Melbourne Food & Wine Festival returns in 2024 with a program that will expand your eating and drinking horizons.

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2024, presented by La Trobe Financial, runs from 15 to 24 March with 300 events across Melbourne.

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The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival presented by La Trobe Financial and supported by destination partner Visit Victoria, has today announced a 10-day program packed with adventures in eating and drinking all over Melbourne.

The Festival will kick off with the return of festival favourites, including the World’s Longest Lunch presented by La Trobe Financial, led this year by Andrew McConnell (Gimlet, Cumulus Inc, Cutler & Co, Supernormal), one of the nation’s most lauded culinary talents; and the World’s Longest Brunch presented by Cocobella, with new-wave Indian food champions Harry Mangat (Biji Dining), Helly Raichura (Enter Via Laundry) and Mischa Tropp (Toddy Shop).

“We’re thrilled to be back in 2024 with a truly special program. From the king of Melbourne hospitality, Andrew McConnell, leading the World’s Longest Lunch presented by La Trobe Financial, to three of the state’s best proponents of new-wave Indian cooking taking the change on World’s Longest Brunch presented by Cocobella, and that’s just the first two days of the Festival,” said Anthea Loucas Bosha, CEO of Food + Drink Victoria, the not-for-profit parent company behind MFWF.

“Our Global Dining Series has been supercharged this year, with a breadth of talent from around Australia and the world coming to Melbourne for a series of one-off dinners, collaborations and residencies. Our final weekend has us back at our festival home, Fed Square, where Melbourne’s best bakers and patissiers will be on show at Baker’s Dozen, some of Victoria’s best known names designing sausages for Celebrity Sausage presented by Baker’s Delight, an all-out pizza party at The Pizza Sessions presented by Gozney, and Dan’s Diner, a custom-built diner of your dreams thanks to Dan Murphy’s. Not to mention the Special Events Program presented by Square that extends to more than 200 events across Melbourne. Melbourne is always one of most dynamic places to eat and drink, and for 10 days in March Melbourne will be the world’s eating and drinking capital,” continued Loucas Bosha.

The World’s Longest Lunch 2024 (Friday 15 March) doubles down on the maximum-Melbourne quality of the setting, inviting Andrew McConnell to bring to the event some of the magic that has made venues such as Gimlet, Cumulus Inc, Supernormal, Marion and Cutler & Co essential highlights of the contemporary Australian dining landscape.

Andrew McConnell said: “Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is one of the most important events in the calendar. MFWF is crucial to continuing and reinforcing Melbourne’s reputation as the cultural and gastronomic capital of Australia. It’s an honour to be headlining the World’s Longest Lunch in Kings Domain as part of the 2024 festival.”

More than three decades on from its humble beginnings on the turf at the MCG in 1993, the World’s Longest Lunch now kicks off the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival each year with food from a celebrated chef served across more than 600 metres of table winding through Melbourne’s superb Kings Domain, in a spectacular dining experience that must be seen to be believed. Tickets include a three-course lunch designed by Andrew McConnell, matched wines and light entertainment.

A new wave of talent is bringing fresh ideas and energy to Indian food in Australia right now, and this March three of its most exciting champions, Harry Mangat, Helly Raichura and Mischa Tropp, bring that excitement to the World’s Longest Brunch (Saturday 16 March) in Kings Domain.

Harry Mangat, the brains behind the nomadic Biji Dining project, opens proceedings in style with his take on chaat, before Mischa Tropp takes the reins for main course, channelling the gutsy deliciousness that has characterised the work he does under the We Are Kerala flag, and now at his brand new Fitzroy eatery Toddy Shop, presenting the classic Goan ros omelette. Bringing it all home is Helly Raichura, showing all the elegance and ingenuity that have made her Carlton fine-diner Enter Via Laundry one of the most talked-about Indian restaurants in the country, closing the brunch in high style with a falooda, a sweet favourite of Mughali cuisine. Tickets include a three-course brunch, coffee from Melbourne’s own Inglewood Coffee Roasters, and sparkling wine on arrival from Pizzini.

