Eid al -Adha was celebrated in Wellington for the first time on July 10.
The event marks the end of the five-day Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Auckland has hitherto hosted the Eid festivals for the past 11 years.
More recently, Christchurch became a venue for celebrating this important event on the Islamic calendar.
Eid al- Adha and Eid al-Fitr (which marks the end of the fast during Ramdan) are attended and observed by more than 60,000 New Zealanders.
“The vision has always been to celebrate Eid as a large scale event in every major city and region of New Zealand, and to bring the Muslim and non-Muslim communities together to share and embrace their differences. This is an event for all, and all are welcome, whether you are in Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington,” said Javed Dadabhai, chairperson, New Zealand Eid Day Wellington.
In Wellington, Eid al-Adha was celebrated at the Sky Stadium and was attended by over 3,500 members of the public.
In a statement, the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) described the event as social cohesion in action, with people from all ethnicities and walks of life coming together to celebrate Eid.
Eid al-Adha allows Muslims to “spiritually join the celebration in Mecca,” said Amal Al-Sheemy, spokeswoman for New Zealand Eid Day Wellington.
Al-Sheemy was quoted as saying the turnout at the event had defied expectations.
The morning prayer was followed by festivities centred around food, activities and games for children.
Organisers coordinated with NZ Police leading up to the event.
Eid commemorates the supreme sacrifice that Prophet Ibrahim was prepared to undertake in obedience to Allah.
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