Good Food & Wine Show 2026 Returns to Melbourne With Celebrity Chefs, Exclusive Experiences and Australia’s Biggest Culinary Celebration
The highly anticipated Good Food & Wine Show (GFWS) officially launches its 2026 national tour this weekend in Melbourne, bringing together Australia’s leading chefs, winemakers, producers and food personalities for one of the country’s most loved culinary events.
Melbourne Food Events 2026
Running from May 29–31 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), the iconic event marks more than two decades of celebrating Australia’s thriving food and wine culture. Drawing over 90,000 visitors nationally each year across Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, the Good Food & Wine Show continues to evolve — and in 2026, it’s serving up two major new experiences guaranteed to excite food lovers.
This year introduces Bakers Alley, a dedicated bakery precinct showcasing some of Australia’s most exciting independent bakers, alongside the debut of the intimate hands-on Cooking School, where guests can cook side-by-side with celebrity chefs in exclusive small-group classes.
For Melbourne foodies, this year’s program promises everything from world-class wine tastings and cheese pairings to live cooking demonstrations, immersive culinary workshops and exclusive creations available nowhere else.
Kirsten Tibballs Melbourne
One of the standout additions is Bakers Alley, created with the support of internationally acclaimed pâtissier Kirsten Tibballs. The new precinct will feature exclusive baked creations crafted especially for the show by some of Australia’s most celebrated bakers.
Among the highlights is award-winning executive chef Andrew Ballard’s Japanese-inspired Lamington — a unique show-only creation inspired by flavours from his time in Japan. It’s a once-off culinary experience attendees won’t find anywhere else.
The newly launched Cooking School is also expected to become one of the hottest tickets of the event. Limited to just 40 guests per session, the 45-minute workshops allow attendees to cook alongside some of Australia’s biggest culinary names before taking home their own creations.
Headline classes include Brendan Pang’s Wonton Workshop: Red Curry Edition, George Georgievski’s Midweek Dinner Upgrade with Le Gruyère AOP, and highly anticipated chocolate workshops hosted by Kirsten Tibballs.
Tibballs’ inclusion is especially significant, with her famed Savour School workshops in Melbourne often selling out at prices exceeding $400 per class. The Good Food & Wine Show marks the first time she has offered accessible public hands-on sessions outside her renowned culinary school.
Beyond the new additions, returning favourites continue to anchor the show’s enormous appeal.
The Good Food Kitchen, hosted by Alastair McLeod, will once again feature live demonstrations from some of Australia’s most recognised chefs, offering practical recipes and techniques visitors can recreate at home.
Wine lovers can immerse themselves in the Drinks Lab presented by RIEDEL, where acclaimed sommelier Shanteh Wale leads guided tastings exploring Australian varietals and regional wines. Guests will sample four wines per session while hearing directly from the winemakers behind them.
The expansive Wine Pavilions will transport visitors through Australia’s leading wine regions, including Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and Margaret River, while Cheese Corner offers tastings from respected cheesemakers including Pyengana Dairy and Ashgrove Cheese.
Adding another premium layer to the experience is the VIP Lounge presented by Singapore Airlines, inspired by the airline’s luxurious Business Class dining experience. Guests can enjoy curated menus by Australian Chef of the Year 2021 Andrew Ballard, complimentary beverages, priority access and exclusive VIP inclusions throughout the day.
Melbourne-exclusive programming also returns with the Australian Eggs ‘Flip It’ Cooking Stage, featuring practical cooking inspiration, easy family meal ideas and live tastings.
The 2026 talent lineup further cements the show’s status as Australia’s premier culinary consumer event.
Confirmed personalities include Miguel Maestre, Brendan Pang, Nat Thaipun, Kirsten Tibballs, Vincent Yeow Lim, George Georgievski, Jane de Graaff, Justine Schofield, Alastair McLeod, Andrew Ballard, Shanteh Wale and Valérie Henbest — each bringing their own loyal audiences and expertise across food, wine and hospitality.
As Australia’s appetite for immersive culinary experiences continues to grow, the Good Food & Wine Show remains one of the nation’s most successful and enduring lifestyle events — blending entertainment, education, luxury and discovery all under one roof.
Following Melbourne, the 2026 tour will travel to Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, before concluding with the festive Christmas Markets series later in the year.
Good Food & Wine Show 2026 Dates
Melbourne: 29–31 May 2026 — MCEC
Sydney: 19–21 June 2026 — ICC Sydney
Perth: 17–19 July 2026 — PCEC
Brisbane: 23–25 October 2026 — BCEC
Sydney Christmas Markets: 20–22 November 2026 — ICC Sydney
Melbourne Christmas Markets: 4–6 December 2026 — MCEC