The 2024 program features some of the most compelling culinary talent from around the globe collaborating with Melbourne restaurants and bars as part of the Global Dining Series. Garima Arora brings the food of Gaa, her world-famous post-Noma take on Indian food, from Bangkok to a residency at the former Fat Duck/Dinner space at Crown, and Sarah Cicolini brings her trattoria Santo Palato from Rome to a pop-up in North Melbourne, both open for the length of the festival. The Middle East’s top-ranked restaurant, Orfali Bros, takes over Maha for two nights, hot Hanoi name Sam Tran brings a taste of Gia to Aru, Dan Hong goes sweet-casual at Pidapipo and all-out luxe at Yugen, Neil Perry brings a Restaurant of the Year victory lap for Margaret at Omnia, Chicago birria king Jonathan Zaragoza from Birrieria Zaragoza brings the goat magic to The Lincoln Hotel, Kanji Kobayashi from Michelin-starred Villa Aida in rural Wakayama collaborates with Michael Greenlaw at Atria atop the Ritz-Carlton, celebrated pastry chef Lauren Eldridge from Berowra Waters Inn lands at Di Stasio Carlton for a night of dolce decadence, and London’s Noble Rot founders join forces with Marion to form a wine bar supergroup, just to name a few. The 2024 Global Dining Series is an exchange of ideas, a conversation built around flavour, a place to find new directions and to make new friends.

Following the success of its 2023 activations in the heart of the CBD, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival will again make its home at the city’s cultural hub, Fed Square. All day and into the night, Fed Square will become a magnet for food-loving Melburnians and visitors, celebrating everything that makes Melbourne delicious.

The Fed Square programming 2024 includes the return of Baker’s Dozen, a celebration of Melbourne’s finest bakers, the celeb-inspired sausage sizzle that is Celebrity Sausage, presented by Baker’s Delight, and new for 2024, The Pizza Sessions presented by Gozney, and Dan’s Diner presented by Dan Murphy’s.

Feature Events at Fed Square:

• The Pizza Sessions presented by Gozney– MFWF partners with pizza-oven firebrand Gozney to create approachable and fun pizza good times with guest talents like Joel Bennetts (Fish Shop and Burger Park, Sydney), Ellie Bouhadana (Hope St Radio), Casey Wall (Capitano, Bar Liberty) and Lucy Whitlow (Figlia), alongside choose-your-own-adventure options. Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March
• Celebrity Sausage presented by Bakers Delight – The great Aussie tradition of putting a snag on sliced white meets the ingenuity and wit of some of the state’s best-loved performers, entertainers and cooks returns for 2024, with sausage sangas from Clare Bowditch, Daen Lia and Sarah Todd, just to name a few. Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March
• Baker’s Dozen – The large-format celebration of Melbourne’s obsession with cakes and baking returns, bringing together a group of the city’s finest bakers and cakers, including Black Star, Tarts Anon, Bread Club, Holy Sugar and Kudo, for an even huger two days. Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March
• Dan’s Diner presented by Dan Murphy’s – Taking its cues from your deepest diner daydreams and ramping up the food with the culinary brilliance of an all-Dan chef line-up, with the all-star likes of Dan Hunter (of three-hat regional Victorian trailblazer Brae), Daniel Puskas (from three-hat Sydney restaurant Sixpenny) and Daniel Wilson (from the powerhouse that is Yakimono) leading the charge on the food, this is a diner like you’ve never seen before. And to drink? It wouldn’t be a Dan Murphy’s experience without a mouth-watering array of drinks of all kinds from crisp cocktails from Daniel Docherty of hit new Collingwood bar Commis and refreshing non-alcs, to great Victorian wines and beers at every price point. In addition to opening for lunch, dinner and drinks every day, the diner hosts one-off special dinners from each of the Dans, plus a full dance-card of great activities, guest talent and drinks adventures. Staged over the 10 days of the Festival at Fed Square, this full-service restaurant and bar will be one of the hottest tables this festival. Lunch, dinner and drinks, Friday 15 March to Sunday 24 March

“Woo!” says Creative Director Pat Nourse. “This festival is going to be huge. We’ve got more events in more places for more people, with more talent from all over. The Global Dining Series has been supersized, with more opportunities than ever to catch the international and interstate visitors whose events get snapped up so fast. Come to Melbourne and make a week of it – we’ve got more than enough for everyone.”

