- Food and wine festival Taste Great Southern to return with new three-year deal
- Refreshed four-day format to showcase best of the region
- Expected to attract thousands of visitors from outside the region over the next three years, generating millions for the local economy
- Supported by the WA Government
The Great Southern region's flagship food and wine festival, Taste Great Southern, is set to return for three more years and with a fresh new look in 2025.
Taste Great Southern is a premier culinary destination event in Western Australia's events calendar that celebrates the region's local talent and venues, premium produce, unique cultural heritage, and natural beauty.
The event is expected to attract thousands of visitors from outside the Great Southern region over the next three years, generating millions of dollars for the local economy.
Based primarily in Albany and Denmark, the festival will run in a new four-day format from Thursday, 1 May to Sunday, 4 May in 2025, and next year will include interactive town takeovers in Mount Barker, Porongurup, Frankland River and Katanning, to encourage visitors to explore undiscovered locations.
The festival will feature a line-up of world-class chefs and a packed schedule of events including a journey through the vines in Denmark, chef collaborations, wine masterclasses, and premium produce pop-ups, all aimed at showcasing local businesses and the region.
Taste Great Southern will be delivered by new owner Australia's South West in 2025, with destination event specialists AHOY Management, known for their work on Cabin Fever Festival and Pair'd Margaret River Region, to lead management of the event.
Taste Great Southern is proudly supported by the WA Government.
For more information, visit www.australiassouthwest.com/events/taste-great-southern .
As stated by Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Taste Great Southern has been an important festival on our State's culinary events calendar for over 20 years and has given local hospitality businesses and tourism operators an economic boost and unique platform to showcase the world-class food and wine coming from their region.
"This well-established event plays a significant role in driving visitors to the region and we're very proud to be supporting it for three more years through this new agreement.
"Taste Great Southern is the perfect event to centre a self-drive holiday around, and I encourage travellers to hit the road next May to explore the wider region, before heading along to this great event."
As stated by Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
"Food fans and wine-lovers will be spoilt for choice as talented chefs and local producers showcase the very best of what the Great Southern region has to offer over four days at next year's Taste Great Southern.
"Events are vital for supporting and diversifying our regional economies, so we're very proud to be supporting Taste Great Southern for a further three years, which will drive benefits for a broad range of local businesses, from farms to wineries, and create jobs for the local community."
As stated by Warren Blackwood MLA Jane Kelsbie:
"Taste Great Southern is definitely a highlight on the calendar for our community, so it's fantastic to hear it's been extended for a further three years.
"We're always excited to welcome people from outside the region, particularly when it provides an economic boost to our local producers and businesses."
As stated by Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens:
"As a long-time supporter of Taste Great Southern, I am excited to experience the new format and approach to the festival that shows off the best our region has to offer - exquisite local food and drinks, a stunning natural environment and incredible cultural heritage.
"This three-year extension further adds to Albany's reputation as a must-visit tourism destination, and provides visitors with a reason to visit as the weather starts to cool down."
