Before you go: tickets
Early bird entry is $19.90 online until 10 November 2026; after that, tickets are $25 online, or $27 at the gate. Each ticket has its own QR code, shown on screen right away and emailed to you as soon as you pay. Children under 5 enter free, they just need their own free ticket booked in the same order as yours, so they get their own QR at the gate and nobody queues twice. Everyone 5 and over needs a paid ticket. All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST. A card service fee is added when you pay by card online, and you see it before you pay.
What your ticket includes
- Entry for the day, your choice of day.
- One courtesy drink for each day of entry, on tickets bought by 10 November 2026. A non alcoholic drink is always available; any alcoholic option depends on the special licence and is for guests 18 and over with photo ID only.
- A vote for the People's Pie, one vote per ticket each day.
Everything sits on your ticket QR. It scans once at the gate, and any courtesy drink, tokens and any specials are loaded onto that same QR, ready to spend at the stalls.
Leaving and coming back: because the QR scans once, plan a day as one visit. A 3 Day Pass works the same way, one entry on each of the three days. If you think you will need to step out, ask the crew at the gate before you go, not after.
How the pies work
Tokens are the pies: $7.50 each, one token gets you one bakery's signature pie at any stall. Every bakery brings exactly one signature pie, so the whole point of the day is to taste your way around and pick your favourites. Buy tokens with your ticket at checkout, or top up with a card in seconds at nzpiefest.co.nz/my, any time before or during the festival. Cash is accepted only at the festival office on site, which loads tokens onto the same QR. Some stalls also offer one extra special beyond their signature pie.
How many should you buy? One token is one pie, you can buy up to 50 in an order, and unused tokens are not refunded after the event, so buy as you go and top up when you want another.
Dietary and allergens
Dietary detail for each signature pie is published with the line up on 10 November, so you can plan before you come. On the day the crew at each stall can tell you exactly what is in their own pie.
A day that works for kids
The festival is built to be a relaxed summer weekend out. Under 5s are free, kids do not need their own tokens (share yours at the stall), and the site is the flat lawns of Frank Kitts Park. Please leave pets at home: the site is packed with food stalls, hot ovens and big crowds, so no pets are allowed. Certified assistance dogs are always welcome by law.
Getting around the site
Step free routes, accessible toilets and an accessible viewing area are all on site. If you need a hand with anything on the day, any crew member or the info point will sort you out. For buses, trains, the harbour ferry and parking, see the getting there guide.
What if the weather turns?
This is an outdoor summer festival and it goes ahead rain or shine. January is Wellington's sunniest, driest stretch of the year. If a day is ever cancelled for safety, that day is refunded under the cancellation policy.
Stay for the evening
The festival runs 10am to 10:30pm each day. Come for lunch, then settle in for the afternoon and evening. Drinks and the evening programme are being arranged now and are not confirmed yet. Full line up revealed 10 November.
Cast your vote before you leave
Your ticket includes one People's Pie vote each day of the festival. Rank your top five pies, favourite first, and help crown Wellington's best. How it all works is in the People's Pie guide.