Nigella Lawson heading to Invercargill

There are three price categories for a table of 10 - $5995, $4995, $3995. Photo / Getty

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson is heading to Invercargill early next year for a gala dinner, beating the likes of Christchurch and Dunedin for the hosting rights.

Between 800 and 900 people are expected to flock to ILT Stadium Southland on January 26, where the UK cooking star will take part in a corporate dinner event centred on a four course meal.

It is being put on by Duco Events and is the 55-year-old's second stop in her whirlwind tour of New Zealand.

A similar gala dinner will take place the day before at the Langham Hotel in Auckland.

Duco chief executive Martin Snedden told the Herald this afternoon that the gala dinner will celebrate Kiwi food and wine, with Nigella talking and entertaining guests along the way.

He said Invercargill and Stadium Southland were chosen after they successfully hosted the Joseph Parker boxing event earlier this year.

Mr Snedden believed the two gala dinner locations - near the top of the North Island and bottom of the South - would see people travelling from other centres to be there.

He was confident Invercargill locals would get in behind the dinner as well.

There are three price categories for a table of 10 - $5995, $4995, $3995.

Individual seats cost $499 or $399.