More fashion events, a music festival and a rodeo add new dimensions to New Zealand's biggest festival of racing, agriculture, fashion and entertainment in the Garden City this Spring.

Style Christchurch, Southern Amp and New Zealand's first International Rodeo will expand New Zealand Cup and Show Week (8 - 18 November) to entice thousands of visitors to Christchurch in November.

Last year's event contributed more than $27million to the Christchurch economy, with more than 125,000 attendances at the event, and 52% of the visitors said the reason for their visit was primarily for NZ Cup and Show Week, an economic impact assessment showed.

New Zealand Cup and Show Week is about telling the rest of the country and our international visitors what's going on down here – and it's a very big story.

The country's premier racing events during Cup and Show Week include the high stakes Christchurch Casino New Zealand Trotting Cup Day, New Zealand Greyhound Cup, and Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup.

And then there's the Royal New Zealand Show, a week full of fashion events, music, and a fantastic atmosphere around the city's bars, clubs and restaurants. You've got to be there (www.bethere.co.nz).

The Royal New Zealand Show from 14 – 16 November comprises the Ag Export Pavilion, the Food and Wine New Zealand Pavilion, A La Naturelle Fashion Show, Mint Lamb Competition, The City Farmyard, Primary Schools Education Programme, World Woodchopping title and NZ Shearing Title.

Denyse Saunders' Canterbury Collections will launch New Zealand Cup and Show Week at the Christchurch Town Hall on Thursday, 8 November with a glittering black tie show that features an array of Canterbury designers and retailers showing their new season's collections.

A new fashion event this year, Style Christchurch, is the brainchild of creative stylist Andhy Blake and combines a teaser show - the Style Christchurch fashioNZ Emerging Designer Show at Sol Square on Monday, 12 November with The Style Christchurch Designer Collections at Cathedral Junction on Saturday, 17 November.

Further fashion events take place on course at both Riccarton and Addington, with competitions and parades of the best-dressed punters.

On the music front, the South Island's biggest multi-stage outdoor live music festival, Southern Amp 2, pumps out 12 hours of non-stop live music from more than 35 bands and DJs on three separate stages.

Headliners include Shihad, The Black Seeds, Evermore, Thirsty Merc, Atlas, Opshop, The Veils & dDub on The Rock Main Stage plus Scribe, Concord Dawn with MC Tiki, Kid Kenobi & MC Shureshock, Ladi6, John Course, Goodwill, Greg Churchill and many more on The Edge & Ministry of Sound Stage. A special line-up of Christchurch musicians will perform on the ((Chart)) & RDU98.5FM Chch Music Industry Stage. Visit www.southernamp.co.nz for more event and line-up details.

Grab your Stetsons, chaps and spurs and head on down to the Westpac Arena on Saturday, 17 November to watch cowboys and cowgirls from five countries battle it out in New Zealand's first ever indoor International Rodeo.

Christchurch has some great nightlife hotspots and the central city will be pumping during New Zealand Cup and Show Week. From promenading on The Strip to hanging out in SOL Square, or one of the other hip hangouts, you'll find exciting vibes and delectable dining all over the central city.

More details about all the New Zealand Cup and Show Week events are listed on the website, www.nzcupandshow.co.nz..