Which city hosted the world premiere of An Unexpected Journey?

The world premiere of An Unexpected Journey was held in Wellington, New Zealand.

The screening took place on 28 November 2012 at Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, a landmark cinema in the city’s Courtenay Place district. Wellington was closely associated with Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth productions because much of the filmmaking, visual-effects work, and production design were based in New Zealand.

The premiere became a major public event, with around 100,000 people lining the red carpet. New Zealand authorities and organizers promoted Wellington as the “Middle of Middle-earth,” turning the premiere into both a film occasion and a celebration of the country’s role in the trilogy.

A common mix-up is confusing this event with later premieres. The second Hobbit film premiered in Los Angeles, while The Battle of the Five Armies premiered in London. Wellington refers specifically to the first film’s world premiere, not its later international release dates.