The Taste of Kakadu will celebrate over 65,000 years of living culture when the festival returns on Saturday, 23 May 2026, featuring a diverse range of food, art, and cultural experiences. Additionally, supporting events will take place on Friday and Sunday, making for an adventurous and tasty long weekend in Kakadu.
Friday evening events, 22 May
The weekend kicks off on Friday evening with Yarns by the Fire at Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel. Visitors can enjoy bush canapés, meet Bininj artists, and indulge in refreshments, including a special Taste of Kakadu cocktail. The hotel’s Manjmukmuk Restaurant & Bar will offer Taste of Kakadu-inspired dishes on its menu, complemented by limited edition cocktails. These events will be repeated on Saturday evening.
At the main festival site, Bowali Visitor Centre, renowned chefs Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov of Fervor and Ben Tyler of Kakadu Kitchen will present Kinhkinh – Dinner under the stars. The evening begins with canapés and a welcome non-alcoholic drink designed by Ben Tyler. Guests are then invited to settle in for a four-course dégustation menu with expertly matched wines or non-alcoholic beverages, woven with entertainment and stories of connection. The cost is $220 per person and includes free transfers from hotels in Jabiru and Cooinda.
Festival Day activities – Saturday 23 May
The main festival day on Saturday will feature market stalls, free traditional painting workshops, a women’s weaving workshop, and traditional dance performances throughout the day at Bowali Visitor Centre.
Food lovers can explore Kakadu’s flavours through a bush spice workshop led by chef Paul Iskov, where participants learn about Indigenous bush spices and create their own custom blend to take home.
The Kakadu plum workshop offers a chance to discover why this iconic bush food is such a highly prized source of Vitamin C, with participants learning how to harvest, preserve, and celebrate the fruit before heading home with a jar of Kakadu plum preserve.
Festival-goers can take part in a traditional painting workshop, working alongside a Bininj artist to explore ancient painting practices and create their own artwork to take home. They can also join a reptile encounter to safely get up close with Kakadu’s native reptiles—including snakes, lizards, and turtles.
Men and boys can join a bamboo didgeridoo (morle) playing workshop with Aboriginal artist and carver Dale Austin, learning the creation story of the instrument, how it is made, and the cultural protocols associated with it.
Warradjan Cultural Centre in Cooinda will offer Weaving & Painting activities and, from 10:30am, Damper and Fire-Cooked Fish, prepared in traditional ways.
Yellow Water Bush Tucker Cruise
A highlight of the day will be the chance to view Kakadu’s incredible wildlife while enjoying a bush tucker afternoon tea on a Yellow Water Bush Tucker Cruise from 2:45–4:15pm ($130 per person). A local Bininj guide will share deep cultural insights and knowledge of bush foods as passengers glide gently through waterways that have sustained people and nature for millennia. Along the way, discover traditional uses of native plants and learn about the connections between Country, culture, and bush tucker. The bush tucker-inspired afternoon tea box will reflect the tastes and stories of this remarkable landscape, accompanied by refreshing non-alcoholic drinks from Ben Tyler’s Kakadu Kitchen.
Visitors staying on for dinner can then enjoy a special ‘Flavours of Kakadu’ menu at Cooinda Lodge’s Mimi Restaurant.
Sunday 24 May
If fitting in all the activities proves challenging on Saturday, Warradjan Cultural Centre will offer free Weaving & Painting, a Damper & Fire-Cooked Fish demonstration, and ground oven cooking on Sunday.
Kakadu National Park’s Tourism and Visitor Services Manager, Adrian Buman, said Taste of Kakadu delivers an experience found nowhere else in the world.
“This is culture you can taste, hear, see and feel, shared on Country where these stories, skills, and traditions have been alive for more than 65,000 years,” Mr Buman said.
“From harvesting bush foods to learning ancient art and making tools by hand, Taste of Kakadu offers people the rare opportunity to immerse themselves in one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures.
“It’s powerful, immersive and unforgettable, and there’s simply no better place to experience it than here in Kakadu.”
Festival details: https://kakadutourism.com/
Where to Stay
Accommodation fills up quickly, so early bookings are highly recommended for:
- Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel (closest to Bowali Visitor Centre)
- Cooinda Lodge (closest to Yellow Water Cruise)
- Yellow Water Campground (closest to Yellow Water Cruise)
