An insider’s guide to Australia’s best dining events, food festivals and things to do in 2026

From outdoor art installations in the summertime to cosy food festivals and one-off chef collaborations that draw us out of the house during the cooler months, the well of things to do in our cities never runs dry. So much so that it can feel a little daunting to know what to prioritise.

To help narrow the field, we’ve rounded up the best things to eat, drink, see and do around the country in 2026. Consider this your insider’s guide.

NSW, SYDNEY

Following its sold-out debut last year, RAFI North Sydney has given its glass Arbour a dramatic glow-up once more, turning it into an immersive winter dining destination complete with botanical installations, ambient lighting and this year, an exclusive Chef’s Kitchen experience. Seating just twelve guests in its private dining space, the experience includes personalised service with a share-style banquet menu starring top-quality wagyu and seasonal produce.

Diners can expect wagyu tartare with horseradish, eschalot and quail egg, fall-apart Westholme wagyu cheek with a garlic chive kimchi. Fermented black bean sauce, and charred toothfish with koji and charred lemon sals — all in an intimate, polished setting.

FAST FACTS

- Where: RAFI, 99 Mount St, North Sydney NSW - When: until 6 September

VIC, MELBOURNE

Melbourne’s favourite floating bar and restaurant is thawing out the winter chill, ready to re-emerge just in time for spring.

While it’s taken us to the electric Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro and the sun-drenched isle of Capri in recent years, this season it’s bringing the spirit of the glittering Greek islands to Melbourne. From Thursday August 27, guests can expect to find the Yarra River barge awash with the blue-and-white palette of the Islands, plenty of natural textures and warm terracotta notes.

Greek wines and Afloat signatures will be joined by cocktails reimagined through a Greek lens – such as ouzo frozen cola or the Long Island Iced Tea made with Greek mountain tea – while the food menu will see a mixture of Afloat favourites and new Greek-inspired additions, including meze and gyros. Afloat will be open for walk-ins from August 27, with reservations available from 31 August.

FAST FACTS

- Where: Afloat, 2, Flinders Walk, Melbourne VIC

- Cost: Free admission, food and drinks not included

NSW, SYDNEY

This spring, Sydneysiders can get a taste of Brae’s menu without leaving the state. On September 15, chef-owner Dan Hunter will pop up at Surry Hills favourite Bessie’s for a collaborative, never-to-be-repeated five-course menu that moves from small plates through to family-style mains and dessert.

Guests can expect stellar bites such as such as duck liver cream with pistachio and pork blood biscuit; sea urchin. Chickpea crisp with serrano honey; and beef short rib sticky with a smoked eel glaze, served with sliced kohlrabi and edible flowers. Seats are limited to just 70, with tickets priced at $240 per person.

FAST FACTS

- Where: Bessie’s & Alma’s; 111-115 Albion St, Surry Hills NSW

NSW, SYDNEY

Carriageworks will once again play host to the two-day Australian Native Food Festival this spring, bringing together high-profile chefs, First Nations business owners and advocates for a celebration of native elements.

This year, the program will see celebrated chefs like Mindy Woods, Kylie Kwong, Nat Thaipun and Colin Fassnidge take to the stage for live cooking demonstrations, with Adam Liaw closing out the festival. Guests will in addition be able to browse goods from over 30 First Nations owned and operated businesses, ranging from bush beauty products to native wild tea.

FAST FACTS

- Where: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh NSW - When: 26 – 27 September

- Cost: Free to attend but registration required; chef demonstrations are ticketed and start from $59pp.

NSW, Southern Highlands

Deemed the “godfather of fire”, internationally renowned chef and author Francis Mallmann will head to Australia’s East Coast to headline the Southern Highlands’ annual food, wine and music festival.

Guests will be invited to step into a hands-on five-hour culinary spectacle at Osborn House on 5 October, with Mallmann demonstrating his signature Argentine fire-cooking. Guests will be greeted with a cocktail on arrival, followed by a six-course feast with matched wines, and live music to boot.

If you miss out on tickets to the event, you can book one of his workshops, or catch him on the Maldon Salt Culinary stage inside the Festival Hub on Saturday. This year’s highlights in addition include Chef Workshops with Mark Best, Mindy Woods and Bites and Barrels with Matt Moran; Tickets are available online now.

FAST FACTS

- Where: Centennial Vineyard Bowral, 252 Centennial Rd, Bowral NSW - When: 2 October–4 October; Osborn House Fiesta Del Fuego with Francis Mallmann 5 October

- Cost: General Admission $59, Platinum $149; Fiesta Del Fuego $799pp

NSW, SYDNEY

Back for round three, Suntory’s popular bar residency returns to Sydney – this time for a two-month takeover of the CBD’s buzziest basement izakaya, Sakura House. Shifting away from formal tasting menus, the takeover leans into a more casual drinking experience inspired by the Japanese tradition of post-work socialising.

Coined Suntory House, the limited-time cocktail menu sees Suntory classics paired with custom creations by Sakura House. Expect a rollcall of playful drinks inspired by Japanese emblems, including an indulgent riff on an espresso Martini that brings together BOSS coffee. Dulche de leche; a fruitier take on a matcha Martini; a citrusy concoction involving wasabi and an ode to the melon floats drank during Japanese baseball games. Snack-forward plates and shareable bites withdrawal Japan’s konbini culture, with the likes of fried chicken sandwiches upgraded with smoked bonito cream. Caviar; mini katsu sandwhiches starring Balmain bug and a Pocky mochi ice-cream.

A custom vending machine completes the picture, stocking merch, konbini snacks and gifts.

