Adelaide’s beloved annual food festival, Tasting Australia, will return between 8 and 17 May 2026. Blending the best of local South Australian talent and flavours with exciting names from across the country and the world, the 2026 program celebrates the power of food and drink to shape how we live and connect. “If it’s your first time, head straight to Town Square, which is the food heartbeat of South Australia during the ten-day festival,” said Tasting Australia festival curator and Topiary chef Kane Pollard at a pre-launch event.
We scoured Tasting Australia’s 2026 program of over 150 events, and these are our picks.
Food events
Hitting Australia for the first time, Sweden-based chef collective Punk Royale will host an unforgettable takeover of Hindley Street venue 99 Gang Social, serving up 20 courses of “culinary chaos” in a high-energy, no-fuss setting (Friday 15 May, $649), and then wrapping up Tasting Australia for 2026 with a closing party in Town Square offering six food stations and paired drinks (Sunday 17 May, $185). New in 2026, the Club Series will see top chefs pop up at Adelaide’s cultural clubs, with the likes of Ozge Kalvo, Jason Roberts and Callum Hann at the Hellenic Club (Saturday 16 May, $110) or Tom Campbell, Denny Braden and Daniel Puskas at the Slovenian Club (Friday 8 May, $110).
“It’s a five-part series where we’re highlighting incredible places that are full of soul,” said Pollard. “We’re working with the communities there — the chefs, the cooks, the nonnas — but also adding a layer of chef talent to interpret the club in their own way.”
Out of town, one-off dining experiences include an underground tour, tasting and shared lunch at Saltram Wines in the Barossa (various dates, $99), a celebration of Limestone Coast seafood at Port MacDonnell’s heritage-listed Customs House (Sunday 17 May, $185) and a fire-cooked feast by local chefs Jake Kellie (Arkhe) and Sam Christopher (2KW) at the McLaren Vale Hotel (Friday 8 May, $150). See more of Tasting Australia’s food events.
Drinks events
Covering South Australian and international winemakers and distillers, the 2026 drinks program is packed with the Drinks Academy offering deep insight into iconic Australian makers like House of Arras and Grosset, Aperitivo Hour sessions hosted by top venues like Melbourne’s O.My or Sydney’s Corner 75, and Matchmakers sessions with speed dating-style tastings.
The 2025 World’s 50 Best Bars winner Bar Leone (Hong Kong) will pop up at new Adelaide bar Honeydripper for a night of Roman-inspired cocktail tastings in collaboration with local favourites Never Never Distillery Co and Bizzarro (Saturday 9 May, $120), and there’s an Urban Wine Walk (Saturday 16 May, $82) through the West End.
Known for his no-nonsense online wine descriptions, sommelier and winemaker André Hueston Mack (The French Laundry, Per Se) will host multiple tastings including a deep dive into the world of American wine (Saturday 9 May, $95) and a comparative tasting of 10 varieties from South Australian and international makers (Friday 8 May, $100). The final Saturday night will see Big Grape Energy (16 May, $95) take over Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga with wine and beer tastings and dance floor energy. See the full lineup of drinks events.
Train, plane and road journeys
A culinary journey unlike any other in Australia, Tasting Australia by Train: The Ghan will see guests depart Darwin for Adelaide on a four-day endless feast on the iconic rail route (6-9 May, $7,395pp). Unforgettable experiences on the itinerary include dinner prepared by Michelin-starred Spanish chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho and Mark Best by a creek bed in Simpsons Gap, an onboard Bollinger masterclass while winding through the outback, and lunch by Jo Barrett and Shannon Fleming in Coober Pedy.
“Our most memorable experiences often combine travel, culinary experiences in places and together in unexpected ways. The 2026 festival program reflects these moments and reminds us that life is best experienced with curiosity, indulgence and a spirit of adventure,” said Justine Lally, executive general manager marketing at festival partner Journey Beyond.
The one-day itinerary of Tasting Australia Airlines (Saturday 16 May, $1245) includes a flight from Adelaide to Port Lincoln, a visit aboard a historic tuna vessel for ocean-fresh sashimi and Teakle Wines tasting, lunch at the Coffin Bay Yacht Club prepared by Ben Devlin (Pipit) and Jimmy Toone (Fall From Grace), and a visit to Yarnbala for snacks by Mindy Woods with paired drinks.
Tasting Australia by Road day trips (all $450) cover key regions near Adelaide: the Adelaide Hills (Saturday 16 May), Barossa Valley (Saturday 9 May), Fleurieu Peninsula (Sunday 17 May) and McLaren Vale (Friday 8 May). All transport is included, plus snacks, a substantial lunch and paired drinks.
“We’re focusing on taking guests into spaces that they wouldn’t normally be able to access. For instance, we’ll be doing barrel tastings at Ochota Barrels, and then walking up the very steep pinot noir hill for a drink up there,” said Pollard of his Adelaide Hills event with Amber Ochota.
Town Square and Good Neighbour
As always, Town Square will be a free-to-enter and family-friendly space in Adelaide’s Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, with pop-up food and drinks, Masterclass tasting sessions from $50, and plenty of opportunities to learn about wine, beer and more. Presented by Mitolo Family Farms, Good Neighbour is the festival’s ever-changing take on a local wine bar hosting top talent for one-off events, taking over one end of Town Square.
“At Good Neighbour, connection — which is a huge part of the festival — comes in to play in the form of having the kitchen and the bar within the same dining structure as the guests, so they get to feel the energy of the space, and get that up-close access to talent,” said Pollard. As such, Good Neighbour will host the likes of Cheong Liew OAM with Jason Roberts (Friday 15 May, $150), Lee Ho Fook’s Victor Liong with Trinh Richards from the Fleurieu Peninsula’s The Little Rickshaw (Saturday 16 May, $150) and even a Mother’s Day lunch by Simone Watts (Barragunda Dining), Quang Nguyen (Ong, Noi, Shmochi) and Alexis Besseau (La Louisiane) on Sunday 10 May ($150).
See the full Tasting Australia presented by Journey Beyond program for 2026 and get tickets online now.
