Marine Parade Napier
What's on and what's here
Upcoming events
Car Show
18 to 21 February 20272027 Art Deco Festival Napier
Marine Parade Napier · Napier, New Zealand
Also at the circuit
Things to do at the venue or within 2 km
Plan the trip
Where to stay and what's nearby
Where to stay
Napier has motels, hotels, bed and breakfasts, self contained places, holiday parks and backpackers. Marine Parade runs beside the city centre and Napier South, so places in those two areas are within walking distance of the parade. Hastings, the region's other city, is south of Napier.
Go with a tour
Let a tour operator plan the trip around it
Classic Car Tour
13 February to 2 March 2027Classic Car, Train and Plane Tour of New Zealand
New Zealand · 18 days
From AUD 9,250 per person, twin share
Experiences nearby
More to do around Marine Parade Napier
Make the most of it
Your day at the track
Grandstands and viewing spots
There are no grandstands. People watch from the footpaths along the road and from the seaside path, which runs the full length of the parade. The viewing platform looks out over the ocean, the Tom Parker Fountain and the Pania statue.
Facilities
The council toilet block at the Soundshell is free to use and has paid showers, lockers and a bike store. Baby change is at the Marine Parade toilets next to the i-SITE Visitor Centre, open 8.30am to 5pm every day. The Napier i-SITE Visitor Centre is at 100 Marine Parade next to the Soundshell, open 9am to 5pm every day. The National Aquarium of New Zealand has a cafe, and bars, cafes, restaurants and ice cream shops sit along and just off the parade.
Plan your day
Getting there
Napier is on the Hawke's Bay coast. Hawke's Bay Airport is about 10 minutes from Napier City and has direct flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Long distance coaches connect Napier with other North Island cities. Emerson Street runs from Clive Square in the city centre straight onto Marine Parade, so the parade is a walk from town. Parking is kerbside along the parade, with car parks beside several of the main attractions. City centre parking has time limits and fees, which vary with distance from the town centre. Taxis and shuttles operate in Napier.
Leaving the venue
Marine Parade is an open road with no gates, so people walk off it at any point. Emerson Street leads from the parade back into the city centre. Taxis and shuttles operate in Napier, and Hawke's Bay Airport is about 10 minutes from Napier City.
Camping
There is no campground on Marine Parade. Napier has holiday parks.
Good to know
Good to know
The track
Marine Parade is Napier's seafront road, about 3 km long, running beside the city centre and Napier South with views from Māhia Peninsula in the north to Cape Kidnappers in the south. Norfolk pines line it, planted from 1893 behind a sea wall built around 1889. The 1931 earthquake lifted the beach by about 2 m, and most of the foreshore reserve on the seaward side has formed since then as the beach built up naturally. Along the parade are the National Aquarium of New Zealand, Ocean Spa, a playground, BaySkate, Par2 MiniGolf, the Sunken Gardens, the Pania of the Reef statue, the Spirit of Napier statue, a viewing platform and the Soundshell, a civic stage built from 1934 and listed by Heritage New Zealand. A walking and cycling path runs the length of the parade on the seaward side. It is an open public road outside event closures, so there are no gates and the whole length is public. Each year the Art Deco Festival vintage car parade comes from Clive Square along Emerson Street onto Marine Parade and finishes at the Soundshell.
Last verified 8 November 2026. Official link: https://www.napier.govt.nz/napier/reserves/marine-parade/