FAST FACTS

- Where: Sakura House, Basement/82-88 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW

- When: 31 July–3 October - Cost: Free entry; walk-ins only

TAS, TAMAR VALLEY

Britain’s sweetheart and everyone’s favourite culinary queen Nigella Lawson heads to Tasmania this October to headline the Tamar Valley Writers Festival for 2026.

Sitting down for an exclusive chat with Australian food writer and presenter Alice Zaslavsky, Lawson will share her two cents on food writing. The festival’s theme of feeding the soul, before treating readers to a book-signing session. “I’m hugely excited to be at The Tamar Valley Writers Festival this October.

It’s always a pleasure to be discussing food and food writing with readers and answering your questions, and how glorious to be in beautiful Tasmania to do so!” Lawson said in a statement. The global icon will be in good firm, sharing the stage with emerging writers, acclaimed journalists, playwrights, poets. Celebrated authors — including Shaun Micallef, Hannah Kent, Siang Lu and Tasmanian author Rebecca Armitage, whose debut novel ‘The Heir Apparent’ was selected for Reese Witherspoon’s book club.

Running for five days, the festival will host a series of in-conversation events, panels. Writing workshops, alongside live performances, readings, book signings and Q&As, against the stunning backdrop of Tamar Valley.

FAST FACTS

- Where: Tamar Valley, Tasmania - Cost: $220 for a weekend pass; cost varies per event

NSW, Hawkesbury River

First Nations chef and Champions of Change award winner Mindy Woods headlines this one-of-a-kind dining experience on the Hawkesbury River, now in its second year after a sold-out debut. A full-day event taking place in October, the morning begins with a tour of Broken Bay Pearl Farm’s Shellar Door at Mooney Mooney where guests will get to watch a live pearl gathering and meet local pearl and oyster growers, before moving into a long-table multi-course lunch in a secluded homestead prepared under Wood’s direction.

On the menu, Akoya pearl meat stars alongside local produce sourced from the surrounding river and coastal region.

FAST FACTS

- Where: Broken Bay Pearl Farm, 12 Kowan Rd, Mooney Mooney NSW - When: 17 and 18 October

- Cost: $395 per person (includes return water transfers, multi-course long-lunch, and premium beverages throughout the day); early bird 10% off is available until June 30 with code pandpearlybird

SA, Adelaide

Adelaide’s dedicated cheese festival comes of age this October, celebrating a milestone 21 years of cheese, food, wine and South Australia’s finest artisan goods.

This year, the two-day festival will host over 100 producers, joined by Masterchef alum Laura Sharrad and welcoming television personality Miguel Maestre to its cookery demonstration stage.

FAST FACTS

- When: 17 October 11am-8pm; 18 October 11am-6pm

NSW, THE TWEED

Back for its third year, The Tweed’s popular food and drink festival returns with much of the same farm-to-table ethos and respect for local makers as the region has become known for. This year, the program – curated by Tweeds-based chef Christine Manfield and Amy Colli – has been expanded to include nearly 30 unique dining experiences that unfold amongst stunning hinterland and coastline vistas.

Don’t miss Palisa Anderson’s dinner collaboration with Bistro Livi, featuring organic produce from her Boon Luck Farm in Tyagarah; Chef-owner Ben Devlin demonstrating the art of Gyotaku (the traditional Japanese art of fish printing) at the chef’s counter at Pipit; Paper Daisy’s executive chef Baxter Newstead’s three-course long-table dinner in Husk Distillery’s Rum Barrel House, and Mindy Woods and Christine Manfield’s seafood feast aboard a restored river cruiser.

FAST FACTS

- Where: Across The Tweed area

VIC, MORNINGTON PENINSULA

Music and wellness collide in the Melbourne International Jazz Festival’s first foray into the Mornington Peninsula via a three-day program held at luxury wellness sanctuary, Alba Thermal Springs & Spa. For three days, guests are invited to soak (literally) in live jazz performances backdropped by lush native gardens – all from the warmth of geothermal bathing pools.

While all guests can enjoy the performances as part of their bathing admission, those wanting to make an occasion of it can reserve a picnic rug and enjoy artisan cheese (or a selection of canapés) and a glass of Peninsula wine, or reserve a table in the restaurant forecourt at an additional cost.

FAST FACTS

- Where: Alba Thermal Springs & Spa; 282 Browns Rd, Fingal VIC

- Cost: General Bathing admission from $100; cheese and wine $145pp, includes use of a picnic rug for performances at The Luna. A reserved table for performances at the restaurant forecourt, plus bathing; canapes and wine $145pp, includes use of a picnic rug for performances at The Luna, and a reserved table for performances at the restaurant forecourt, plus bathing

TAS, King Island

If exceptional dining married with exquisite accommodation is your cup of tea, the Guest Chef Series Package at Kittawa Lodge – the stunning, off-grid luxury retreat in Tasmania’s King Island – is one for you.

Each package includes three nights’ accommodation and private dinners prepared by top chef Darren Purchese (ex-12-Micron, Vue de Monde. Bennelong), as well as daily breakfast and lunch peppered with specially prepared items Purchese, which you can pack and enjoy picnic-style as your explore ancient forests and coastline, or devour in the comfort of your own room.

Kittawa Lodge Guest Chef Series with Darren Purchese

- Where: 1272 South Rd, Pearshape TAS - Package One: Friday, 23 October to Monday, 26 October (3 nights)

- Package Two: Monday, 26 October to Thursday, 29 October - Cost: $10,995 per couple for two couples; $10,595 per couple for three couples; $10,295 or per couple for four couples