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1986
- February
- Radio UFM (located at University of Canterbury) becomes first station in Canterbury to be granted an FM warrant on a long term basis.
- February 28
- Visit by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
- May 27
- Court Theatre’s 15th anniversary celebrated with two week season of Steven Sondheim’s play "Sweeney Todd" in James Hay Theatre.
- July 7
- Heavy rain floods northern suburbs of city.
- July 28
- Grenadier Hotel demolished in Oxford Terrace. Formerly The Royal, it was the third hotel on this site since 1851.
- August 26
- The worst lamb loss for a decade in Canterbury due to a wet cold August, costs farmers $2.8 million.
- August 27
- Visit by Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary, Dr Juzet Marjai.
- October 13
- Sir Hamish Hay begins his fifth and final term as Mayor of Christchurch.
- October 25
- "Qin Shihuang" (Chinese Buried Army) exhibition opens at the McDougall Art Gallery. 71,145 people visited the exhibition over a seven week period, the largest number to a paying show at the Gallery.
- November
- Visit of President of Israel, Mr Chaim Herzog.
- November 4
- 23 week old Mary Ellen Foulds becomes the youngest baby to be born at Christchurch Womens Hospital (normal gestation is 40 weeks).
- November 22
- Visit by Pope John Paul II (the first head of the Catholic Church to visit New Zealand).
