Noosa Sets the Table with Noosa Food + Wine Festival
Four delicious days, world-class chefs, local stars on the plate and in the kitchen and a fresh chapter for Noosa’s favourite culinary celebration. Deb Caruso taste tests the 2026 Noosa Food & Wine Festival.
Noosa Food & Wine Festival returns this June and, with many early release tickets already snapped up, the rush to secure a place at Australia’s most coveted coastal dining celebration is intensifying.
Since its launch in 2003, the festival has been the event that food lovers plan their year around. And this year the anticipation feels sharper, brighter and more indulgent with new, once-in-a-lifetime signature events and chances for close encounters with culinary royalty.
The shift back to the original name, Noosa Food & Wine, marks a moment of renewal, restoring a name that has long been woven into the region’s story of sunshine, sophistication and effortless coastal elegance. The decision reflects a festival stepping confidently into its future while honouring the legacy that shaped its past with Festival Director John Guise saying the change felt like a natural development for those who have helped build the event.
“The name carries deep meaning for chefs, winemakers, producers and loyal festival goers alike. Bringing it back is about celebrating that legacy and pride in a shared culinary story,” he says.
And celebrate we will with 18 events in the Restaurant Series, seven Signature Events and the American Express Festival Village on Saturday 13 June.
Tickets for the Festival Village are selling fast so don’t miss your chance to enjoy 10 hours of DJs, live music and cooking demonstrations across the Village Pavilion, Main Stage and Culinary Stage. Be welcomed with canapés and a cocktail or mocktail in a souvenir Noosa Food & Wine Festival glass and get ready to feast with more than 40 bars and eateries and full access to all lounge spaces, including the Premium Lounge and Village Pavilion.
Upgrade your experience with an interactive ticket to one (or several) of the Culinary Stage sessions for front row seating and samples. Starting at under $25 and with limited numbers, they will sell out quickly! Be smart with a $25 return ticket on the shuttle bus between Noosa, Peregian Beach, Coolum Beach and Sunshine Plaza!
The Official Opening Party on Noosa Main Beach remains one of the most anticipated moments of the weekend with bold, authentic Italian flavours from Guy Grossi, the unmatched flair of South African Braai-master Warren Mendes, and an interactive seafood bar from Lucio’s Marina. Live DJs and premium beverages in marquee comfort and open-air beachfront beauty – stunning!
The beach will become a French bistro on Sunday for the Le Bistro, La Plage: French Beachside Lunch Signature Event with chef Ben Williamson, the visionary behind The French Exit as well as Biànca, hôntô, and sAme sAme; alongside chef Ben Cross of Bali’s renowned Bar Vera.
If cruising is more your style, get your gourmet groove on for Catalina x Florcita: An Afternoon Afloat aboard the Catalina with Bandita’s Jason Jones, Florcita Tequila, live DJ and stunning scenery.
Closing out the Signature Events and providing the final fling on Sunday is The Festival Sundowner – three hours of continuous canapés, beverages and live music as the sun and the fun sets on the 2026 event.
Across the weekend, the program cooks up intimate lunches, coastal dinners and riverfront experiences through the 18 restaurant events – each one as different and delicious as the other.
Kicking off on Thursday night is La Soirée Riviera at Flo’s, a four-course shared dinner with 13 dishes celebrating the coastal cuisine of southern France -c’est bon!
We’re torn for the tastiest Friday lunch between Bandita x Byrdi, a five-course, five-cocktail journey; and Park & Cove: Global Pairings with five chefs from five countries dishing up their signature style with wine pairings that celebrates culture, craftsmanship and connection. Decisions! Decisions!
And we don’t want to miss Saturday night’s The Woodshed Kin Kin x The Dining Room, a 7-course collaborative dinner between Head Chef Oscar Holgado and Nick McGonigal, Executive Chef at The Dining Room in one of the most stunning settings.
Sunday’s standout lunch without doubt is Rickys x Essa: A Collaborative Long Lunch where fire meets freshness for an unforgettable six-course journey.
There are more delectable delights to be explored and they will sell out, so be quick to secure your seat.
The calibre of chefs, producers and venues shaping this year’s flavour-driven journey is outstanding.
Each event is shaped by the same sense of exclusivity that has defined the festival since its earliest years, offering guests the chance to experience world-class dining in settings that feel both relaxed and refined.
We’re here for it!
NOOSA FOOD + WINE
11 to 14 June 2026
American Express Festival Village, Saturday 13 June 2026
40+ bars and eateries, lounge spaces, culinary stage and live entertainment
Seven Signature Events +
18 Restaurant Series Events
Visit www.noosafoodandwine.com.au secure your seat at the table!
