Italian Festa & Expo 2026
17–18 October 2026 · Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton · Free entry
Video
/ Programme
Welcome to the Festa
Four worlds, one weekend — pick a doorway and step into the piazza.
LIVE & LOUD
Entertainment
Live music, shows and roaring engines fill the weekend with sound and motion.
STREET FOOD
Eat & Drink
From pizza and pasta to arancini and dolci, every Italian flavour lands on a plate.
MARKET STALLS
Shopping
Browse the deli stalls and pantry finds, then take a taste of Italy home.
EXPLORE & LEARN
Discovery
Wander the Royal Exhibition Building through regions, art, coffee and the stories behind it all.
Entertainment
MAIN STAGE
Live Shows
Singers, dancers and bands take the main stage from afternoon into evening, all weekend long.
AFTER DARK
Italo Disco
When the lights drop, the stage turns electric for a glittering night of retro Italian beats.
OPEN AIR
Beer Garden
Pull up a stool under the open sky, raise a cold one and let the night unfold.
ON THE START LINE
Sport
Cycling, calcio and the friendly rivalries Italians carry into every game and every road.
CHROME & CURVES
Classic Cars
Gleaming Italian motoring icons parked beneath the great dome of the Royal Exhibition Building.
ANCIENT ROME
SPQR
Red-shielded legionaries march back to life for living-history drills you can stand right beside.
FAMILY ZONE
Kids & Families
Hands-on workshops, games and roving characters keep the little ones laughing all weekend.
APERITIVO
Bar Italia
Spritz, negroni and Italian classics poured all day at the festival’s own piazza bar.
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Festa Shop
Take a piece of the piazza home with official Festa 2026 merch, then back the weekend with a raffle ticket and a shot at sponsor prizes.
/ Programme
Shopping
Wander the market stalls and take a little piece of Italy home with you.
PANTRY & DELI
The Salumi Counter
Cured meats sliced to order, regional cheeses and shelves of preserves to stock your kitchen.
WINE & CELLAR
The Cantina
Italian wines, spirits and golden olive oils, with a pour to taste before you carry one home.
HOMEWARES & DESIGN
La Casa Bella
Hand-painted ceramics, clever kitchen tools and design pieces that bring Italian style to the table.
FASHION & GIFTS
Threads & Trinkets
Apparel, accessories and small treasures to gift, wear and remember the weekend by.
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Expo Sapori
Pull up to Expo Sapori for a guided food and wine tasting, or sink into the IF International Jazz Club after dark. Both run on limited seats across the weekend.
/ Programme
Eat & Drink
Street food from every corner of Italy, all sizzling under one roof.
WOOD-FIRED
Pizza
Blistered Neapolitan rounds pulled straight from the wood-fired oven, folded and eaten on the move.
MADE FRESH
Pasta
Hand-rolled ribbons and pillowy gnocchi tossed to order in rich, slow-simmered sauces.
STREET CLASSIC
Panini
Crusty rolls stuffed with porchetta, mortadella and melting provolone, pressed warm to order.
REGION BY REGION
Regional Specialties
Dishes that travelled straight from the hills and harbours of twenty Italian regions.
FROM SICILY
Arancini
Golden saffron rice balls with molten ragù centres, fried crisp and dusted with crumb.
SLOW-COOKED
Rice & Soups
Creamy risotto and rib-warming bowls of ribollita and minestrone, ladled steaming from the pot.
DOLCE
Sweets & Bakery
Cream-filled cannoli, crisp sfogliatelle and fresh maritozzi from the festival bakery counter.
OFF THE GRILL
Meat & BBQ
Charred salsiccia, spiedini and rolling porchetta carved hot off the coals all weekend.
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Call to action
Pull up to Expo Sapori for a guided food and wine tasting, or sink into the IF International Jazz Club after dark. Both run on limited seats across the weekend.
/ Programme
Discovery
Wander deeper into Italy — its regions, flavours, sounds and stories, all under one roof.
ROME TO SICILY
Regions of Italy
Travel the whole peninsula in a weekend, from northern alpine valleys to sun-baked island shores.
TASTE & POUR
Expo Sapori
A premium tasting showcase where sommeliers pour the wines and producers share each story.
AFTER DARK
IF Jazz Club
Settle into an intimate cocktail lounge for Italian and international jazz long into the evening.
OPEN AIR
Night Cinema
Italian films screen under the stars against the lit-up facade of the Royal Exhibition Building.
ON STAGE
Cooking Demos
Watch guest chefs cook live, trading the little secrets that make a dish unmistakably Italian.
ESPRESSO
Coffee Culture
Pull up a chair for proper Italian espresso and watch baristas turn a cup into craft.
HERITAGE
Community
Meet the Italian-Australian groups keeping language, tradition and family heritage warmly alive.
ARTE & STILE
Art & Design
Step inside a showcase of Italian art, design and lifestyle staged within the heritage halls.
/ 01 — Sponsors & partners
Made possible by
A small selection of our major partners. See all sponsors on the Sponsors page.
Tier · 01
Major Partners
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Plan your weekend
Two days, eleven zones, hundreds of moments. Build a path that works for your group — solo, family, foodie, or first-time visitor.