Some 150 breweries attended the 2025 Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Photos / Amanda Konijn and Alex Lovell-Smith
Some 150 breweries attended the 2025 Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Photos / Amanda Konijn and Alex Lovell-Smith
Under the dome of Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin’s annual celebration of beer, food, and summer swagger returned bigger, bolder and sweatier than ever. Nearly 12,000 punters streamed in over two days for the 2025 Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival. Ben Tomsett reports from the fray.
Working in media hasits perks, one of them being the occasional free ticket to something fun.
By midday Saturday, Forsyth Barr Stadium sweltered under a high of 24C as thousands made their way to the 2025 Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival.
My linen shirt clung to my back and did little to ward off the heat, but I joined the throng of locals and visitors alike anyway.
Street posters set up what you’re in for: 150 beers from across Aotearoa and more than 75 food vendors, though my own culinary ambitions were thwarted by new ceramic braces and zero patience for the necessary cleaning ritual in a public bathroom.
Bad behaviour is not accepted here, or so I was warned.
Mess around and they’ll take you by the ankles and toss you into the harbour, your mug may be immortalised in the local paper under the headline “Avoid this person at all costs”.
Inside the stadium, the festival hits like a sensory overload: loud, high-energy, the scent of smoked, grilled, fried and sauteed meats permeates the air.
It doesn’t take long to realise you’re surrounded by good people operating on a collectively high vibration.
Tiki Taane was one of the performers at this year's Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival. Photo / Amanda Konijn and Alex Lovell-Smith
The hundreds of brews beckoned from stalls and tents, a procession of hops, malts and fruit-infused whispers that demand attention.
Glenorchy Brew Co., Arc Brewing, Boneface Brewing, No.19 Brewing Company, Emerson’s, Rudd House Brewing Co., and that old staple, The Speights Ale House, were among the many hawking their wares.
For the non-beer drinkers, there were a plethora of other options, from gins to whiskeys, ciders to colas, and plenty of non-alcoholic options.
The Tasting Room, planted smack in the centre of the field, offered an immersive experience, a chance to sit and let the flavours and aromas wash over you.
I missed it, but a reliable source assures me it was exceptional.
I wandered, recyclable plastic cup in hand, past the myriad rows of food vendors, stopping briefly for a margarita that felt almost criminal in its potency, followed by an espresso martini from Quick Brown Fox.
The pilsners (as reliable as always) were cold, crisp and deceptively dangerous.
Nearly 12,000 people attended the festival across two days. Photos / Amanda Konijn and Alex Lovell-Smith
At Rudd House Brewing, I was obligated to order a round of Elizabliss, due to my pal being its namesake.
The only trouble with such an event is running into a constant stream of faces you know – well, too well, or barely at all but just enough to force a smile, a nod and a brief conversation.
The occasional ex reminds you this is a very small city.
The creativity on display was astonishing.
Dr Richard Mitchell’s immersive culinary experience took attendees into the dark, cool bowels of the stadium, presenting what I am told is potato ice cream.
On the main stage, Gin Wigmore, Tiki Taane and Bootleg Rascal tore through sets while the Silent Disco and Backyard Stage kept the energy humming.
Skill, flair and generosity were everywhere.
Māori Point Wines, Curiosity Gin, Divergence NZ Whisky and ThunderDonk Whisky added sophistication to the festival’s palate, and a brief stop at ThunderDonk is a necessary cap to the day’s events.
By the end, it was clear: Dunedin’s (and the nation’s) craft beer scene is alive, unrepentant and dazzlingly creative – a fine ode to the good drink that has bound culture, class and creed for millennia.
The festival was supported by charity partners The Dunedin Night Shelter, KiwiHarvest and the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust, with the amount raised to be announced within a few days post-reconciliation.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.
