Gino D’Acampo, Thomas Straker and Rachel Allen are coming to Taste of Abu Dhabi
Gino D’Acampo is returning to Taste of Abu Dhabi this November, joined by British chef Thomas Straker and Irish chef Rachel Allen for three days of food, music, and cooking at Gateway Park North, Yas Island.
The festival returns from November 13 to 15, with its biggest culinary line-up yet, bringing chefs, restaurant pop-ups, cooking workshops, live music, and family entertainment to Yas Island.
Gino will be back on the Taste stage for another round of cooking and his usual dose of personality. Thomas Straker, the British chef and restaurateur known for his ingredient-led cooking and huge social media following, will be making his first appearance at the festival.
Rachel Allen, the Irish cookbook author, TV chef, and Ballymaloe Cookery School star, also joins this year’s line-up.
They’ll be joined by Faisal Naser, Jenny Morris, Amna Al Hashemi, Vanessa Bayma, Richard Stratton, Annika Panikker, Fred Casagrande, Andrew Dickens, Joe Nesbitt Larking, Hunter Burkall, and Dave Kimmerly.
You can catch the chefs at the Cook School, Keeta Fire Pit, and Chefs Hub, where they’ll be cooking up recipes and sharing tips along the way. The cooking sessions are included with your festival ticket, with places available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The food line-up is getting bigger, too, with 16 Abu Dhabi restaurants set to serve taster-sized dishes across the festival.
The first names announced include Oak Room, The Director’s Club, 99 | Tanjun, the new concept coming soon from 99 Sushi, Beetza by Erth Hospitality, Ergon by Erth Hospitality, Almayass, Lento, Paradiso, Desert Lotus, Ting Irie, and Pincode by Kunal Kapur.
Each restaurant will serve three to five dishes, so you can try a few different menus in one visit. The remaining restaurant names are still to be announced.
Once you’ve eaten your way around the festival, there’s live music and DJs to keep things going. Performances will take place across the main stage and VIP Lounge, with different acts across the three days.
The confirmed names include Hamdan Al Abri, Gorgeous George, Acoustic Energy, Ryan Gibb, The Nomads DXB, Hydyy Brown, Dario Madrigal, DJ Saif And Sound, DJ Whiteboy, Talk of the Town, DJ Akmaral, The Band of Brodas, Amine Cherit, Aston Wylie, Adam Mezi, and Jose Ramon.
There’s something for the little ones, too, with Little Chefs cooking workshops and a kids’ zone packed with bouncy slides, a bungee jump, arts and crafts, and more. Kids under 12 get in for free.
Where: Gateway Park North, Yas Island
When: Friday, 13 November to Sunday, 15 November 2026
Price: From AED 80
Get your tickets here
