Two-Day Meat Festival Meatstock Is Heading Back for Its Third Year

Attracting more than 10,000 meatheads at the last two events, Meatstock will return to Auckland for two days of animal celebration and extreme protein consumption next February.

Part meat expo, part music festival, the event will feature things like a gladiator-style barbecue cook-off, a show down where talented butchers show off their knifemanship on animal framework and a cooking throw-down using a traditional backyard barbie. Over 50 teams from across New Zealand have already signed up to show off their skill behind the grill.

Helping punters get their meat fix will be Ponsonby pit smokers Miss Moonshines, low 'n' slow food truck Dixie Barbecue, sausage aficionados Black Stag Deli, Aloisio Brazilian BBQ, Southern Meat Kitchen, Big Smoke BBQ Co. and more.

Esteemed pitmaster Jess Pryles will make an appearance to run cooking demonstrations at the festival. Hailing from Australia, Pryles co-founded the Australasian Barbecue Alliance and has released meat-inspired book Hardcore Carnivore. Also on the meaty demonstrator lineup: Ants Franklin, Jared Macdonald and Big Willy.

Music is also a key element of the festival and a specially curated stage is expected to showcase the best in blues, country, rock 'n' roll and everything in between.

Meatstock 2018 will take place at ASB Showgrounds from 16-17th February. For more information and tickets, visit the Meatstock website.