The Cook-a-thon has become a victim of its own success, the organisers say.
"It's got so big, next year we are going to have get a bit more involvement with the authorities, like actually sit down and plan things with the [Dunedin City Council] and the police," the owner of the Captain Cook Tavern, which hosts the day-long drinking event, Richard McLeod, said.
Police said portable toilets would be a requirement at the next Cook-a-thon, in the north end of Dunedin, after people waiting in the queue urinated in the area outside the bar and dirtied neighbouring businesses' toilets.
At the recent event, people started queuing along Great King St at 7.30am for the 10am start.
No toilets outside the bar were provided by the event's organisers.
By noon, about 500 people were inside the tavern, which can hold up to 650 people, while 200 waited outside to get in.
Mr McLeod acknowledged portable toilets would be needed for the next Cook-a-thon in February.
Dunedin liquor licensing co-ordinator Sergeant Wayne Pitcaithly said while the tavern had "done everything by the book" and was not required to provide portable toilets, there had been some complaints about the mess created by people urinating in the general area.
