-19, 2026.
Falling two weeks after Easter, the rally sits on the last weekend of the New Zealand school holiday period.
Rally competitors and fans will converge on the city of Dunedin to celebrate the best of New Zealand competition, further emphasised by the growing international contingent that comes to the rally year in, year out.
With interest already gaining momentum for the Anniversary rally, teams are encouraged to begin making plans for what is sure to be the biggest Otago Rally yet.
Among the preparations for the Otago Rally’s Golden Jubilee, special events are being planned to incorporate and celebrate those involved in the inaugural 1976 event, while organisers will also pay tribute to those who have won the event in the past.
The dedicated team from the Otago Sports Car Club is already working hard on the rally, particularly on the all-important route, which will include many of the Otago Rally’s classic stages.
“Work doesn’t stop when it comes to the Otago Rally, especially as next year’s event will be such an important milestone,” event spokesperson Roger Oakley said.
“The route is one of the important planning aspects, as is the international guest driver.
“We are looking at special guests for the rally, and we’ll do all we can to celebrate and do justice to our event’s fabulous 50-year history.”
The Otago Rally opened the 2025 New Zealand Rally Championship season just last month in what was one of the closest finishes in the championship’s long history.
Another feature of the event was international driver Kris Meeke, who competed in a Ford Escort RS1800, while Kiwi WRC star, Hayden Paddon, ran his famous Hyundai World Rally Car on the event’s landmark stage, Kuri Bush.
