Taste of Abu Dhabi 2026: Everyone’s Favourite Food Festival is Back

1. When and where is Taste of Abu Dhabi 2026? 

Taste of Abu Dhabi is back in November - from Friday the 13th to Sunday the 15th November 2026 - meaning three action-packed days of food, drinks, cooking classes, dancing and fun! Gates open from 2PM daily, and the good times last into the night - finishing up at 12AM on Friday and Saturday and 10PM on Sunday. 

And the festival’s returning to Gateway Park North, Yas Island - a new location in 2025 that proved to be a crowd favourite, so we’re glad to head back for Taste again this year!

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2. How many Abu Dhabi restaurants will be there?

This year, pop-ups from 16 of Abu Dhabi's favourite restaurants will be in residence - from Michelin-recognised names to homegrown gems! Each restaurant will be serving 4–5 signature taster dishes, with kid-friendly dishes and vegetarian dishes in the mix. 

They haven’t been announced yet - but we can’t wait to see who’s jumping on board.

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3. How much are tickets? 

Early Bird tickets are on sale now! Snap them up before the prices rise - for as little as AED60! 

Standard: AED60 

Taster Package: AED175

VIP Package: AED299

And the best bit? As always, Taste of Abu Dhabi is super family friendly - and that means children under 12 go free!

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4. What does each ticket package include? 

Standard (AED60)

1-day entry to the event

Access to live chef demos & culinary workshops (registration first-come, first-served on the day)

Taster Package (AED175)

1-day entry

2 food vouchers

2 drink vouchers

Access to chef demos & culinary workshops (registration first-come, first-served on the day) 

VIP Package (AED299)

1-day entry with fast-track access

3 food vouchers

4 drink vouchers

Access to the Taste VIP Lounge: plush seating, live entertainment & dedicated bars

Access to chef demos & culinary workshops (registration first-come, first-served on the day) 

Friday Work Social Team Packages are also available - if you’re looking for the perfect team outing to end your work week, take Friday lunch to the next level. Available for groups of 8 or more, packages start from AED130 per person and include Friday event entry before 3PM, food vouchers, optional drinks, and VIP Lounge access. Reach out to marketing@mena-events.com for bookings and more details.

Voucher Inclusions: Vouchers that are part of your package are distributed at entry. Food vouchers can be redeemed at any restaurant pop-up. Drink vouchers may be used for house beverages, select Drink Dry beverages, soft drinks, water, and for VIP guests, select cocktails/mocktails in the VIP Lounge.

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5. Are workshops and live cooking on again this year? 

Easily one of the most popular parts of Taste, the festival’s live cooking workshops are back again this year! Join your favourite celebrity chefs (more on them in a minute!) to cook up their favourite recipes in fun, interactive cooking sessions. The best bit?  Workshops are included free with your event ticket - but they’re available on a first-come, first-served basis, so don’t dilly-dally, places fill up FAST.

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6. Will there be celebrity chefs in 2026? 

Yes - one of the biggest highlights at Taste of Abu Dhabi every year are the celebrity chefs lighting up the kitchen with live demos, great cooking tips and good banter! Watch this space - the 2026 chefs haven’t been announced yet - but in 2025 we loved catching up with Matt Preston of Masterchef Australia Fame, Gino D’Acampo, Shivesh Bhatia, the lovely Jenny Morris and Fred Casagrande, along with many others.

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7. What’s available for kids? 

Last year, over 19,000 people poured through the gates of Taste of Abu Dhabi - and many of them were kids! The Taste team has levelled up their kids offering, with a Mega Kids' Zone packed with games, activities, arts and crafts to keep little foodies entertained all day (kids activities in the Mega Kids’ Zone are charged separately). 

There are also kid-friendly dishes available throughout the festival, plenty of grass for them to run around - and live music all day long for little dancing feet!

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8. What entertainment can we expect? 

It wouldn’t be Taste of Abu Dhabi without live music and entertainment: enjoy live bands, DJs and acoustic performances throughout the festival, plus licensed 21+ lounges and plenty of places to relax and soak up the atmosphere.

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9. What else will be at Taste of Abu Dhabi? 

As well as the 16 dedicated local restaurants in residence, you’ll find all sorts of foodie pop-ups - from cafes to baked goods, snacks and local food brands. There are multiple bars serving all your favourite drinks, and Drink Dry for great mocktails, activations from popular UAE brands, chances to win all sorts of fun prizes, games and activities, even market stalls if you want to scratch your shopping itch - Taste of Abu Dhabi is the definition of ‘something for everyone’. 

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10. How can I keep up with all the latest Taste of Abu Dhabi news? 

Check back here - we’ll keep you posted as we find out more - and find all the latest details on socials: 

• Taste of Abu Dhabi on Instagram 
• Taste of Abu Dhabi website
• Best Bites Abu Dhabi Instagram 
• Best Bites Abu Dhabi Facebook Group

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