Aucklanders will have a plethora of new experiences to check out at Elemental AKL festival 2023. Starting on the 20th of July, every suburb in the city will have something going down nearby. There's incredible food, musical performances, and stunning art experiences.
We're giving you five recommendations that should hit the spot, hopefully, you'll enjoy at least one of these!
Garden Smoke and Fire
Friday 21 July
Start your weekend off right by heading out of the city to Muriwai’s Good from Scratch Cookery School, where renowned Kiwi chef Michael Van de Elzen will demonstrate how to prepare a pork belly to be cooked over a fire, including a lesson on cold and hot smoking. Then, head on a tour of the kitchen gardens before you enjoy your two-course lunch overlooking the stunning Muriwai Valley.
Winetopia
21 – 22 July
Winetopia is a wine and food lover's dream, featuring more than 50 wineries, and over 30 talks, tasting and masterclasses over two days. The Auckland event at the Viaduct Events Centre features Colin Fassnidge, expert Restaurateur and My Kitchen Rules judge, along with an exclusive sommelier session to teach you how to pair wine and food thanks to Gaggenau. Head along and find your new fave wine.
Howick Culinary Caper
Saturday 5 August
Experience a new side of Auckland’s historic suburb with the culinary caper. You’ll walk between three of Howick’s finest dining establishments, eating a different course at each, to create the perfect evening exploration of the East Auckland suburb’s culinary scene.
Lincoln's Table Feast of Legends
20 July - August
This tasty four-part series events is designed to take you behind the scenes of some of Auckland’s best restaurants. The ‘Living legends’ series focuses on the talented chefs working to make each restaurant great. Each chef will showcase their favourite dishes, alongside the stories that make the food important, and entertaining from their culture. You can experience a Thai feast with Aranya’s feast, a Filipino feast with Jessabel’s feast, a Punjabi feast with Jaswinder’s feast and a Brazilian feast with Reginaldo’s feast.
Art Wine and Dine at Brick Bay
20 July and 23 July
Head up to Brick Bay and make art from your food. At this local vineyard, you’ll make use of the expansive kitchen garden, using natural plant pigments and native dyes from the garden to learn about the plants and their uses, alongside an introduction to Matariki. Follow that up with a relaxed, luxurious three-course lunch designed to connect you to the whenua.
Of course, there are load more arts, eats, and beats happening throughout the Elemental AKL festival. From 20 July – 6 August 2023, festivalgoers can experience art, food, music, and activities in an ever-growing programme of free and ticketed events across Auckland. Check out www.aucklandnz.com/elemental for more deets.
