Attention Queenslanders! (Although foodies from anywhere probably want to pay attention too). FEASTival, the flavour-charged heart of Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, is back on 26–27 September with emu on the coals, a Torres Strait chef reinventing the humble footy pie, and enough wine, beer and gin tastings to justify calling it a long lunch.
Here’s your sign to lock in your ticket before this thing sells out.
The Headliner: Nornie Bero Is Bringing the Torres Strait to Toowoomba
If you don’t know Nornie Bero yet, get ready to become obsessed. She’s a proud Island woman from the Komet Tribe of the Meriam people, a chef with three decades in professional kitchens, the author of Native Ingredients Every Day, and the host of SBS’s Island Echoes. She cooks like she tells stories – with fire, soul and an unshakeable connection to Country.
This is Nornie’s first ever visit to Toowoomba, and she’s genuinely stoked about it. Across the weekend, she’ll be live over the coals cooking emu, crocodile and kangaroo, turning native Australian produce into something that feels both ancient and completely of-the-moment.
Catch her at:
- Saturday: 11.30am, 2.30pm, 5.30pm
- Sunday: 1.30pm, 4.30pm, 6.30pm
And if you want a taste of her genius before you get there – track down her wallaby pie. It’s her cheeky, native-ingredient reimagining of the Four’N Twenty, playing with nostalgia and Australian identity while quietly asking what “Aussie food” actually means. It’s the kind of dish that sums up everything she does: playful, unapologetic, deeply rooted in culture.
Beyond the kitchen, Nornie’s also behind Farm My School, a not-for-profit turning unused school grounds into regenerative gardens, where she runs “Cooking on Country” workshops teaching kids to grow, cook and understand native produce. So when she’s plating up kangaroo in Queens Park, there’s decades of story behind every bite.
The Rest of the Chef Lineup Is Nothing to Sneeze At Either
Nornie’s not carrying this solo. Joining her on the FEASTival stage – and all included in your general admission, because this festival doesn’t gatekeep flavour:
- Simon Toohey: Boundary-pushing technique, bold ideas, serious local-produce flexing. Catch him Saturday 1.30pm/4.30pm/6.30pm, Sunday 11.30am/2.30pm/5.30pm.
- Dominique Rizzo: A Mediterranean-leaning icon who turns every session into a flavour-and-culture road trip. Saturday and Sunday, 12.30pm and 3.30pm.
Sip & Savour: Your Free Pass to Queensland’s Best Drops
Also folded into general admission are the Sip & Savour sessions, a genuinely excellent excuse to day-drink responsibly and call it “regional tourism research.”
- Wine tastings: Prosecco to Pinot Noir, running 11.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm.
- Beer appreciation: For the craft-beer die-hards and the “what’s a pilsner again” crowd alike, at 12pm, 1.30pm, 3pm and 4.30pm.
- Distillery tastings: Farm-to-bottle stories from gin to whisky, running 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm and 5pm.
These sessions are hosted by the actual producers making the stuff, and they fill up fast — advance ticket holders, plan your moves.
Want to Go Full Main Character? Upgrade
- Canopy Club ($113 for two adults): Reserved seating under the trees with prime views over the Flavour Lab stage, plus a bottle of wine or four-pack of craft beer, glassware, and two food vouchers delivered straight to your table. Running 12–2pm and 3–5pm across both days.
- Mixing Bowl: Hands-on culinary workshops with guest hosts – tips, tricks and a genuinely fun way to level up your kitchen game.
- Handmade Hub: Leave with something you actually made – painted drink coasters with The Sip Studio, or paint-a-piece ceramics with The Wonky Wheel Pottery Studio.
FEASTival isn’t just a weekend of good eating – it’s Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers’ way of putting Queensland’s growers, brewers, distillers and chefs directly in front of a national audience, while the Botanic Gardens does its usual show-stopping thing just across the way. Great produce, great weather, and a First Nations chef sharing decades of story through kangaroo and croc – that’s not a normal Saturday in regional Queensland. That’s FEASTival.
When is FEASTival Toowoomba 2026?
FEASTival runs 26–27 September, part of Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers (18 September – 5 October 2026). Get on it and grab your tickets before the good sessions book out.
