In its early days, Hagley Park was used for horse races.
Hagley Park has frequently been a site for gathering large crowds together: it served as the location for the Great Industrial Exposition of 1882 and the New Zealand International Exhibition in 1906–1907.
In 1906, the Australasian tennis championships (now known as the Australian Open) were held in Hagley Park as part of the Grand Slam.
The singles event was won by Tony Wilding, who defeated Francis Fisher in three sets.

In recent years, the park has hosted many visiting circuses and open-air concerts.
The Ellerslie Flower Show has been held in North Hagley Park since 2008.

A golf course (Hagley Golf Club) is located in North Hagley Park.

South Hagley Park contains several netball courts, the Hagley Oval cricket ground and a heliport for Christchurch Hospital, although as of 2019 there are calls to build a helipad on the roof of the hospital itself.

Hagley Park was also the site of a national memorial service attended by 20,000 people to remember the 51 dead victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre which included the likes of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and British Muslim convert singer Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens).
In its early days, Hagley Park was used for horse races. Hagley Park has frequently been a site for gathering large crowds together: it served as the location for the Great Industrial Exposition of 1882 and the New Zealand International Exhibition in 1906–1907. In 1906, the Australasian tennis championships (now known as the Australian Open) were held in Hagley Park as part of the Grand Slam. The singles event was won by Tony Wilding, who defeated Francis Fisher in three sets.
In recent years, the park has hosted many visiting circuses and open-air concerts. The Ellerslie Flower Show has been held in North Hagley Park since 2008.
A golf course (Hagley Golf Club) is located in North Hagley Park.
South Hagley Park contains several netball courts, the Hagley Oval cricket ground and a heliport for Christchurch Hospital, although as of 2019 there are calls to build a helipad on the roof of the hospital itself.
Hagley Park was also the site of a national memorial service attended by 20,000 people to remember the 51 dead victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre which included the likes of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and British Muslim convert singer Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens).
Hagley Park, Christchurch