Hops, Hazies And 4,636m² Of Beer Heaven - Beervana Returns To Wellington

Wellington, 18 August 2025 - Wellington’s Sky Stadium will turn into a beer lover’s playground this weekend when Beervana rolls into town, complete with brews featuring green tree ants and ginger crunch biscuits.

Now in its 24th year, Beervana has grown into a landmark annual event for the beer industry and fans alike. It kicks off with the biggest beer tradeshow in New Zealand, where breweries get to pour their beers for up to 350 invited buyers from across the country on Thursday, followed by four public sessions across Friday and Saturday.

Festival Director Ryan McArthur is expecting to clock close to 30,000 steps a day, as he welcomes more than 60 local and international brewers and upwards of 12,000 punters from across the country – and the globe – to ‘beer heaven’.

“It’s not just Wellingtonians who come to Beervana; on average, almost half of all attendees travel from outside the region, pouring millions into the capital over the weekend,” he says.

Here’s what you might not know about Beervana 2025:

1. Oldest brewery: Emerson’s – pouring pints for more than 30 years
2. Youngest brewer: Twofold – opened just last year
3. Longest trek in NZ: Altitude Brewing & Crimson Badger from Queenstown
4. Furthest overall: Sevenbrau from South Korea
5. Most popular styles: IPAs and hazy pale ales lead the pack, followed by imperial stouts and German pale lagers
6. Biggest beer floor: 4,636 m² of Sky Stadium
7. Reusable cups:10,000 - taken home, or cleaned and reused next year
8. Crowd size: 12,500 - 15,500 people across four sessions
9. From near and far: 45 per cent of attendees come from outside Wellington; around 8 per cent from overseas
10. Waste wizardry: 90% of waste is diverted from landfill.

McArthur says Beervana’s reputation as the home of beer creativity inspires brewers to push boundaries every year.

“Every year, we see brewers treat their taps - and their stands - like blank canvases. In the past, we’ve had beers made from rescued bananas, boba and pumpkin pie hazies… they’ll brew something just for Beervana that you may never see again and create an experience for punters that won’t be repeated. It’s a playground for beer lovers and a chance for brewers to show just how far beer can be taken,” he says.

65 trophy and medal-winning beers from the 2025 NZ Beer Awards will be available this weekend. The full beer list is available here.

Beervana runs Friday 22 August (11 am - 4 pm and 6 pm –11 pm) and Saturday 23 August (11 am - 4 pm and 6 pm –11 pm). Tickets are on sale now with some sessions selling fast. You can grab yours at beervana.co.nz

About Beervana

Beervana, proudly presented by LiquorLand, is New Zealand’s ultimate celebration of good beer. This two-day festival at Wellington’s Sky Stadium is back for 2025, taking place 22-23 August 2025. Beervana exists to celebrate and promote the New Zealand good beer sector and encourage people to support the local brewing industry. It is a unique festival that focuses on beer, is inclusive, safe, and a whole lot of fun. Fans know to expect the unexpected at Beervana. Every year, Beervana draws beer lovers from across the country - and the globe - showing that even in challenging times, great beer still brings people together.

Beervana is brought to you by the Wellington Culinary Events Trust, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting our local hospitality and national brewing industries.

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