Taste of Abu Dhabi 2026: Full chef line-up, workshops, pop-ups and ticket packages revealed
Gino D’Acampo, Rachel Allen among the top chefs
Think of all the past editions of Taste of Abu Dhabi as appetisers, and we are finally ready to move on to the main course. This year, the annual food festival is returning with more food, more workshops, more chefs… you get the idea.
The festival will serve up an unforgettable time between Nov 13 and 15 at Yas Gateway Park North.
Here’s what you’ve got to plan for:
Celebrity chef workshops
You don’t even have to bring your own aprons – just a can do attitude and an appetite to learn. Familiar faces like Italian chef Gino D’Acampo will be running hands-on workshops where you can learn some old tips and some new tricks on how to make a dish level up. Irish TV personality Rachel Allen is also expected this year after a popular debut at the Dubai version in 2025.
Thomas Straker, classically trained chef, restaurateur and food entrepreneur, is also heading to the Taste of Abu Dhabi kitchens.
These workshops are free to attend – just ensure you are around during class time for spots go on a first-come first-served basis and open an hour before the action.
Other chefs on the workshop menu card are:
Jenny Morris, aka The Giggling Gourmet
Faisal Naser
Vanessa Bayma
Joseph Nesbitt-Larking
Andrew Dickens
Richard Stratton
Dave Kimmerly
Hunter Burkall
Fred Casagrande
Annika Panikker
Shamal More
Sergio Freitas
Leonardo Luza Lillo
Hartono Julianto
Samuel Momoh
Rene Cerda
Omkar Padwal
Michelle Tredoux
Francisco Araya
Durgesh Dabral
Bilal Louna
Adetoyosi Odufuye
And besides them, there are pasta making and coffee brewing workshops on site too.
What are we eating?
Sixteen pop-ups will be at Taste of Abu Dhabi with special menus with four-five taster-sized cooked up just for the occasion - come prepared to dig in. So far the restaurants that are confirmed are:
Oak Room
The Director’s Club
Ergon
99 | Tanjun
Almayass
Beetza
Ting Irie
Paradiso
Pincode By Kunal Kapur
Desert Lotus
What about Live entertainment?
Winter calls for not only good food and time outdoors but also live entertainment as the breeze nips at you. And so, the carnival atmosphere will carry on the whole day; the confirmed acts include:
Dubai-based music collective Gorgeous George
Singer-songwriter Abri
Jazz fusion artist Jose Ramon
Guitarist Adam Mezi
DJ and MC Talk of The Town
DJ and MC Saif And Sound
DJ Whiteboy
DJ Akmaral
South African singer-songwriter Aston Wylie
Band of Brodas
The Nomads
Dario Madrigal
Amine
Acoustic Energy
Hydyy Brown
Ryan Gibb
What are some other highlights of the food fest?
A mega Kids' Zone for the tots with time for activities while their parents discover new flavours
VIP Experiences, which include fast-track entry, food and drink vouchers and access to the chilled out VIP Lounge
Artisan producers, local businesses and leading brands will serve up their best
What is a ticket going to cost me and what are the inclusions?
To enter, you can choose between four packages: Standard, Taster, VIP, and Team.
Standard
Price: Dh80
Inclusions:
One-day entry to the event
Access to Taste culinary workshops (registration first-come first-served on the day)
Taster
Price: Dh185
Inclusions:
Day-long entry
2 food vouchers
2 drink vouchers
Access to live chef demos, culinary workshops
VIP
Price: Dh350
Inclusions:
Fast-track entry
3 food vouchers
4 drink vouchers
Access to the Taste VIP Lounge
Access to live chef demos, culinary workshops
Team
Friday Work Social Packages are available for groups of 8 or more.
Price: Dh130/per person
Inclusions:
Friday entry before 3pm, food vouchers and VIP Lounge access
Kids under 12 get in free.
So if you are looking for a spot to unwind while nibbling on good food and listening to good music, this is the food festival you want to try. It really is the main course.
