A Guide to the Best Food Experiences at Vivid
Sydney lights up every winter — but if you've been treating Vivid Sydney as just a light show, you've been leaving the best part of your evening on the table.
The food program at Vivid 2026 is the most ambitious yet, with world-renowned chefs, once-in-a-lifetime degustation dinners, a brand-new Regional Dinner Series, and events so good they're already selling out.
Whether you're planning a big night out or grazing your way through the festival precincts, here's the Vivid Food schedule for everything worth booking and eating this year.
Chase the Heat with Vivid Fire Kitchen
Set along The Goods Line, Vivid Fire Kitchen returns with more sizzle and smoke this year. It's a free-entry, open-air experience bringing together some of the world's best pitmasters and barbecue pros for a fiery celebration of global cooking techniques. This year's theme, Fire & Spice, is set to showcase the world's most vibrant spice-forward cuisines, from flame-grilled skewers and charred corn to smoky curries and slow-cooked meats.
Expect live demonstrations, spice-packed menus and plenty of Vivid food stalls for a globetrotting feast under the stars.
The Regional Dinner Series: NSW on a plate
New for 2026, the Regional Dinner Series is arguably Vivid Food's biggest structural leap forward. Across 12 events, acclaimed regional chefs partner with Sydney restaurants to champion their home region's producers, winemakers and growers in a full sit-down dinner format.
Highlights include:
- Southern Highlands with Stephen Santucci & Scott McComas-Williams: Moonacres Kitchen's Stephen Santucci (of Jimmy Nardello fame) teams with Scott McComas-Williams to showcase the Southern Highlands' organic larder. Prices from $120.
- Hunter Valley with Frank Fawkner & Alessandro Pavoni: Chef-owner of EXP, the 2026 SMH Good Food Guide's Regional Restaurant of the Year, Frank Fawkner heads to Barangaroo alongside Alessandro Pavoni. Prices from $175.
- Byron Bay with Mindy Woods & Danielle Alvarez: Bundjalung woman and Karkalla chef Mindy Woods joins Danielle Alvarez for a multi-sensory dinner at the Sydney Opera House's Yallamundi Rooms, prices starting from $275. This one celebrates Country, culture and the extraordinary produce of the Byron hinterland, and it's as much an art experience as it is a meal.
Dream Feast: Dinner as Performance Art
One of the most unique events Vivid Food has ever produced, Dream Feast transforms The Mint on Macquarie Street into something between a gallery and a dining room. Sydney-born, New York-based culinary project ARLO Communal, founded by chef Tobi Fox (formerly of Estela, Cafe Paci and Fratelli Paradiso) and creative director Cal Fernie, draw inspiration from The Mint's Caroline Simpson Library Collection, a rich archive of Australian design and domestic life spanning two centuries.
As each course arrives, the dining room shifts around you: animated projections drawn from the Collection's patterns and textures fill the walls, while a live soundtrack from Australian-born Bengali DJ Munasib ties it all together. It's nostalgic and forward-looking at once. Prices start from $250.
Plan Your Whole Night in Sydney Around Food
The Vivid Food program is built to complement the broader festival, so it's worth thinking about your evening as a full experience. Many events are concentrated around key precincts:
- Circular Quay & The Rocks: Home to Shell House events and a short walk from the Lighting of the Sails at the Opera House. Check the Circular Quay location guide. Discover the best restaurants in Circular Quay like Meat & Wine Co Circular Quay.
- Sydney CBD & surrounds: Where ILUMINA, The Mint, Parliament House and The International are all clustered. See the Sydney CBD guide. Explore the best restaurants in Sydney CBD with choices like The James for British refinement, Ibushi for elegant Japanese, Jordon's for fresh seafood, Esteban for Latin American flair, and many more found on the Best Restaurants gift card in Sydney CBD.
- Sydney Opera House: The Byron Bay dinner at Yallamundi Rooms, plus the Vivid LIVE program running concurrently. Opera House location details here. For the ultimate Sydney dining experience, Bennelong and Aria are two bucket-list moments you simply shouldn't miss.
Don't Wait — Tickets Are Going Fast
Vivid Food 2026 is the most ticketed, most talked-about food program the festival has produced thus far.
Browse the Vivid Food programBook anything that catches your eye now. You can thank us later.
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