Highlights of the Global Dining Series include:

• Garima Arora, owner and chef of Bangkok hotspot Gaa, and the first female Indian chef to win a Michelin star, in a not-to-be-missed residency at Crown Melbourne. Dinners 15 to 24 March
• Sarah Cicolini, Abruzzese champion of contemporary trattoria cooking at Rome hotspot Santo Palato, will transform Seven Seeds into a little slice of the Piazza Tarquinia, replete with life-changing pasta, for all 10 nights of the festival. Dinners 15-24 March
• Sichuan master chef Zhang Fa, joins us live and direct from Chengdu to show a us a true mapo tofu from the city of its origin at Chef David on 15,16 and 17 March.
• Noble Rot founders Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew and chef Stephen Harris (also of The Sportsman) join the team at Marion on Wednesday 20 March, chalking up a board of wine treasures you won’t want to miss.
• Jonathan Zaragoza, the chef who made roasted goat a star in Chicago, brings his Birrieria Zaragoza to The Lincoln Hotel in Carlton on 20 March.
• Sam Tran, whose work at Hanoi restaurant Gia is leading the charge for a confident contemporary cuisine scene in Vietnam, cooking at the 2023 Good Food Guide restaurant of the year, Aru, on 19 and 20 March.
• Mohamed Orfali, Syrian-born co-owner and chef of Orfali Bros, Dubai’s most influential modern Middle Eastern restaurant, will be cooking with Shane Delia at the mighty Maha on 19 and 20 March.

Eat Drink Westside, a much-loved feature of the Festival, is a unique collaboration between Melbourne’s western region councils and Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, powered by the region’s culinary gems and enviable food community. A key part of 2024’s Eat Drink Westside offering is Westside Wanders, a special series of moveable feasts or Wanders across Melbourne’s west including Werribee, Footscray, Ascot Vale and Sunshine. Each Wander takes intimate groups of food lovers to three venues, with a MFWF host leading you on a mini tour, stopping for a bite, a drink, or a snack at each spot.

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s Special Events program presented by Square returns for 2024 where a world of adventure awaits you, with the chance to broaden your horizons and your palate. Whether it is eating or drinking, cooking or dancing, classical tradition or the latest trends, the chefs and restaurateurs, drinks makers, producers, community organisations and party people of Melbourne have curated an event for you. The 2024 Special Events program, to be announced in January, extends to 200 events across Melbourne.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said: “Dining out in Melbourne is a memorable and world-class experience and the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival offers ten days of exciting events that showcase Victoria’s finest produce and culinary talent to communities across Melbourne.”

“We’re proud to support this long-running celebration of Melbourne’s food and drink scene and look forward to welcoming food lovers from near and far again in 2024, providing a boost to local businesses and jobs.”

Chris Andrews, La Trobe Financial Chief Executive Officer said: “We are delighted to announce our expanded collaboration with the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, elevating our role to principal partner for 2024. Our commitment to supporting events that foster community and togetherness is deeply ingrained in our identity. We are honoured to be part of this special event, where the essence of shared moments and celebration takes centre stage.”

“Since 1952, La Trobe Financial has been an integral part of the life of this city and nation. We have an unwavering belief in supporting small businesses and initiatives that bring people together from all walks of life,” continued Andrews.

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is supported by Victoria’s tourism and major events company, Visit Victoria.

Tickets for the 2024 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, presented by La Trobe Financial, go on sale Thursday 1 February to the general public, with a pre-sale from Monday 29 January for Melbourne Food & Wine Festival subscribers.

The 2024 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival runs 15 to 24 March; for full details and all ticket sales visit mfwf.com.au; follow MFWF on Instagram at @melbfoodandwine for regular updates.

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