Excerpts performed at the College of Education auditorium included Macbeth, The Winter's Tale, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello. They were assessed by University of Otago Theatre Studies head Associate Prof Stuart Young and actor Karen Elliot.
The festival was first held in 1992 and has since involved more than 80,000 secondary school pupils from around the country.
University of Otago head of English Prof Evelyn Tribble said the event was a great opportunity to showcase enthusiasm for Shakespeare's plays.
But for St Hilda's Collegiate School pupils Amy Wright, Jess Lavelle-Pool and Sophia Cormack, it was a great opportunity to dress up.
"We quite like wearing beards - it's all in good fun," Jess said.
"It's a nice change from wearing blue blazers and having our hair tied up."
The girls won the 15-minute teacher-directed scene with their performance of The Tempest (Act 2, Scene 2) with help from fellow pupil Kate Harcus and teacher Rachel McMillan.
Columba College won the five-minute student-directed scene with their performance of The Merchant of Venice (Act 1, Scene 2).
Logan Park High School pupil Orion Carey Clarke was selected to attend the National Shakespeare Schools Production for his direction in Logan Park High School's production of The Winter's Tale (Act 4, Scene 2).
Both groups and Orion will represent Otago at the Shakespeare Globe Centre National University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, in Wellington in June.
