Event Info
About Dark Spirits
Get ready to raise a glass and celebrate the art of craft spirits at Dark Spirits - your chance to indulge in the best selection of whisky, rum, liqueurs, and more from New Zealand and beyond on Friday April 28th and Saturday April 29th. With three unique sessions to choose from, there's something for everyone. Experience the energy of live music at the Friday or Saturday night sessions, or discover the stories behind the bottles and meet the passionate makers behind them with our interactive Distiller Discussions talks during the Saturday day session.
Don't miss your chance to be part of this limited-ticket, sell-out event. With easy city drop off & pick up, fantastic outdoor areas, and a fabulous space to soak up the atmosphere, Dark Spirits is the ultimate destination for spirit enthusiasts and beginners alike!
Tickets for your preferred session are just $39 + Booking Fees, and include free tasters and a premium collector's glass. So gather your friends and secure your spot at Dark Spirits - the craft spirit event of the year!
Tickets Include
All of our distillers will have cocktails available for sale as well as free tasters.
After trying our distillers' products, bottles will also be available for purchase, so you can take home a bottle or two of your favourites to savour at home!
Delicious food will be available to purchase to go along with your drinks.
Bars close 30mins prior to session end time.
Our venue, Majestic on Durham, is the perfect place to relax, unwind, and enjoy the best showcase of spirits around. There will be delicious food available for purchase from Christchurch's best food vendors, awesome outdoor areas and plenty of space to hang out and soak up the atmosphere. With easy city drop-off and pickup and a fantastic atmosphere, this is an event you won't want to miss.
Choose Your Session
Friday evening session 5:00pm - 9:00pm
Kick start the weekend with the Dark Spirits Festival Friday night session with live music and a fun vibrant atmosphere!
Saturday day session 12:00noon - 4:00pm
Relax and enjoy the day, learn the stories behind the bottles with our Distiller Discussions.
Saturday evening session 5:00pm - 9:00pm
The party continues on Saturday night with live music!
Live Entertainment
(Fri & Sat Evening Sessions Only)
Nick & Dan Powerhouse 80s Duo
Nick and Dan are an acoustic duo from Christchurch that bring their own distinctive style and energy and get the night going with the perfect combination of modern blues, rock, and pop songs that hit the mark every time!
Nick and Dan's large repertoire of high energy hits and Nick's stage presence and vocals combined with Dan's Guitar work and electric foot stomper makes them a favourite at a number of Christchurch's favourite venues, winning over crowds time and time again.
Distiller Discussions
(Informative Talks - Sat Day Session Only)
We have the following informative and interactive discussions with our amazing distillers at the Saturday day session only:
12:45pm - Matt Brittan - Bourbon
1:30pm - Rough Hands - Applejack
2:15pm - Auld Distilling - Whisky
2:45pm - No. 8 - Absinthe and French Rums
Food Vendors
Food by Fire
Food by fire are industry leaders in epic, whole cuts cooked over flames, bringing the theatre with their 1960's vintage converted Bedford truck kitchen.
Rod Thomson started Base Pizza as a family-run business in the container mall following the Christchurch earthquakes. Now based in Little High Eatery, they’re also popping up anywhere off-the-grid with a fleet of Food by Fire catering trucks.
With a team of key chefs at the helm, the Food by Fire team now pumps out epic, flavour-driven food including pizza, Asado BBQ meats and Bootleg Burgers. The fire and Bedford BBQ setups are the star of the show and bring the flavour!
Food by Fire events get people talking, from pop-ups on New Regent Street, the Fire and Feast events and off-the-grid across the South Island at a plethora of private events big and small.
JAEJU
JAEJU translates to skill in Korean. At JAEJU we serve a Korean inspired menu made up of past memories while living in South Korea, including favourites like Korean fried Chicken, Bulgogi and Jayuk pork. You can find JAEJU at various markets and events around the South Island.
JAEJU was founded by couple Cian Curtin and Yebitna Hong who met in Queenstown in 2013. They then travelled to South Korea and the UK together. During their travels Cian worked in some top restaurants in the UK such as Etch in Hove and The Hardwood Arms in London as well as immersing himself in Korean culture and food while Yebitna returned to Seongnam to finish her studies.
After finishing up his most recent role as Head Chef in Hali Bar and Bistro Cian along with partner Yebitna have taken the plunge and started their new adventure JAEJU!
Where to go
Map
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Unfortunately not, please take care to select the correct session when purchasing your ticket.
We are cashless - credit/debit/EFTPOS cards only please.
Yes, some seating will be available. You cannot bring your own chairs into the venue.
No. But we have delicious food offerings available for purchase inside the event. We have details of the food vendors further up this page.
No pets are allowed. We of course allow service dogs.
We have secure storage for your retail purchases. These bottles will be kept safe until you collect them (see the map on your programme). When you have made a purchase your bottle will be placed into a bag and you will be given a ticket to present on your way out. Bottles are not to be opened on site.
We do not recommend that you drive to this event, however council parking is available on Durham Street. There is no parking provided by the venue.
No. Our liquor licence is strictly R18.
Yes, the venue is wheelchair accessible, but we do not provide wheelchairs.
Bars close 30mins prior to session end time.