Pair’d, the foodie festival held in Margaret River, has released its 2026 program, featuring more than 40 wine-led events spread across beaches, forests, caves, and vineyards over four days, from November 19th to 22nd. Tickets are on sale now, and some events have already sold out. And sadly, we didn’t manage to secure tickets to a couple of the events we wanted in time, like Nature’s Table.
Anyway, now in only its third year, Pair’d has just become the only Australian festival to be recognised at the international Eventex Awards. It shows you the quality of events that Tourism WA has been attracting to this festival, and this year is probably the strongest lineup yet.
Fire, smoke, and a return home for Dave Pynt
The festival’s biggest drawcard sold out within minutes last year, and it’s back. Western Australian-born chef Dave Pynt, of Singapore’s Burnt Ends, returns for Burnt Ends & Friends at Wills Domain — another event we missed out on — this time joined by American pitmaster and Netflix figure Rodney Scott, Hong Kong’s Matt Abergel of Yardbird, Larissa Goncalves of Si Paradiso, and Ben Cross of Mason Bali for a smoke-fuelled masterclass in global barbecue.
Wills Domain also hosts An Evening with the Pitmasters on opening night, an intimate live-fire feast pairing Rodney Scott with Morgan McGlone of The Goodies Group.
A sunset set from Kruder & Dorfmeister
Austrian electronic duo Kruder & Dorfmeister, pioneers of the “Vienna Sound” and passionate members of the wine industry themselves, return to Australia for the first time in more than a decade, playing two exclusive sunset sets at Pair’d Beach Club on Meelup Beach.
The Beach Club itself brings together two ex-Noma alumni: Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson, chef-owner of Michelin-starred Published on Main and number 17 in North America’s 50 Best, and Ben Ing, Noma’s former head chef, now behind Alberta’s in Busselton. Guests arrive to oysters, sparkling, and coastal spritzes, then choose between a three-course Beach Club Restaurant menu matched with Margaret River wines curated by sommelier Cyndal Petty, or the more relaxed Beach Bar. WA seafood chef Scott Bridger of Pearla and Co. will be running a live raw bar throughout the event.
Two Michelin-starred London collaborations
For anyone chasing the stars, two events pair Margaret River estates with acclaimed London kitchens. Vasse Felix x Bonheur unites Vasse Felix chef Cam Jones and winemaker Virginia Willcock with Gordon Ramsay protégé Matt Abé, of Bonheur, who earned two Michelin stars within months of opening.
Wayfinder x St John sees Wayfinder’s Brendan Pratt team up with the London restaurant credited with pioneering nose-to-tail dining, on a menu built around the regenerative cycles of the land — merging St John’s whole-animal philosophy with Wayfinder’s soil-first viticulture.
The forest, the cave, and the night sky
Several events lean heavily on the region’s natural settings, such as Nature’s Table, which returns under the canopy of Tanah Marah Forest. Paul Iskov of Fervor and Mindy Wood present a four-course lunch woven around the blooming Peppermint Tree, paired with wines curated by Erin Larkin, and melodies from Noongar artist Bumpy.
Ngilgi Reverie transforms the ancient chambers of Ngilgi Cave into a stage for didgeridoo and a soulful acoustic set from Bumpy, followed by a Cullen Wines-led, bushfood-inspired tasting. Xanadu Wines Under the Stars trades the cave for the open sky, with an evening of food, wine, astronomy, and cultural storytelling.
For the wine obsessives
The Grand Tasting returns to Howard Park Wines as the one day of the year Margaret River’s most iconic producers gather on a single lawn, with a menu from Matt Moran and Aaron Carr, Museum Masterclasses with Erin Larkin and Nick Ryan, and a headline set from Isabella Manfredi of The Preatures.
The hardest-to-get ticket, though, is The History Makers, hosted by Nick Ryan, with food from Dave Pynt and Leeuwin Estate’s Dan Gedge. Just 24 seats, with Leeuwin opening its gallery for museum releases that have never been tasted by the public.
Ryan said: “I’ve drunk a lot of great Margaret River wines in my time, but never have I seen a collection quite like what’s on offer at this dinner.”
Rounding out the program are returning favourites, including New Wave Gathering, which takes over Chow’s Table for a night of Chinese food and live music from indie-electronic act Boo Seeka.
