Anzac Day services are taking place around the country and the world, with thousands attending dawn services, parades and commemorations. 

As well as veterans, civic leaders and the public, Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel were at services in remembrance of Kiwis who have served in war, conflicts and peacekeeping missions, said Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies. 

“Senior NZDF [New Zealand Defence Force] personnel represented the New Zealand military at ceremonies in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, as well as South Korea, where an NZ Army platoon is training alongside local troops. 

“Further afield, the day will be commemorated by staff stationed in South Sudan, the Middle East and in the United Kingdom, where Ukrainian troops are being trained.” 

In Turkey, a contingent of NZDF personnel were supporting and participating in commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Davies said. 

Almost a sixth of the Kiwi soldiers involved in the Gallipoli campaign paid with their lives. Soldiers are pictured on the beach at Gallipoli in 1915. Photo / Auckland Council Libraries 

More than 8000 Kiwis arrived on the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25, 1915, as the Allies unsuccessfully attempted to capture the Strait of Gallipoli from the Ottomans. 

By the campaign’s end in January 1916, some 2779 had been killed – close to a sixth of those who had landed there. 

Today marks the 111th anniversary of the land invasion, the first significant military campaign involving Australian and New Zealand armed services, and ongoing services are taking place around the country today. 

This year also marked 110 years since the New Zealand Division arrived on the Western Front during World War I, Davies said. 

He was at Pukeahu National War Memorial in Wellington, where the national Anzac Day service was held at 11am. 

“We remember those who, in moments of great uncertainty and danger, placed the needs of others above their own – not for recognition or reward, but because it was right to serve. 

“That spirit was present on the shores of Gallipoli, carried through the hardships of two world wars, and sustained across decades of peacekeeping, conflict and humanitarian service.” 

Crowds gathered for the Anzac Day dawn service at Waikumete this morning. Photo / Dean Purcell 

It was about honouring those who didn’t return and acknowledging the families who “carry their absence still”. 

“Their sacrifice is woven into our national story and into our shared identity.” 

This year was also the 75th anniversary of Kap’yong, where the Commonwealth Brigade fought a defensive battle against a Chinese division at Kap’yong in South Korea in April 1951, Davies said. 

“Filling a gap in the United Nations line, the Royal New Zealand Artillery’s 16 Field Regiment played a vital supporting role.” 

Bagpipers pictured at the Rotorua Anzac Day dawn service this morning. Photo / Megan Wilson 

It also marked the 25th anniversary of the arrival of New Zealand combat troops in Afghanistan, and 2026 was the first time contemporary veterans were officially recognised as part of Anzac Day. 

“Their service continues quietly, often unseen, yet always grounded in the same values of duty, courage, and commitment.”