The night of nights, this year’s Gala Dinner promises to be the most spectacular yet!

Don your finery for this glamorous black-tie feast, as we tip our top hats to 20 years of food and wine excellence. Tonight we celebrate with unashamed pride Melbourne’s place on the global map as one of the great gastronomic cities and the Festival’s history of uniting international and local stars.

Start the evening with sharing appetisers, lovingly designed by nine of Melbourne’s local heroes including Stephanie Alexander OAM, Jacques Reymond, Stefano de Pieri, Teage Ezard, Donovan Cooke, Alla Wolf-Tasker AM, George Calombaris, Philippe Mouchel and Michael Ryan.

Then take your seat beneath the Royal Exhibition Building’s grand and lofty canopy, in surrounds befitting a three-course menu of regal proportions matched to premium wines – from French greats Thierry Marx, Serge Vieira, Jacques Marcon and Stephane Bour – hailing from restaurants of Michelin-star renown and proudly cooking alongside a host of local legends.