The People's Pie: how Wellington crowns its best pie

Every bakery at NZ Pie Fest brings exactly one signature pie. The crowd tastes them all, votes, and the winning bakery takes the People's Pie crown home. Three days. One crown. Your vote.

What is the People's Pie?

The People's Pie is the festival's top honour, and it is decided by the people eating the pies, not by a closed judging panel. Famous New Zealand chefs join the festival to taste the pies alongside you and help crown the winner, but the vote itself belongs to the crowd. Whoever wins takes home the crown and the bragging rights that come with it.

How the vote works

Your ticket is your ballot. Every festival ticket includes a People's Pie vote. Your ticket code is on your ticket QR and in your ticket email.
Taste your way around. Signature pie tokens are $7.50, and one token gets you one bakery's signature pie at any stall, so you can genuinely try the field before you decide.
Rank your top five. When voting opens at the festival, go to nzpiefest.co.nz/vote, enter your ticket code and pick your top five pies in order, favourite first.
One vote per ticket each day. You can vote once per ticket on each day of the festival, so come back tomorrow and vote again.
Watch the leaderboard. After you vote you land on the live leaderboard and can watch the race for the crown move in real time.

Why one signature pie per bakery?

Because it makes the contest honest and the day delicious. Each bakery puts everything into a single pie, best pie bragging rights drive the bakers, and you can realistically taste every contender in one afternoon. That is the whole idea of the festival: one city, every pie worth trying, one crown.

Who is competing?

The full bakery line up, the visiting chefs on site and the tasting are announced by 10 November 2026 at 10pm. If you run a bakery and want your signature pie in the race, email office@nzpiefest.co.nz.

Be there when the crown is decided

NZ Pie Fest runs Friday 15 to Sunday 17 January 2027, 10am to 10:30pm each day, at Frank Kitts Park on the Wellington waterfront, with a licensed bar and live music and DJs into each evening. Planning tips are in the plan your day guide and travel options in the getting there guide.

Your vote needs a ticket

Early bird tickets are $19.90 online until 10 November 2026, then $21. One courtesy drink and your People's Pie vote are included.

Get tickets →