Ubud Food Festival Making A Comeback by Celebrating Farmers and Culinary Icons

In 2025, the Festival set a new attendance record, drawing over 18,000 attendees and around 160 industry leaders from across Indonesia and the region for an action-packed program, making it the strongest festival yet. Featuring over 75 food artisans offering thousands of mouth-watering Indonesian street food options. This year, the Ubud Food Festival will return to Ubud, Bali. From May 28 to 31 2026, they will continue to shape the regional conversation around flavour, sustainability, and cultural identity. With the theme Farmers: Guardians of Land and Sea, this year’s Festival honours the hands that feed us. From volcanic soil to salt-laced shores, the 2026 edition shines a powerful light on the farmers, fishers, and producers who sustain Indonesia’s extraordinary food story.

For four unforgettable days, Ubud becomes a living, breathing feast. At the open-air venue of Taman Kuliner, chefs, growers, artisans, and food lovers gather beneath Bali’s wide skies for a celebration that is as vibrant as it is purposeful. “With the theme, Farmers: Guardians of Land and Sea, we are placing farmers firmly at the centre of the table,” said Founder and Director Janet DeNeefe. “They are not simply suppliers. They are protectors of biodiversity, carriers of knowledge, and custodians of culture. Every dish begins with their work, their care, and their commitment to the land and sea.”

Representing the dynamism of contemporary Indonesian cuisine is Chef Jovan Koraag of Jakarta’s hottest table, Mata Karanjang. His fearless interpretation of Manado cuisine pulses with heat, colour, and intensity, bringing the vibrant flavours of North Sulawesi to the Festival Stage.

At the heart of this year’s Festival stands Balinese chocolate farmer Agung Widyastuti, whose dedication to cultivating local cacao embodies the very spirit of the theme. Her work champions resilience, sustainability, and generational knowledge, reminding us that every indulgent bite begins in the soil.

As one of Southeast Asia’s most influential food festivals, Ubud Food Festival also spotlighted culinary icons from other parts of the world. Leading the international headliners is Bangkok-based Chef Prin Polsuk of the award-winning Samrub Samrub Thai. Known for his deep research into historic Thai recipes, Prin presents cuisine that is precise, elegant, and deeply steeped in tradition, reconnecting diners to flavours that might otherwise be lost.

From Australia, Chef Ben Devlin, Executive Chef and owner of Pipit. Joining him is pastry innovator Kate Reid of Melbourne’s cult-favourite Lune Croissanterie. Adding to the international line-up is Spanish-born Chef Frank Camorra, owner of Melbourne’s iconic MoVida. A pioneer of modern Spanish tapas in Australia. Elevating the beverage programme is acclaimed Australian mixologist Darren Leane from the award-winning Caretaker's Cottage. Celebrated for his inventive technique and bold flavour pairings.

“We are bringing together chefs, farmers, producers, and thinkers to create more than a festival,” said DeNeefe. “This is a celebration of the entire food ecosystem. As we honour Farmers: Guardians of the Land and Sea, we also acknowledge our collective responsibility to protect our ingredients, our traditions and the future of food in Indonesia and beyond.”