Tasting Australia Returns To The South With Michelin Takeovers And Celestial Celebrations

Great food has always been a valid reason to travel, and Tasting Australia has been proving it for nearly three decades. With 2026 being the 19th edition of this epic food festival, there is no denying the role it has played in turning South Australia a pilgrimage site for serious eaters, curious drinkers and culinary obsessives.

Spanning 10 days in May, all 12 regions of South Australia become a playground with top Aussie chefs and international heavy-hitters, allying together for a program of over 150-events that are well worth travelling for. 

One day, you could be eating your way across the Red Centre on an all-inclusive train trip. The next, you're chartering a plane to Port Lincoln for seafood pulled straight from the ocean, or devouring 20 chaotic courses with 40 strangers in a secret city space. 

This isn’t just about exploring world-class dining experiences, it’s about connection over long lunches, shared tables and late-night feats in unforgettable settings. Friends, strangers, culture and community, it all comes together here, one very good meal at a time. 

Here are the Tasting Australia 2026 events currently sitting at the top of our wish lists. 

Sip, Savour, Safari 

Wake up to lions in the distance, not your inbox. This exclusive overnight at Monarto Safari Resort’s brand-new Safari Lodge drops you straight into the wild without leaving South Australia. Think arrival drinks and canapés, a private guided safari through Wild Africa spotting giraffes, rhinos and more, then sunset sips back at the lodge before a seven-course degustation by executive chef DeBuys Nortier.

You’ll fall asleep under a blanket of stars to the sounds of the savannah, then wake to breakfast in nature. It’s truly immersive, and the kind of once-in-a-lifetime stay you’ll talk about forever. 

Never Never & Bizzarro present: The Worlds Best Bar... Bar Leone

Better cancel your usual Friday night plans, because the World’s Best Bar is flying in for a one-night-only takeover. Presented by Never Never and Bizzarro Aperitivo, Hong Kong heavyweight Bar Leone is setting up shop upstairs at Honeydripper, bringing Roman neighbourhood-bar energy, Hong Kong polish, and la dolce vita levels of hospitality straight to the Adelaide CBD.

Led by drinks maestro Lorenzo Antinori, this is a tightly curated, all-killer-no-filler experience, four iconic cocktails, signature snacks, DJs, and the Bar Leone team themselves running the show. Everything’s handled for you, from the drinks to the vibe, so your only job is to arrive on time, and settle in at the bar that just took out World’s Best. Blink and you’ll miss it, tickets are extremely limited.

Tasting Australia By Road Series

The Tasting Australia By Road series is your golden ticket to a day of disappearing into South Australia’s most delicious corners. 

Hop aboard a luxe coach in Adelaide and emerge in McLaren Vale, Barossa, Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula, stopping along the way for intimate farm visits, vineyard tours, orchard pit-stops and long, leisurely lunches led by the crème de la crème of the region’s chefs and winemakers. 

After sips of boutique wines, expertly paired plates in hidden pockets and sun-soaked landscapes, you’ll return to the city blissed-out (and maybe a little tipsy) with a full tummy and an even fuller camera roll. 

Under One Sky

Crackling flames, glowing coals and stars overhead. Welcome to Under One Sky: a celestial celebration of Kungkarrakalpa Tjukurrpa, also known as Seven Sisters Dreaming. 

Inside Tandanya, Australia's oldest Indigenous-owned cultural centre, big flavours meet bigger stories. Bundjalung chef Mindy Woods leads the night, sharing culture, country and the stories behind her community-driven cooking. 

Joining Mindy is a dream lineup of other industry pros: watch desert whiz Alex Crawford whip up gelato under the stars, and peep star-studded chefs Duncan Welgemoed and Sarah Glover conjuring epic flame-fuelled dishes.

Plus, sip wines from Wirangu and Kokatha man and winemaker Pauly Vandenbergh and Coonawarra’s Sue Bell from Bellwether Wines as they guide you through each pour. 

Hotpot Express 

Steam, spice and everything nice: Hotpot Express is a two-night takeover of Adelaide’s Mr Hotpoter, turning your usual bubbling broth into a full-blown chef-driven extravaganza. 

Each night starts with small plates cruising by on the restaurant’s moving belt, before top Aussie chefs stop in with personal riffs on the Asian classics. 

Night one sees Restaurant Botanic executive chef Jamie Musgrave and The Little Rickshaw chef Trinh Richards sharing the pass with Melbourne’s Ev Liong as host.

Then, Longplay Bistro head chef Calum Horn, Elsie Nguyen and Ottelia Wines’ Paul Stone lead the kitchen on the second night. 

 

Closing Night Party Ft. Punk Royale

All good things must end, but why go quietly? Scandinavian legends Punk Royale are taking over Good Neighbour for one last-night blowout, with epic views over Town Square and the city beyond.

Yes, it’s Sunday. No, that doesn’t mean the vibe’s dialed down. Expect Punk Royale-level irreverence across a menu of generous snacks paired with drinks that hit just right.

From a 2012 Stockholm launch that shook the culinary world, to Copenhagen, Oslo, and London, Punk Royale are serving elevated food with zero stuffy fine-dining vibes. It's six food stations, six paired drinks and a night-long of good times. 

For more information on everything Tasting Australia is serving up this year, visit here. 

Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Tasting Australia and proudly endorsed by The Urban List. To find out more about who we work with and why read our editorial policy here.

Image credit: Supplied