The Curated Plate Has Announced Its 2026 Program, With Everything From Fine Dining on a Bus to Fingerlime Farm Picnics on the Lineup
The annual Sunshine Coast food and drink festival returns with its most diverse program yet.
The Sunshine Coast's biggest foodie festival is on its way back to your calendar. While the region is undeniably a top spot for surfing and swimming, the hero of this culinary celebration is the land, not the sea — where rainforests, riverlands and farmlands are responsible for some of the most diverse flavour profiles in the country. Curated Plate has been celebrating the growers and makers behind them since 2019, and returns this year from Friday, July 24 to Sunday, August 2.
An early ticket release last month saw strong demand, with highlight events selling out or nearly selling out in a heartbeat. General entry tickets are on sale now for the full program, so you might have to be prompt if you want to reserve your seat at the table(s).
This year's ten-day program stars chefs, curators, growers, brewers, hospo legends and makers from across the Sunshine Coast's hinterland, coastline, rainforests, farms, restaurants, bars and breweries.
Some of the highlight entries include a one-day-only fine dining experience onboard a bus parked at Caloundra's Happy Valley, an immersive vegetarian feast inside one of Australia's largest buddhist temples, a fingerlime picnic with themed drinks inside an orchard of the native citrus trees and an outdoor three-course event surrounded by woodfires at Kenilworth Showgrounds.
Tourism & Events Queensland
Other newcomers include an Indigenous-inspired Bush Harvest Morning Tea at Fairhill Native Botanical Gardens, a New Orleans-style long lunch (with live jazz), and a five-course seafood menu stocked entirely by vessels from Mooloolaba's fishing fleet. There's a number of returning events as well, including the Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival at Spicers Tamarind, the Bluey and Bingo-starring Picnic on Kings and Mooloolaba's Seafood Market Day.
Revealing the program, Festival Culinary Director Peter Kuruvita said, "What makes The Curated Plate special is that every event offers a different way to experience the Sunshine Coast. You might find yourself dining on freshly caught seafood by the marina, learning from local producers on a working farm, enjoying a cultural feast under the stars or discovering flavours from around the world - all while celebrating local ingredients."
Tickets to The Curated Plate are on sale now. Visit the website for more information.
Images: supplied