Following a sold-out 2025 Festival, the Gascoyne Food Festival returns this August with a highly anticipated program of immersive food, travel and storytelling experiences set across one of Australia's most remote and extraordinary regions.

Spanning 16 days from 21 August to 6 September, the Festival invites visitors on a journey through the Gascoyne, where red earth meets turquoise sea, and where food, culture and landscape are deeply connected. Following Tropical Cyclone Narelle, this year's Festival marks an important moment for the region, showcasing the Gascoyne and inviting visitors to experience the people, produce and landscapes that make the region one of Australia's most extraordinary destinations.

In a world increasingly fast-paced and disconnected, the Festival invites visitors to slow down, travel deeper and reconnect through food, landscape and shared experience.

“This year's Festival is about more than simply returning,” said Festival Director Louise Cashmore.

“It's about showcasing the Gascoyne through experiences that are genuinely immersive, deeply connected to place and unlike anything else in Australia.

“From long table dining in a working mango plantation in full bloom, to fireside storytelling beneath vast outback skies and remote station feasts under the stars, this is a Festival that invites people to experience the Gascoyne in a deeply authentic and meaningful way.”

A Curated Journey Through the Gascoyne

More than a traditional food festival, the 2026 program has been intentionally curated as a place-led journey, bringing together chefs, growers, fishers, storytellers and cultural custodians across a series of intimate and highly sought-after experiences.

Many experiences provide rare access to places, people and stories not typically available to visitors, creating opportunities to connect more deeply with the landscapes and communities that shape the region.

Discover some of this year's signature Festival experiences… The Plantation Feast (22 August – Carnarvon)

Set within a working mango plantation in full bloom, The Plantation Feast is widely regarded as one of Western Australia's most unique and sought-after dining experiences.

Curated by WA Good Food Guide Young Chef of the Year Jessica Roe of Petition Kitchen at the State Buildings, the multi-course menu showcases refined, seasonal dining deeply connected to place, paired with premium Di Latte wines and local beverages.

As the afternoon light softens through the orchard, guests are invited into an immersive dining experience that feels elegant and unmistakably Gascoyne.

Fireside Yarns: Land, Sea & Story (26 August – Gwoonwardu Mia)

An immersive evening under the stars where food, culture and storytelling come together in one of the Gascoyne's most significant cultural settings.

Featuring acclaimed chef and storyteller Paul “Yoda” Iskov of Fervor, this deeply atmospheric experience invites guests to connect with country, culture and community through food and conversation.

Whalebone Hoe-Down (29 August – Exmouth)

An unforgettable night of live music, fire-cooked food and outback energy, the Whalebone Hoe-Down brings together locals and visitors for a wild celebration beneath the stars.

Set against the rugged beauty of Exmouth, guests can expect bold regional flavours, live music, flowing drinks and line dancing late into the evening, capturing the warmth, character and community spirit that defines the Gascoyne.

Bullara Station Feast (5 September – Bullara Station)

Set beneath vast star-filled skies, Bullara Station once again welcomes guests to one of the Festival's most loved and iconic outback experiences.

Fire-cooked food, music, storytelling and warm station hospitality combine in an unforgettable evening that captures the rugged beauty, generosity and spirit of the Gascoyne.

Australia's Last Sunset (6 September – Dirk Hartog Island)

A spectacular finale at the edge of the continent, where guests gather on one of Australia's most remote islands to witness the final sunset sink into the Indian Ocean before an unforgettable evening of food and storytelling beneath the stars.

A true once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“These are not simply events people attend, they are experiences people travel for,” Cashmore said.

“The remoteness, scale and beauty of the Gascoyne creates something incredibly special and emotionally powerful. There are very few places left in Australia where you can experience food, landscape and culture in this way.”

A Region Connected Through Food

Running throughout the Festival, the Taste of the Gascoyne Food Trails will invite visitors to explore the region one plate at a time, with eateries across Shark Bay, Carnarvon and Exmouth showcasing signature dishes celebrating local produce and provenance.

In 2026, the Trails introduce a unifying regional concept encouraging venues to “Put a Prawn On It”, heroing the region's iconic MSC-certified Exmouth Wild and Shark Bay Wild prawns harvested from the pristine waters of Western Australia.

As part of the region's recovery efforts following Tropical Cyclone Narelle, Sea Harvest Australia has proudly covered participation costs for local eateries this year, helping encourage broad regional involvement while supporting visitation and economic activity back into local communities.

From relaxed coastal dining to premium culinary experiences, the initiative creates a shared culinary thread connecting communities and visitors across the entire region.

Aligned to Western Australia's Dreamers

Strongly aligned with Tourism Western Australia's Dreamers campaign, the Festival embraces immersive, place-led storytelling and meaningful travel experiences.

The 2026 Festival will also feature collaborations with acclaimed chef and storyteller Paul “Yoda” Iskov and filmmaker Aaron Green, helping bring the landscapes, producers and cultural stories of the Gascoyne to life through immersive food and travel storytelling.

Tickets On Sale 21 May

Tickets for the 2026 Gascoyne Food Festival go on sale from 20 May, with strong demand expected across signature events. For bookings, visit www.gascoynefoodfestival.com.au

With many experiences intentionally intimate in scale, early booking is strongly encouraged. Visitors are encouraged to extend their stay and explore the region's reefs, coastlines, stations and remote landscapes as part of their Festival journey.

Rediscover the Gascoyne

The return of the Festival signals a region ready to welcome visitors once again, inviting travellers to experience the Gascoyne through its food, landscapes, culture and people.

“In 2026, more than ever, the Gascoyne Food Festival provides an opportunity to celebrate the strengths of the region and the incredible people behind it,” Cashmore said.

“We're so excited to welcome visitors back to experience the stories, landscapes and hospitality that make the Gascoyne one of Western Australia's most extraordinary destinations.”

“The Festival continues to drive visitation and support local producers and businesses across the Gascoyne,” said Tim Bray, CEO of the Gascoyne Development Commission.

“The Festival is a powerful platform for our producers, chefs and local businesses to come together and tell the Gascoyne story through food,” said Chris Higham, Chair of the Gascoyne Food Council.

“It's about celebrating the quality and diversity of what we produce here and sharing that with visitors in a way that feels authentic and deeply connected to place.”

Businesses and partners interested in being part of the Festival and contributing to the region's next chapter are invited to get involved.

For partnership opportunities, please contact 0451 828 106 or email louise@gascoynefood.com.au. Alternatively, visitors can support the region by securing tickets and experiencing the Gascoyne firsthand: www.gascoynefoodfestival.com.au.

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