Get ready for the 2026 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival

Each year, exciting local chefs are joined by some of the world’s best culinary talent for exclusive collaborations, restaurant takeovers and more. The 2026 festival, running from Friday March 20 to Sunday March 29, is no exception. A number of big-ticket events with James Henry of Le Doyenné and the World’s Longest Lunch are practically sold out – but there’s a smorgasbord of other events worth building your calendar around. Here’s how to nail the 2026 festival.

Baker’s Dozen

A bakery crawl is a quintessential Melbourne weekend activity. At Baker’s Dozen, the flagship event does the hard work for you, bringing together far more than a baker’s dozen of the city’s best bakers at Fed Square, right in the heart of the city. Get your hands on some of the best bakes from Melbourne favourites including world-famous croissant maker Lune; Dessert Masters season one winner Gareth Whitton’s Tarts Anon; season two winner John Demetrios’s Butter Days Bakery, and more. There’ll also be treats from Sydney’s AP Bakery alongside international talent including Brooklyn baker Abi Balingit of The Dusky Kitchen.

Pastry chef and practising psychologist Helen Goh has been part of the Ottolenghi universe for more than a decade. Goh, originally from Malaysia, worked as the pastry chef at Melbourne institution Donovan’s before moving to the UK where she now resides. She co-authored Ottolenghi Comfort and Sweet with Yotam Ottolenghi, and last year, published her first solo cookbook Baking and the Meaning of Life. Join Goh at Fed Square event space Zinc for an in-conversation event with Masterchef winner Emelia Jackson on March 29. The chat will be accompanied by a three-course meal consisting of dishes from her solo cookbook debut. There’ll be prawn sambal buns; Dutch babies with mortadella and rocket; sticky date pudding with miso butterscotch and coconut ice-cream; and more. Plus, wine from Tahbilk and beer from Holgate Brewhouse.

Daniela’s Pasta Window

Chef Daniela Maiorano, who splits her time between Abruzzo in Italy and Australia, has become a sensation online thanks to her natural charm and her no-BS approach to good, honest Italian cooking. Last year, she held a three-week residency at Sunhands, the Carlton coffee shop and wine bar hybrid that’s ideal for lingering on sunny days. For the festival, Maiorano returns to Sunhands to run a takeaway pasta window from Thursday March 26 to Sunday March 29. Expect dishes priced between $15 to $30, available from 4pm to 9pm (or until sold out). The event is unticketed, so you can simply rock up and enjoy.

Caregiver’s Place Launch Party

Wesley Place in the CBD is home to two of Melbourne’s most exciting venues: Reed House, from Ottolenghi alumni chef Mark Hannell and front-of-house pro Rebecca Baker; and Caretaker’s Cottage, which ranked number 19 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list. From 1pm to 5pm on Sunday March 22, the duo will celebrate the festival’s opening weekend with a takeover of Urban Park at Wesley Place. Reed House will fire up the barbeque, Caretaker’s Cottage will be on drinks, and there’ll be food trucks and good tunes. Entry is by gold-coin donation, with funds going to MND Victoria, which supports people living with motor neurone disease.

William Gleave at Brico

One of the best parts about the festival is its one-off collaborations. This year, cosy Fitzroy North wine bar Brico will be joined by chef William Gleave of Kent restaurant Sargasso. A friend of Brico co-founders Josh Begbie (of Bar Liberty) and Phil Bracey (of London’s P Franco), Gleave brings both pedigree and good energy to the kitchen. Book a table at Brico from Wednesday March 25 to Sunday March 29 for an exceptional set menu that reflects their shared passion for local produce and honest cooking.

Rare Whisky and Artisanal Cheese

The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival also offers opportunities to explore some of the best drinks in the world. For 2026, Casa De Vinos in South Melbourne – a lounge known for its 1000-strong collection of rare whisky and spirits, tucked into a suburb famous for its market – is hosting a top-shelf whisky tasting for the third year in a row. Choose from sessions on Friday March 20, Thursday March 26 or Friday March 27 for the opportunity to sample five of the most exceptional bottles from the collection, each paired with artisanal cheeses.

Broadsheet is a proud media partner of Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. If you’re visiting from out of town and would rather leave the logistics to someone else, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival offers curated travel packages and exclusive hotel deals – which you can explore here.