Southland Beer, Wine and Wild Food Festival

It’s enough to make a hipster’s beard bristle with excitement.

Southland Beer, Wine and Wild Food Festival, the world’s southern-most craft beer, wine, and food festival, bursts into life each year showcasing Southland’s unique brand of laidback sophistication.

Whether you’re a craft aficionado scribbling beer ratings, or a first-timer taking that brave step into a crisp, dry pilsner, Southland Beer, Wine and Wild Food Festival has you covered.

The festival is masterminded by transplanted Scots, Kev and Chris, who have helped transform Invercargill into a must-discover craft beer haven.

The city hums on the festival weekend with tap takeovers and tastings on offer at bars and restaurants in the central city – where you might even get an audience with your favourite brewer.

Next event date: TBC 2024
Location: Invercargill
Keen to learn more: hopnvine.co.nz

When you hit the festival floor you become one with the laidback, relaxed vibe – groups of people smiling and yarning, or sitting back and taking it all in, pondering their next taste adventure.

You’ll love its homegrown nature with Southland’s craft breweries and finest food producers lining up to let you in on their little secrets. All made right here.

A fiesta of mouth-watering food options awaits you, serving up contemporary street fare, to match the mind-boggling range of craft beers, ciders, Central Otago wines and champagnes on offer. Oh, and did we mention, there’s a gin bar.

Embrace the challenge of hop-packed ales, dark, rich stouts, and refreshing pilsners. Savour hints of mango, passionfruit and chocolate – maybe even throw your palate a sour beer curveball. 

Legendary breweries like Behemoth, Garage Project and Epic pitch their latest creations alongside new brews from NZ’s best-emerging breweries. 

It’s the catch-up you’ve been meaning to have for ages – everyone’s here.

The entertainment’s not too shabby either. There’s everything you’d expect to get your head nodding, but with Southland Beer, Wine and Wild Food Festival there’s always more – did somebody say all-male choir?

Throw your hat into the fancy-dress competition, with a different theme each year. 

Brew your own beer? Why not sign-up for the much-coveted homebrew competition. 

And if you feel like kicking on afterwards, there’s always the after-party with a DJ, and more cracking craft beer selections to whet the appetite even further.

We even found a review on this thing called the internet to convince you: “It’s an EPIC day. Well set up. Great selection. Amazing food. Definitely go again.” Thanks Tania!

Southland Beer, Wine and Wild Food Festival serves up a delicious taste of the south, but why stop there?

Explore the region that inspires our brewers and food producers, from the rugged coastline of The Catlins, the bright lights of Invercargill, the starry skies of Stewart Island/Rakiura and the majestic wilderness of Fiordland.

Say no more, you’re in. We know.

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