It was first held in 1843 and since then has included agricultural events, art exhibitions, live entertainment, sporting events, rides, sideshows, a marketplace and circuses.

[2] In 2013, the show featured the largest ferris wheel in Auckland's history.

[4] In 2016, hundreds of people claimed that they would boycott the show after pictures of injured animals were shared.

[5] The free event in 2019 offered farm animals, FMX shows, a Looney Tunes Live Show, rides and a performance by Tiki Taane.

[6] The 2020 show, scheduled for 9 –13 April, was cancelled due to crowd restrictions introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.