Hobbiton hosts Beer Festival on 13 November 2026
Published on 10/24/2026 at 17:28 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSBeer festival programme and setting
- Hobbiton Beer Festival takes place on 13 and 14 November 2026 at The Shire's Rest and the Matamata Information Centre.
- The event combines a guided walk through the 12-acre set with the Green Dragon Inn and a Party Marquee programme.
- Hobbiton began tours in 2002 after filming activity on the Alexander farm near Matamata.
Hobbiton (Hobbiton Movie Set) will host the Hobbiton Beer Festival on 13 and 14 November 2026 near Matamata, New Zealand. The operator has scheduled a guided walk through the film set, followed by an evening programme at the Green Dragon Inn and the Party Marquee.
Hobbiton Beer Festival brings a set tour and evening programme
The operator lists the special event for Friday 13 November and Saturday 14 November 2026. Departures are available from The Shire's Rest at 501 Buckland Road in Hinuera, or from the Matamata Information Centre at 45 Broadway.
The programme begins with a guided walking tour that passes Bag End, the interiors of a Hobbit Hole on Bagshot Row and the Stone Trolls. Guests then go to the Green Dragon Inn before continuing to the Party Marquee for a buffet meal and entertainment. The organiser also states that the event is restricted to people aged 18 and over.
The official festival programme identifies both dates, the two departure points and the route through the set. It also says that transport returns guests to their original departure location after the programme.
Hobbiton turns film history into a festival route
The attraction occupies a 12-acre section of the Alexander family farm, a working sheep and beef property outside Matamata. The operator says location scouts found the farm in 1998 while searching for settings for Sir Peter Jackson's film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's stories.
Construction began in March 1999, and filming started later that year. Guided tours began in 2002, while the permanent version of the set was created for The Hobbit films after Peter Jackson returned to the farm in 2009.
That history gives the November programme a route through several parts that define the visitor experience. The festival starts with the set's hills and hobbit holes, then moves to the reconstructed Green Dragon Inn, which the operator presents as a central stop before the evening gathering.
The New Zealand tourism board profile also places the festival at the Green Dragon Inn and describes its combination of a set tour, drinks and a themed gathering.
From Alexander farm to a permanent visitor attraction
The wider farm covers 1,250 acres and lies in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. The site was used for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, and the operator now runs guided visits rather than independent access.
The main route links named features including Bag End, Bagshot Row, the Mill, the double-arch bridge and the Green Dragon Inn. For the November festival, those familiar locations form part of a single evening itinerary rather than a standard visit alone.
Visiting Hobbiton: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Hobbiton Beer Festival takes place on 13 and 14 November 2026 at The Shire's Rest or the Matamata Information Centre.
- Access to the festival includes a guided walking tour and coach transfers; the operator states that the event is for visitors aged 18 and over.
- The attraction is at 501 Buckland Road, Hinuera, near Matamata, with an alternative departure from 45 Broadway in Matamata.
- The route covers a 12-acre film set on working farmland and includes Bag End, Bagshot Row, the Green Dragon Inn and the Party Marquee.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Hobbiton on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Hobbiton
When does the Hobbiton Beer Festival take place at Hobbiton?
The festival takes place on 13 and 14 November 2026, with departures from The Shire's Rest or the Matamata Information Centre.
What is Hobbiton?
It is a permanent film-set attraction on the Alexander family farm near Matamata, where The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films were made.
Where is Hobbiton and how do you get there?
The attraction is at 501 Buckland Road, Hinuera, near Matamata. Festival visitors can also begin at the Matamata Information Centre at 45 Broadway.
