The flagship food and wine event for the state's Mid-North will be taking place from Friday 15 – Monday 18 May 2026. This year, the festival will run over a condensed four-day program featuring more than 45 events across the region. The Festival brings together long lunches, tastings, live music and hosted experiences, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the breadth of Clare Valley’s wine and food culture.  Full program launch on Friday 30 January.

Yes, there will be the popular Gourmet Bus Trails along with the hop on/off shuttle service available. 

If you attend ‘festival’ events (marked on the program), then yes. Your shatter-proof Gourmet wine tumbler is your 'passport’ to all general admission events. Everyone will need to have their own Gourmet wine tumbler which can be purchased at participating venues or pre-purchased online and collected once you arrive in the region. Wine will be poured into this tumbler which you can keep as a souvenir for the weekend. These wine tumblers are only required for 'Festival' (General Admission) events, not for masterclasses or long lunches, etc. which are marked on the program.

Please check the events you want to attend on the program, as it is marked if they are ticketed or not. We suggest doing this early to avoid missing out on any events, some are already sold out!

Accommodation is tight for the Gourmet Festival in the Clare Valley wine region. 

If you can’t find anything suitable, why not: 

• Look into towns nearby, such as the gorgeous historic township of Burra, just 30 minutes from Clare,
• Purchase a Adelaide bus transfer ticket and come for the day with transport taken care of.  Then simply add a Gourmet Bus Trail ticket or Hop On/Off Shuttle bus ticket to get yourself around to Festival venues.

The program will be available on-line at the end of January 2026 with great functionality added to the website to make it easier than ever to plan. Filter by date, search for your favourite venue and add events to your itinerary with the wish list function.

Most definitely! Many venues offer a more chilled and relaxed event. Check the program for further information and bookings.

Events have been asked to provide details of their dietary catering. If you’re booking in for a long lunch or masterclass for example, please advise of your dietary requirement when booking.

Yes – most venues have non-alcoholic drink options so you can still enjoy the food and the music on offer but check with the venue specifically if you are concerned.