Tasting Australia

Tasting Australia is South Australia’s food and drink festival, presented by Journey Beyond. The organisers describe it as “a festival of eating and drinking, bringing together the people, produce and places that define Australian food culture”. Each year, according to the festival, more than 150 events take place across Adelaide and regional South Australia, with the festival extending across all 12 of the state’s regions.

Tasting Australia 2027

The 2026 festival ran from 8 to 17 May 2026. For 2027 the organisers had announced the dates when this page was checked, on 29 September 2026. Watch the official site for the programme.

What to eat and drink

• South Australian wine. The state’s wine regions include the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, the Clare Valley, the Adelaide Hills and Coonawarra.
• Seafood from the gulfs. Oysters from Coffin Bay, Spencer Gulf prawns and King George whiting are South Australian names to look for on menus.
• Town Square. The festival hub is free to enter, the easy first stop of a festival trip.

When to come

Ten days, across two weekends, give room to combine Adelaide events with a trip into a wine region. Pick the regional events first, since they need transport, then fill the Adelaide days around them. Late April and May are autumn in Australia, with cooler evenings. If you plan a cellar-door day, check each winery’s opening hours before you set off.

Good to know

• The legal drinking age in Australia is 18.
• The Adelaide Central Market, a covered food market a block west of Victoria Square, is a stop for local produce between events.
• The Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale are two of the state’s wine regions.

Getting there

Adelaide Airport is west of the city centre. Victoria Square sits at the centre of the city grid, served by the tram, which runs on to Glenelg, Adelaide’s beach suburb. For regional events, a car or a tour is the way out of the city.

Where to stay and budget

The city centre, around Victoria Square, is the practical base for the Adelaide events. Town Square is free. For the other events, check the price of each on the official site, then add accommodation and transport to the regions.

Combine with

The Barossa Valley, 50 to 60 minutes by car north-east of Adelaide, has cellar doors with tastings from 10 Australian dollars in this guide. In other states, the guide also compares tastings in the Hunter Valley and in Margaret River.