The award-winning Jamaica Food & Drink Festival returns to Kingston from Thursday, March 5 to Sunday, March 8, 2026, following last November’s postponement due to Hurricane Melissa.

Now in its 12th year, the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival remains a three-time recipient of the World Culinary Awards Caribbean’s Best Culinary Festival, most recently in 2025. The event brings together world-class chefs, live reggae performances and a showcase of local coffee culture in one immersive four-day celebration. It continues to position Kingston as a leading culinary destination in the region, attracting chefs, visitors and tastemakers from across Jamaica, the wider Caribbean, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Presented by Visa and hosted by CB Foods, the 2026 staging will feature four signature experiences. The 2026 staging will feature four of the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival’s signature events: Kuyah (March 5), Decade 2.0 (March 6), Meet Street & The Market (March 7), and Boozy Brunch (March 8).

Festival Director Alicia Bogues said the return reflects the strong support the event continues to receive.

“People come to Kingston for this festival every year, from across Jamaica and throughout the region, and we’ve felt that support even during the postponement,” Bogues said. “March 5 to 8 is our moment to bring everyone back together and to celebrate how far Jamaica’s culinary scene has come. We’re ready.”

Tickets are available at www.jafoodanddrink.com, Jamaica Food & Drink Kitchen in Progressive Shopping Centre, Uncorked Too in Constant Spring, CPJ Market and Genus Pharmacy in Portmore.

Page 2 whets the appetite by harking back to past iterations.

Street Side Eats Patrons soaked up the atmosphere and savoured the offerings at Meet Street in 2024. Karl Mclarty

Flame On! Executive Chef Brian Lumley brought the heat during a live culinary showcase. Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival

Serving Up Flavour… … was Chef Gariel Ferguson who represented CB Foods at an earlier edition. Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival

Coming In From The Cold International blogger Antonia Fifi made the trip from Canada in 2024 to savour the island’s culinary delights. Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival

Triple Threat (From left) Gal pals Alexandra Dallas, Jada Harris and Brittany Gordon showed out for a previous iteration. Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival

Tropical Toast Phoenix Vision Center CEO Claudia Oltrege celebrated luxury at Brunch by the River in 2024. Photo courtesy of Jamaica Food and Drink Festival

Textured Tastes Content creator Rushane “Rush Cam” Campbell paused for a photo-op. Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival

Bites & Besties Toni-Ann Bedassie (left) and Dr Ashleigh Brown sampled the diverse festival offerings. Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival

Sippin’ Pretty Core Club Wellness Studio CEO Victoria Colahar (left) and Danielle Armond enjoyed cocktails at a previous staging of the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival in Kingston. Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival

.