New Zealand’s COVID-19 Protection Framework (traffic lights) has now ended.  However, we still recognize that Covid remains active in the community, so whilst there are no mandated restrictions, we do ask that:

* Stay at home if you're feeling unwell

* you still need to isolate if you test positive, but not if your are a household contact

* continue to practice good hygiene practice to keep yourself and everyone else as safe as possible.

You can navigate your way around the many delights on offer using our digital festival site - you're on it right now. By the time the festival rolls around, you will be able to check out the full range of vendors, where they are on site, and most importantly what they have to offer. You'll also be able to like your faves as you make your way around the Festival.

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My Festival launches just before the Festival, when we have the full range of what's on offer in our mits!

You're on it right now. Simply navigate around this site on your mobile device when you're in attendance on the day. It's got all the info you need from site map, to who's playing when & where, plus a full list of what's on offer both beverage and culinary wise under the My Festival section.

By the time the festival arrives we will have all the details listed on this site. To find out what food, beers, etc are on offer, just head to the My Festival section of this website.

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Head up to the 'Menu' top left hand corner and you're almost home and dry.

The festival is a cashless environment. You can top your wristband up with either cash or EFTPOS , and then purchase by swiping your wristband with any of our vendors.  Please note there is a one-off activation fee when you first top-up your wristband.

There are multiple top up stations onsite, all will be clearly sign posted and labelled on our festival map. There will also be staff floating throughout the site in branded red his-vis tops who can assist with top ups.

Top Up will finish at 7pm, one hour prior to the close of the Festival, however you will be able to do last-minute top ups via the mobile staff in red his-vis tops until the festival ends. Last pours are at 7:30pm, half an hour before close, but you can keep on eating right until the end.

Toping up is 100% flexible, from $1 to $1,000 to give you exactly what you want. What you don’t spend you can be claimed back after the event, or donated to our charity partner.

You can action a refund at the festival via one of the top up stations onsite, or do it online via AWOP’s website for up to one week after the festival.

Alternatively, you can donate your remaining credit to our charity partner by dropping your wristband into a bucket as you exit the festival.

The sky is the limit!

From $1 to $1000, topping up is 100% flexible to give you exactly what you want! 

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And what you don’t spend you can get re-credited, or donate to our Festival Charity. Check out the Charity page of this site to see who our chosen local charity is this year.

You can definitely get a refund if you don’t use all your credit on your digital wristband.

You can either:

• Do it on the day of the event at the onsite Top Up Bank for free. 
• Or you can do it online through WAYVER's website  for up to 2 weeks post festival. Fees may apply.
• Or, alternatively, you can donate your remaining credit to our Festival Charity as you exit the festival.  Representatives will be present to assist you!

‍Just make sure you don’t throw your band away, you will need the unique code written on the back.

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As many as the stall's duty manager feels safe/suitable to serve you with. There may be a restriction put on the number of pours purchased per transactions as we progress through the festival.

Oops! You can purchase a new cup for $3 from the Coat Check stand, or the Tuning Fork bar.

Last drinks are poured at 7:30pm, with Food Sales ceasing at 8pm when the Festival closes. So make sure you’ve sampled everything you want to prior to this time.

The festival beer is the previous year’s Homebrew Competition.  
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The 2021 winning entry was an Imperial Empire (Foreign Extra Stout), submitted by Mark Whatmough. You’ll have the chance to sample the flavours and tones of this brew for yourself at this year’s festival, as Mark has won the chance to brew it on commercial brewing equipment alongside our great mates at Behemoth.

Cheers Markfor providing the official Festival Brew for the 2022 Auckland Craft Beer & Food Festival! 

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Sorry, but nope!

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We don’t have an off-venue license, so anything purchased at the festival must be consumed at the festival.  

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But many of our breweries/distilleries have online shops, so check them out post event.

This event is first and foremost more about beer  tasting, than hard out beer drinking. With so many excellent breweries offering their wares, we recommend you branch out and try a whole spectrum of different beers!

