NZ’s iconic wine festival on hold after 41 years

New Zealand’s longest-running wine festival will not go ahead in 2027, with organisers placing the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival “on hold” after 41 years.

According to a report by Stuff, the festival, which celebrates Marlborough’s wine and food industry, was first held in 1985 when the region had just four wineries. The next event had been scheduled for February 13, 2027, but tickets had not yet gone on sale.

Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens described the decision as difficult, citing increasing challenges facing events across the country.

“Events are facing an incredibly challenging time across New Zealand, and we have seen those challenges reflected in the festival in recent years, Stuff has quoted.

“After careful consideration, it became clear that the substantial investment required to deliver the event in its current format is no longer the best fit with the organisation’s wider responsibilities,” as quoted by Stuff.

Pickens said the organisation needed to consider where it directed its resources carefully.

Wine Marlborough board chair Tracy Johnston said the decision had been made after weighing the festival’s value against the costs and resources required to stage it.

“It is our responsibility to act in the best interests of our members and ensure Marlborough continues to be recognised as the home of the world’s most distinctive and valued Sauvignon Blanc,” Johnston said, as quoted by Stuff.

“The Board has carefully considered the benefits of the festival alongside the significant investment and resources required to deliver it, and our wider responsibilities to the Marlborough wine industry.

“This gives us an opportunity to focus our activity on delivering value to members, while exploring alternative ways for the festival’s legacy to continue,” as quoted by Stuff.

Organisers said they were open to suggestions from the industry and community about how the event’s legacy could be maintained.

According to a report by Stuff, the festival had run for 36 consecutive years before the Covid-19 pandemic forced cancellations in 2021 and 2022. It returned in 2023 at a new venue, Renwick Domain, after previously being held at Brancott Vineyard for 33 years.

Marlborough remains the centre of New Zealand’s wine industry, producing about 84% of the country’s wine and accounting for more than 90% of its Sauvignon Blanc plantings.

The wine sector is also a major contributor to the regional economy, generating more than 20% of Marlborough’s GDP and supporting about one in five local jobs, Stuff has reported.