Horizontal Festival 2026

Overview

This October, the Southern Highlands will host a multisensory food, wine, music, and art festival set across the picturesque Centennial Vineyards. This is Horizontal Festival — a three-day celebration that pays tribute to NSW's culinary bounty while inviting guests to relish the slower pace of things. 

From Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4, Horizontal Festival will take you on a journey where every space offers a new atmosphere, flavour and soundscape. Spanning a multitude of cuisine-led hubs, guests can wander through the Sparkling Bar, an elegant space of oysters, truffles and classical music. Then, at The Vineyard, you can experience a homegrown taste of the Italian countryside with lobster skewers, antipasto and upbeat music.

In 2026, Horizontal Festival also debuts Wine & Conversations, a fascinating home for masterclasses, producer chats and expert-led tastings. Meanwhile, curated tasting circles introduce NSW wines through guided conversations rather than formal masterclasses. "The idea behind Horizontal Festival has always been simple: slow down, gather together and discover something new. We want people to taste wines they've never tried, meet producers they've never heard of and sit around tables where conversations happen naturally," says Horizontal Festival creator and director Amanda Fry.

The Our Food Stories workshop series also returns, featuring ticketed experiences with renowned chefs like Francis Mallmann, Mindy Woods, Mark Best and Simon Evans. Beyond sumptuous bites and sips, the festival includes a suitably chill live music soundtrack, with Furnace and the Fundamentals headlining Friday night's celebrations. There are also family-friendly experiences, with Sunday offering a relaxed program for little ones, such as Mindy Woods' Indigenous cooking experiences. Plus, there's lawn games, artisan shopping, food trucks and loads more to explore.

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Images: Supplied.