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Remember to drink plenty of water throughout your stay as well.

Friday, the limit is four drinks per transaction. If you can carry more than this, we'd be pretty impressed.

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Saturday. Go for it, carry as many as you feel physically possible, though the the stall's duty manager might help you out and impose a limit to stop any spillages occurring.

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On either day, we may limit the number of drinks per person per transaction if we felt the need to at any point during the Festival.  

75ml is a taster measure

100ml for wine pours

150ml for HALF pour

330ml is for FULL pours. 

We have a great range of alternatives to beer at our festival. ‍

We are first and foremost a Craft Beer and Food Festival. So our main focus is on Beer.

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But, there are plenty of other wares and fares on offer. This includes numerous wine and cider options, a wee dram of spirits, or a cheeky cocktail, as well as juice, coffee and soft drinks if you’re not drinking alcohol on the day or just need a breather.

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And then of course the free water stations scattered throughout the festival. Keep hydrated, last the distance and enjoy your day!

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Absolutely! That’s one of our main goals, and we aim to have lots of special beers at our festival that you can’t find on store shelves. Ask previous attendees and they’ll confirm that our brewers bring the goods for this event. 

The My Festival section of this website details all stalls, and what they will be selling.

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But as the majority of our brewers, chefs, etc are still preparing what they they will be bringing along to the Festival, this info won't available until much closer to the Festival date.

Definitely! Everyone should be catered for.

We have a range of vegetarian and gluten free options. To make it really easy for you, we’ve indicated in the Food section of the My Festival section of this website which stalls have vegetarian fare and/or gluten free, or other dietary goodies.

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As many of our chefs are still preparing what they they will be bringing along to the Festival, this info won't available until much closer to the Festival date.

There are free water stations scattered throughout the festival site.  So, we encourage you to swill your Festival cup out, and then refill with bountiful freshwater. 

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Keep hydrated, last the distance and enjoy your day.

We're working on it, but all in good time! Once finalised, site map will be loaded onto the Festival Info page of this website.

Smoking and Vaping is only permitted within the designated smoking/vaping areas, accessible through the atrium beside Coat Check. Head back towards the entry gates, and you’ll find directions from there.

There will be plenty of taxis available to take you home safely. These will be located outside Gate C (where you entered the Arena), on Mahuhu Crescent. There are also dedicated Uber pick up zone outside the event, and Britomart train station is just a short walk away.

The festival runs from 1pm – 8pm on Saturday 18th March. Don’t be too late, you don’t want to miss our incredible line-up of entertainment, tasting sessions, plus so much more.

If you do happen to misplace any of your things throughout the day, we have a dedicated area where you can go to be reunited with your stuff! The Coat Check area will have lost and found, as well as our coat check service, so be sure to check here before you leave if you have lost anything. If you find yourself without your jacket after you get home, flick our team an email on info@aucklandbeerfestival.co.nz and we’ll do our best to hunt it out for you!

Yes! Mobility parking is on Te Taou Crescent on your right, just before the gravel park as you head towards the guardhouse. Disabled toilets are also available inside.

Yes, there will be a kid's area! Please bear in mind this is not a crèche, but an area with some kids focused activities. You will need to fill in a wristband for your child, and stay within the outdoor Plaza area while your child is playing. But remember, all patrons entering the festival need a valid ticket, including the wee ones. There are a limited number of U18 tickets available. For the event.

Absolutely!

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All vendors will be using compostable packaging products such as plates and utensils and all beverage vendors will be pouring into the official festival glass. With these measures, along with clearly labelled bins, and utilisation of a robust recycling system, we hope to produce minimal waste.  

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Please help us with this by using the right bins!

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If you don’t want to keep your festival glass at the end of the day, just pop it in the labelled bin and they will be sent back to a recycling facility to be given a new life somewhere else.

We encourage patrons to have a designated driver to get you home at the end of the event.