# Hokitika Wildfoods Festival 2027: West Coast Group Notes > The Hokitika Wildfoods Festival is on 13 March 2027 at Cass Square. Tickets, transport and notes for West Coast groups. Source: https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-11-01-hokitika-wildfoods-festival-2027-west-coast-groups/ Events 1 November 2026 · Explera Trade Desk · 3 min read ![Burger patties cooking on a steaming flat grill](https://www.explera.co.nz/assets/photos/grilling-process-preparing-meat-cutlets-burgers-cheeseburger-cutlet_1321-4392-1400.webp) **Short answer:** The Hokitika Wildfoods Festival is on Saturday 13 March 2027 at Cass Square, Hokitika, on the West Coast of the South Island. Westland District Council confirmed the date in April 2026. Gates open at 10:30 am, the festival runs rain or shine, and buses from Greymouth and from Fox Glacier and Franz Josef must be booked in advance. The Wildfoods Festival celebrates wild food and the people of the West Coast, and the organisers say it has run for 36 years. This briefing is for travel agents and tour operators who want to put a group in Hokitika on festival day, or who simply need to know that the town will be busy that weekend. ## When and where is the Wildfoods Festival in 2027? - **Date.** Saturday 13 March 2027, confirmed by Westland District Council on 21 April 2026. - **Venue.** Cass Square, within walking distance of central Hokitika. - **Gates.** Open at 10:30 am on the Saturday, according to the festival's ticket page. - **Weather.** The organisers say the festival goes ahead rain or shine. - **Food.** The festival names whitebait, venison, wild pork and huhu grubs, plus vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices from many stallholders. ![Two women buying food at an outdoor street-food stall](https://www.explera.co.nz/assets/photos/side-view-women-buying-food_23-2149461678-1400.webp) *Two women buying food at an outdoor street-food stall* ## What do tickets cost? Prices on the festival's ticket page when we checked, in NZD: - **Earlybird general admission.** $40, limited numbers. - **Gate price on the day.** $65 for adults and $20 for youth aged 12 to 17. - **VIP ticket.** $250, with access to a VIP tent; VIP tables of up to 10 are available. - **Local tickets.** A $30 ticket is limited to West Coast locals and sold only at West Coast i-SITEs, so it does not apply to visiting groups. Tickets are non-refundable. The event is all ages, but children under 16 must be with an adult. We confirm prices and child entry with the organisers before quoting, because the festival's pages give different ages for free child entry. ## How does a group get there and where does it stay? - **Buses.** The organisers say buses run to Hokitika from Greymouth and from Fox Glacier and Franz Josef, and that bookings are essential. We book these, or run our own coach, well ahead. - **Rooms.** Hokitika is a small town and fills on festival weekend. We hold rooms in Hokitika, Greymouth or the glacier towns with clear release dates as soon as a group is likely. - **Driving.** Hokitika sits between Greymouth and Franz Josef on State Highway 6; see our [driving times guide](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-10-new-zealand-driving-times-distances-coach-days/). - **Rain plans.** West Coast weather changes quickly, so we build a covered alternative into the day; see our [weather contingency guide](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-12-new-zealand-itinerary-weather-contingency-groups/). ![Weathered tree stumps on a sandy beach beside a calm sea](https://www.explera.co.nz/assets/photos/dead-trunks-beach_1204-410-1400.webp) *Weathered tree stumps on a sandy beach beside a calm sea* ## What else is on that weekend? The same Saturday, Bruno Mars plays Eden Park in Auckland and Crankworx Rotorua runs from 10 to 14 March 2027, as our [February and March 2027 events briefing](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-12-new-zealand-february-march-2027-events-group-planning/) explains. A group touring both islands that week meets busy towns in three places at once. ## How Explera DMC New Zealand can help We are the [Hokitika DMC](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/hokitika/) for travel agents and tour operators, and we pair the festival with [Franz Josef Glacier](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/franz-josef/), [Greymouth](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/greymouth/) and the coast road covered in our [West Coast briefing](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-12-west-coast-punakaiki-hokitika-groups/). See also our [group booking lead times guide](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-13-new-zealand-group-booking-lead-times-huts-rooms-ferries/). ## FAQ **When is the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival in 2027?** On Saturday 13 March 2027, as confirmed by Westland District Council. **Where is the Wildfoods Festival held?** At Cass Square, within walking distance of central Hokitika on the West Coast. **What time do the gates open?** At 10:30 am on the Saturday, according to the festival's ticket page. **Is the Wildfoods Festival suitable for families?** It is an all-ages event, but children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. **How do groups get to Hokitika for the festival?** By coach, or on festival buses from Greymouth and from Fox Glacier and Franz Josef, which must be booked in advance. ## Sources - [Hokitika Wildfoods Festival 2027 date confirmed](https://westlanddc.govt.nz/notices-news-and-events/hokitika-wildfoods-festival-2027-date-confirmed/), Westland District Council, 21 April 2026 - [Wildfoods Festival](https://www.wildfoods.co.nz/), organisers' site (home, tickets and info pages), checked 1 November 2026 ## Talk to the trade desk Explera DMC New Zealand trade desk — b2b@explera.co.nz, WhatsApp +66 93 656 8090, B2B portal [b2b.expleradmc.com](https://b2b.expleradmc.com). Destinations in this briefing [Hokitika](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/hokitika/)[Greymouth & Lake Brunner](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/greymouth/)[Fox Glacier & Lake Matheson](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/fox-glacier/)[Franz Josef Glacier](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/franz-josef/)[Auckland](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/auckland/)[Rotorua](https://www.explera.co.nz/destinations/rotorua/) Work with our New Zealand DMC [New Zealand DMC](https://www.explera.co.nz/)[New Zealand DMC services](https://www.explera.co.nz/services/) ## Talk to the trade desk *Your New Zealand DMC partner* From a single FIT to series groups and full MICE programmes, every New Zealand proposal is costed by hand against your brief at net rates. Request a quote with the form, or send your requirements as a new email with a descriptive subject line. [Request a quote](https://www.explera.co.nz/contact-us/#quote) [Register on the B2B platform](https://b2b.expleradmc.com/web/signup) [b2b@explera.co.nz](mailto:b2b@explera.co.nz) [WhatsApp +66 93 656 8090](https://wa.me/66936568090) ## More from the trade blog. *Keep reading* [All posts](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/) [Subscribe via RSS](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/rss.xml) - [American Airlines Dallas–Auckland Season: US Group Notes](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-30-american-airlines-dallas-auckland-season-us-groups/) - [Bridge Pa Wine Festival 2027: Hawke's Bay Wine Groups](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-30-bridge-pa-wine-festival-2027-hawkes-bay-groups/) - [Flesh-Footed Shearwaters: Hauraki Gulf Fishing Day Notes](https://www.explera.co.nz/blog/2026-10-30-flesh-footed-shearwaters-hauraki-gulf-fishing-groups/)