Biggest Happy Hour

New Zealand’s Biggest Happy Hour (NZBHH) is an annual Metlifecare event that brings together thousands of residents at separate events joined digitally at our 33 villages to celebrate International Day of Friendship. Metlifecare residents are invited to a special ‘Happy Hour’ within their village on Friday 30 September from 4pm. All our village locations will be connected via Zoom, so they can celebrate a united ‘Cheers to Friendship’ at 5pm with residents from across all our communities.

We know that living in a Metlifecare retirement village provides residents with the opportunity to make new friends and meet like-minded people. Residents have described these newfound friendships as lifechanging, which we felt was something worth celebrating! On a more serious note, loneliness and isolation is a pressing issue for many New Zealanders, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions over the last couple of years and extending through 2022. Maintaining meaningful friendships is particularly important for every older person across Aotearoa, especially if that person retires from their usual working environment, loses colleague social interactions, loses friends and spouses due to the inevitability of age, and potentially has family living far away. Independent research commissioned by Metlifecare shows that it’s never too late to make new friends – and to feel the benefits of that, particularly for those living in retirement villages.

All Metlifecare residents are invited to New Zealand’s Biggest Happy Hour. By now all our residents should have received an invitation from their village team.

Each village has its own location where residents will gather for New Zealand’s Biggest Happy Hour. Residents can check their invitations or ask their village team where their village event is being held. It will likely be the communal area commonly used for social events. People also have the option to join New Zealand’s Biggest Happy Hour via a live Zoom link.

We understand that not every resident will be able to attend New Zealand’s Biggest Happy Hour . This might be due to COVID-19 isolation requirements, other commitments, or mobility issues. However, you can still celebrate New Zealand’s Biggest Happy Hour with us via Zoom from the comfort of your own home! The live Zoom link will be available on this website page from 3.45pm on Friday 30 September.

We encourage residents to come along with their friends from within their village. This is a great opportunity to get to know other residents or perhaps reach out to someone who is new to the village and invite them along!

Yes. All residents should have received an invitation from their village team by now. If you haven’t already sent your RSVP, contact your village team to confirm your attendance.

You need to be a Metlifecare resident to attend New Zealand’s Biggest Happy Hour at the village event, however friends from outside the village are welcome to watch the festivities via Zoom, including the 5pm ‘Cheers to Friendship’.

All Metlifecare villages will be connected via a Zoom link that will be projected on to a big screen at each venue. At 5pm we’ll have a quick countdown to raise our glasses to friendship. The Zoom link allows residents to watch the live festivities underway in other villages.

The Zoom link will be available on this website page from 3.45pm on Friday. Simply click on the link to watch the festivities around our villages. Note – if you join the Zoom link before 4pm, you will be placed in virtual ‘waiting room’ until the festivities officially start at 4pm