Get excited! In May 2024, the beloved Noosa Eat & Drink Festival will make its long-awaited return, and we've put together the ultimate guide to the festival, your passport to a culinary adventure like no other! This carefully curated guide is your insider's ticket to savoring the very best of the 2024 festival. Whether you're a seasoned foodie or a first-time festival-goer, our insights, event highlights, and local tips will ensure you make the most of this gastronomic extravaganza. Get ready to indulge your senses and navigate the festival with ease, as we unveil the tastiest experiences, must-attend events, and hidden gems that make this guide your go-to resource for an unforgettable journey through the flavors of Noosa!
Get the party started
Kick off the festival in the most stylish of ways, aboard the chic M.V. Catalina Noosa, at the Catalina Pre-Launch Party. Sip sun-kissed spritzes and dance under that golden hour glow of sunset, before experiencing an epic kitchen collab takeover between renowned Canggu hotspot Mason, and Ben Williamson from award-winning Brisbane restaurant, Agnes.
The return of the Festival Village
Great news: the popular Festival Village is back in all its glory this year, with a bigger and better program of non-stop events. Meander through the stalls of the village and sample the wares of some of Australia’s best wineries, craft breweries, and small-batch distilleries. Experience Tastes of Noosa, with some of Noosa’s best chefs serving up their signature dishes. Visit the Producer's Market, featuring the region’s best producers, and take in interactive chef's masterclasses from Olsson’s Salty Sessions. And if you get in quickly, there are also limited tickets available for the Chandon VIP Lounge, with catering by Lanai Noosa.
Discover Noosa's laneway scene
In the tiny laneways of Noosa Junction, a culinary explosion has quietly been taking place, and you can experience some of the neighbourhood’s best offerings at Laneway Eats. Take a culinary journey; to Sicily with ZiBros’, through Middle Eastern flavours with MOTO, and onto authentic handmade Mexican street food with Spice Girl, and finish up with sweet delicacies from Noosa’s Culinary Academy. Sip on inventive cocktails and new world wines as you enjoy the live music at this laneway street festival!
Tour the long lunches
Always a sold-out highlight of the festival (the Hastings St and Noosa Junction long lunches sold out within hours), this year, the long-lunch offering is mercifully expanding to include many of the town’s favourite restaurants. Indulge in some of the best local eats, with renowned chef’s at the helm, and embark on a culinary journey like no other! Long lunch restaurant destinations include a traditional Sicilian feast at ZiBros, and an authentic Italian long lunch at Locale.
Noosa Eat & Drink Beach Garden
The festival beach events are blissfully back this year, so you get to experience some of Noosa’s best eats and drinks with your toes in the sand of Noosa Main Beach. A new-look Beach Garden set up promises to be a feast for the senses, and there are events across three days to choose from, including the Opening Party, the Saturday Beach Club, the special collab Sunday Beach Brunch, and Sunday’s Festival Sundowner to close the festival with a bang. Don’t miss out on catching one or more of these uniquely Noosa beach events!
Get a little bit Mexican
With some excellent new Mexican eateries opening in Noosa in recent times, it follows that there are some top-notch Mexican experiences on the festival line-up this year. Get to know the world of Mezcal up close, across two illuminating events: the Mezcal Masterclass at Peregian’s chic Mariella Mexicantina, and the Bandita Late Lunch, where you can sample a set lunch menu alongside Mexican agave spirits and cocktails at the riverside haunt. If you want even more spice in your life, set sail on the Catalina x Bandita Lunch Cruise, and sample Bandita’s mouth-watering wood-fired Mexican fare by Jason Jones, while cruising the Noosa River with some trademark Catalina good vibes.
Discover a new favourite
Take it in-house at some of your favourite Noosa restaurants, or try somewhere new! With multiple restaurant events to choose from, it's the perfect opportunity to get off the beaten track and discover the thriving eat and drink scene dotted throughout the Noosa villages. Head to Sunshine Beach for the Rose Adam takeover at tiny 12-seat local favourite Humble on Duke, and the Embassy XO Flavours of the Hinterland, which celebrates local produce with South Asian influences. Or hop aboard the Noosa Ferry and be delivered to the dreamy Italian Riviera-inspired setting of Lucio’s Marina, for the Tuna Experience with Walker Seafood, or head a little further down the river for an authentic French bistro experience at the Frenchies Bistro Taste of Chablis dinner, where top-notch Mediterranean fare meets classic French wine varieties.
Don't miss: Locale x Rae's x Agnes
Get ready for an epic foodie adventure at the Locale Gala Dinner, where Locale Noosa, the revered Byron Bay institution Rae's at Wategos, and the award-winning Brisbane gem, Agnes (recently crowned Australia's best restaurant), come together to create a collaborative four-course menu. Chris Hagan of Locale, Jason Saxby of Rae's, and the acclaimed Ben Williamson of Agnes are set to guide you through a culinary journey that transcends ordinary dining experiences, this is one event not to be missed!
