NYC Wine & Food Festival 2026: Tickets, Top Events, Chefs and What to Expect
New York City is gearing up for another major celebration of food, wine, and culinary culture as the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, presented by Invesco QQQ, returns to Lower Manhattan from October 15 through October 18, 2026. The 19th annual festival will feature more than 50 events and more than 300 chefs, restaurateurs, culinary personalities, winemakers, mixologists, creators and entertainers. The main festival hub will be the Invesco QQQ Festival Campus in the Seaport, with The Rooftop at Pier 17 playing a major role in this year’s program.
For New Yorkers and visitors deciding which events to attend, the festival offers everything from burger competitions and grand tastings to chef hosted dinners, international food showcases, creator events, and celebrations of New York’s diverse culinary communities.
What Is New at NYCWFF 2026?
One of the most notable changes this year is the expanded use of The Rooftop at Pier 17. The waterfront venue will host several headline events, including Blue Moon Burger Bash, Steak & Whiskey, New York After Dark, and The Cookout. The 2026 festival is also putting a strong emphasis on New York’s culinary identity. Instead of simply bringing celebrity chefs together, the program includes events focused on specific cuisines and communities.
Highlights include a Peruvian food showcase hosted by Nobu Matsuhisa, Flavors of Bollywood featuring Indian cuisine, a celebration of Black food and culture, and New York After Dark hosted by Kwame Onwuachi. The festival is centered in the Seaport, but programming also extends to other restaurants and event spaces around Manhattan, including STORIED, Gitano NYC, Charlie Palmer Steak IV, CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Benoit, Hav & Mar, and other locations.
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The Events to Know
Dozens of events fill the 2026 calendar, but several stand out for their mix of recognizable names, distinctive food themes, and New York connections. Blue Moon Burger Bash opens the festival’s major event lineup on Thursday, October 15, at The Rooftop at Pier 17. Hosted by Rachael Ray and Bert Kreischer, the event brings competing chefs together for a burger competition featuring both Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice awards. General admission is currently listed at $215, including the stated fee. Also on Thursday is A Culinary Journey Through Peru, hosted by Nobu Matsuhisa at STORIED. The $215 event will spotlight Peruvian cuisine and marks Matsuhisa’s first confirmed NYCWFF appearance, according to the festival’s announcement. Friday brings Steak & Whiskey, featuring Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, as well as Flavors of Bollywood, hosted by Maneet Chauhan and Vijay Kumar. The latter celebrates Indian food and draws inspiration from India’s film industry. Tickets are currently listed at $240 and $195, respectively.
For fans of acclaimed chefs, Best of the Best will bring together James Beard Award winners, nominees and semifinalists. The Friday event at 48 Wall Street is listed at $195. Saturday’s program includes Oyster Bash, hosted by Andrew Zimmern; the New York Lottery’s Grand Tasting; Tacos & Tequila, hosted by Aarón Sánchez; and Taste of Italy, hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli. Another major Saturday event is New York After Dark, hosted by Kwame Onwuachi at The Rooftop at Pier 17. The event combines food and music, and the festival describes it as a celebration of New York. The current ticket listing names D Nice, while an earlier festival announcement referenced Questlove, so confirm the final music lineup before publication. Sunday continues with FoodieCon, Morning Buzz, a brunch hosted by Marcus Samuelsson and India Doris, another Grand Tasting, and The Cookout, a celebration of Black cuisine, culture and community featuring JJ Johnson, Angela Yee, Whoopi Goldberg and a special performance by Method Man.
Which Chefs and Food Personalities Are Appearing?
The festival’s 300 plus participants include chefs, restaurateurs, beverage professionals, creators, and entertainers. Confirmed names include Kwame Onwuachi, Nobu Matsuhisa, Marcus Samuelsson, Rachael Ray, Andrew Zimmern, Aarón Sánchez, Alex Guarnaschelli, Maneet Chauhan, Michael Symon, Andrew Rea, Bryan Voltaggio, Michael Voltaggio, JJ Johnson, Angie Mar and Charlie Palmer. Several participants have particularly strong ties to New York.
Marcus Samuelsson will host events including a Sunday brunch at Hav & Mar. Ayesha Nurdjaja, known for her New York restaurants Shuka and Shukette, is also part of the program. The festival additionally connects with Brooklyn through Gautier Coiffard, who is associated with L’Appartement 4F. The lineup also extends beyond traditional restaurant programming. FoodieCon brings together creators and food personalities for panels, demonstrations, tastings, challenges, and meet and greets.
How Much Do NYCWFF Tickets Cost?
Ticket prices vary widely by event. The lowest current ticket identified in the official listings is $110 for FoodieCon. Morning Buzz and The Cookout are each listed at $169.99, while several major tasting events cost between $195 and $250. Premium chef dinners can cost considerably more. Angie Mar and Charlie Palmer’s dinner is listed at $430, while the dinner at The Maze NYC is listed at $275.
There are also packages available, including a three-event package listed at $485. Prices and programming can change, and the ticketing information notes that additional taxes and fees may appear during checkout. Most festival events require attendees to be 21 or older, although individual events can have different policies. The festival describes Morning Buzz as an all ages event.
Why the Festival Matters to New York
NYCWFF is more than a collection of celebrity chef appearances. Its 2026 schedule highlights specific cuisines, restaurants, and food communities while using the Seaport as the festival’s central gathering point. The event also supports the Event Zero Foundation and the James Beard Foundation. Festival materials say NYCWFF has generated roughly $15 million in net proceeds for charitable causes over its first 18 years, although official materials cite slightly different figures. The festival also lets visitors experience several sides of New York’s food culture in one weekend. From Peruvian and Indian cuisine to tacos, Italian food, oysters, coffee, and Black culinary traditions, the program goes beyond a standard celebrity chef lineup.
If you’re planning to attend, choose carefully. With individual tickets ranging from $110 to $430, the experience can become expensive quickly. Before purchasing, check the event schedule, venue, ticket inclusions, and final checkout price. The 2026 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival runs October 15 through October 18, with the Seaport and The Rooftop at Pier 17 serving as key locations. With more than 50 events and hundreds of culinary and cultural participants, the festival offers plenty of options. Still, the right choice will depend on the food, chefs, and experiences each visitor wants to see.
