Food and Wine Festival returns

Noosa’s much loved food festival will once again be named Noosa Food & Wine in 2026. (Supplied)

Noosa Food & Wine Festival this week announced its Signature Event program for 2026 and a milestone return to its origins. Organisers have revealed that Noosa’s much loved food festival will once again be named Noosa Food & Wine in the year ahead. Due to popular demand, it will return to its roots in 2026 to celebrate its place as an icon of hospitality and a legacy brand in the Australian culinary calendar.

The announcement comes as the festival reveals its 2026 Signature Events and that tickets will go on sale next week. The re-brand comes with the launch of a refreshed program, including new collaborations and pioneering talents, all under the festival name that is synonymous with Noosa’s world class dining scene. Tickets will go on sale for subscribers on 19 November and for general public on 20 November. As Signature Events sell out, festival goers are strongly encouraged to book quickly that morning to avoid disappointment.

The Noosa Food & Wine Festival has always held a special place in Australia’s culinary calendar. However, organisers re-named the event as Noosa Eat & Drink in 2019. This return to the original name honours its history, as well as its important place in Noosa’s hospitality evolution. The re-brand also reinforces Noosa’s place on the global stage as the festival has always attracted national and international attention. Restoring the name strengthens its global reputation as a premier food and wine destination, allowing the festival to reflect its past while also looking to a bright future for 2026 and beyond.

Festival Director John Guise said: “The return to this name feels like coming home: 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. The new program will reflect both heritage and innovation – the best of both worlds. We see the name update as a really positive evolution for the event. The change reflects the festival’s confidence and maturity, in its ability to return to the roots that made it an icon of food festivals around Australia, while continuing to evolve in 2026.”

Tourism Noosa CEO Sharon Raguse said: “As the destination partner and proud host of the festival, we’re thrilled to see the return of the iconic Noosa Food & Wine Festival name. It’s synonymous with Noosa’s world-class dining scene and our region’s deep connection to food, people, and place – from the coastline to the hinterland. This evolution honours the festival’s legacy while embracing an exciting new chapter that celebrates everything that makes Noosa such a special place to dine, sip and celebrate.”

Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism, Andrew Powell, said the 2026 Noosa Food & Wine Festival would delight visitors who are drawn to the tourism hotspot next June. “The Noosa Food & Wine Festival is an event that lures food lovers and holidaymakers alike to one of Queensland’s most picturesque coastal destinations,’ Minister Powell said. ‘The epicurean celebration is anticipated to provide a $5.25 million boost to the state’s economy and clearly aligns with the Queensland Government’s ambitious 20-year tourism plan, Destination 2045.”

With the re-brand setting the scene, the 2026 program is earmarked to be the festival’s most ambitious yet. The year ahead will showcase hundreds of hospitality leaders in a showcase of culinary creations, all framed by coastal breezes and the sand, surf and sunshine of Noosa’s stunning waterways and ocean views. The year ahead promises an action-packed four-day event of mouthwatering delights and wildly diverse flavours in one ambitious celebration of Noosa’s top chefs and culinary leaders from across Australia.