The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival will return in October with an expanded roster of chefs, artists and beverage specialists, sharpening Baha Mar’s cultural proposition.
Baha Mar will host the fifth Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival from October 21–25, 2026, bringing international chefs, Caribbean culinary voices and artists together at its resort destination in Nassau. Weekend passes went on sale June 9, 2026, according to the announcement, with the programme combining tastings, foundation dining and an art and culinary expo. The event gives Baha Mar a platform to present the resort as a setting where food, art and Bahamian culture intersect.
The festival’s return reflects a tightly defined destination strategy: pairing travel with experiences that are difficult to separate from place. Baha Mar describes the event as a celebration of culinary excellence, artistic expression and Bahamian culture, while this year’s announcement places particular emphasis on Caribbean perspectives. That focus keeps the festival connected to its setting rather than positioning it solely as a gathering of globally recognised restaurant personalities.
The announced culinary roster includes returning and new participants such as Daniel Boulud, Marcus Samuelsson, Scott Conant, Dario Cecchini, Buddy Valastro, Amanda Freitag, Maneet Chauhan, Esther Choi, Claudette Zepeda, Alfredo Villanueva, Tristen Epps, Nina Compton, and Lisa and Chris Binns. Beverage specialists Marv “Mr. Mixx” Cunningham and Noah Rothbaum will also take part. The release highlights Bahamian chef Simeon Hall Jr., Saint Lucia-born Nina Compton, Trinidadian-influenced chef Tristen Epps, and Jamaica’s Stush in the Bush founders as contributors to the festival’s Caribbean emphasis.
The core schedule is designed around a small number of high-profile experiences. Taste of Baha Mar will take place on Friday, October 23, on the Jasmine Lawn, with food from the resort’s signature restaurants, live chef stations and cocktails, followed by a performance from an artist to be announced. Saturday’s Art of the Plate Foundation Dinner will link each course to the work of Caribbean artists, while the FUZE Art & Culinary Expo will run on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25.
Gold and Platinum weekend passes include access to the festival’s principal events, with Platinum adding early admission and enhanced access to the tasting event and expo. Further programming details, including information on the fourth annual FUZE Art Expo, are due to be announced ahead of the festival. For Baha Mar, the structure extends the resort’s hospitality offer into a curated cultural programme, with the Caribbean focus providing a clearer editorial identity for an event now entering its fifth year.
