EDITION 19
Newcastle Tuna Festival
The catch of the season
Winter usually empties Newcastle’s dining rooms. This July, a month-long celebration of premium seafood is giving Novocastrians a reason to pull up a chair and brave the chill.
Winter has always been the quiet season for hospitality. In 2026 the challenge is sharper than ever, with the city’s restaurants, bars and dining rooms feeling the pressure of emptier tables and tighter margins. Newcastle Tuna Festival was created to turn that on its head, and this year it’s doing so on a bigger scale than ever before.
What began as a two-week celebration built around tuna has grown into a month-long exploration of premium seafood. The expansion hands Newcastle’s chefs the creative freedom to move beyond a single ingredient and show off the full depth of the region’s dining scene.
One dish at a time
At the heart of the festival is the expanded Seafood Trail. Throughout July, venues across the city each serve their own Chef’s Catch: a signature seafood dish designed exclusively for the festival. The trail invites locals and visitors to move through Newcastle one plate at a time, discovering new rooms and new flavours along the way.
Alongside the trail, featured events run throughout the month, offering multi-course seafood menus that put the craftsmanship of Newcastle’s finest chefs front and centre. Whether it’s an intimate degustation or a waterfront dinner, these are designed to give Novocastrians a genuine reason to sit down to something exceptional.
Born in Newcastle
The festival was founded in 2025 by Taiyo Namba of the Namba Group, the team behind some of the city’s most celebrated venues, including Nagisa, Âpé and Susuru: and a former co-owner of the Newcastle Beer Festival. Born out of a passion for exceptional seafood and Japanese culinary tradition, it was created to bring worldclass craftsmanship to Newcastle while shining a light on the city’s thriving hospitality scene. Now in its second year, it draws food lovers from across the region to taste the best the city has to offer.
On the trail
The first wave of confirmed venues spans the city: Arnos, Âpé, Bartholomew’s, Bella Italia, Blanca, Bocados Spanish Kitchen, Crystalbrook Kingsley, Customs House, East End Hub, Foghorn Brewery, George on Darby, Harrisons, Junction Hotel, Kingfish, Maru HiFi, Mary Ellen, Maryville Tavern, Merewether Surfhouse, MIINE, Nagisa, Peregrin, Scotties, Scratchleys, Signal Box, St Lucia, Susuru, The Blind Monk, The Grand, The Happy Wombat, The Prince of Merewether and Urban Restaurant & Wine Bar, with more still to be revealed.
From a single ingredient to a city-wide celebration, Newcastle Tuna Festival has become a genuine reason to gather through the coldest month of the year: one plate, one venue and one new discovery at a time. This July, the best of Newcastle’s dining scene is waiting at the end of the trail.
Newcastle Tuna Festival 2026 runs from 28 June to 31 July. The complete venue list, interactive trail map and featured events are at newcastletunafest.com.au