Music City Food & Wine Festival (MCFW), Nashville’s premier culinary celebration, will return for a second year following its successful relaunch in April 2025 by FW Publishing, one of Tennessee’s largest locally owned media companies. Set for April 24-26 in Centennial Park, the festival will spotlight the best of Nashville’s dynamic food scene through acclaimed local chefs, world-class wine and spirits, one-of-a-kind events and showstopping bites from Music City’s top culinary talent.
MCFW invites locals and visitors alike to rediscover legacy institutions and fresh newcomers that have helped shape Nashville into a must-visit culinary destination. Produced by locals for locals, the festival spotlights the city’s talent while supporting the chefs and restaurateurs defining Nashville’s evolving food culture. The all-star culinary lineup features some of Nashville’s most celebrated chefs alongside emerging talent, including Vivek Surti, the creative force behind Michelin Guide Recommended restaurant Tailor; 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists Julio Hernandez of Maiz de la Vida and Dung “Junior” Vo of Noko Hospitality; Jess Lambert of etch; Marcio Florez of Limo Peruvian; Kristin Beringson of Henley; Brian Riggenbach and Mikey Coronado of Tio Fun and The Mockingbird; Mark Grimes from A. Marshall Hospitality; Frank Pullara of Culaccino and Culamar; Steven Agosto of Prime + Proper; Marcelo Han of Superica; Shane Nasby of Cledis Burgers; Mike Parhm of The Optimist; Jeffrey Martin from UP Hospitality Partners; Julie Oku from O-Ku Sushi Nashville; Chris Espanol from Oak Steakhouse; CJ Jacobson from Aba; Matt Needle from Little Rey; Omar Bernal from The Sicilian Butcher; Andrew Rodriquez from Blue Aster; Chris Ayala from Indaco Nashville; Ty Palms from GATHRE at Hotel Fraye and many more to be announced!
Additional restaurateurs joining the weekend include Mark Waldo of Waldo’s Chicken & Beer, who will host his signature “Waldo Chicken & Chefs” experience, where some of the South’s most celebrated chefs collaborate on bites and cook live for guests on Friday and Saturday of the festival. Included in this special lineup of regional and local chefs is Ben Brainard from Waldo’s, Leigh Kingsbery from The Sauce Boss, and Andrew Dodd from Little Hats Italian Market.
The lineup is just getting started, with more chefs and culinary standouts to be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more updates on musiccityfoodandwinefest.com.
Music City Food & Wine Festival is more than a weekend — it’s a multiday experience. The Intimate Dinner Series will kick off the festival with one-night-only dinners hosted Monday, April 20, through Thursday, April 23, at restaurants across the city including Prime + Proper, Tailor, Marsh House, V Modern Italian, GATHRE at Hotel Fraye, Deacon’s New South, Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery Restaurant, The Westin, Culaccino Nashville and Henley x The Shack & The Skillet. Designed as unique, chef-driven experiences, the series offers guests a rare opportunity to dine with some of Nashville’s most celebrated culinary talent with distinctive collaborations and off-menu specials.
Friday night kicks things off with a bang at the new-for-2026 Southern Fried Hootenanny, presented by Waldo’s Chicken & Chefs. The tasting event at Centennial Park will feature down-home dishes from more than 25 local restaurants, specialty whiskeys and craft cocktails made with regional spirits, a Beer Garden presented by Bearded Iris Brewing and of course, honky-tonk-style tunes from Robert’s Western World. Whether guests come for the food, the music or both, the Hootenanny will deliver an unforgettable night of signature Southern hospitality.
Saturday marks the heart of the festival with the Grand Tasting, featuring a diverse array of samples from more than 50 wine and spirits brands, alongside bites from more than 40 of Nashville’s top restaurants. Participating restaurants include Aba, Acme, A-Roi, Blue Aster, Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Cledis Burgers & Beers, Culaccino Nashville, Daddy’s Dogs, Deacon’s New South, Decker & Dyer, Dos Santos, etch, etc., Five Points Pizza, GATHRE at Hotel Fraye, Germantown Café, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, HEARTS Nashville, Henley, Indaco, Joyland, Karrington Rowe, Kase x Noko, LA Jackson, Limo Peruvian, Little Rey, Mesero, The Mockingbird, Oak Steakhouse, O-Ku, The Optimist, Park Café, Postino Wine Bar, Prime + Proper, Puckett’s Restaurant, Ricey & Co., Ruby Sunshine, Saffire Restaurant, The Sicilian Butcher, Soho House Nashville, The Southern Steak & Oyster, Superica, Sushi | Bar, Sushi San, Taco Bamba, Tio Fun, Villa Castrioti, Waldo’s Chicken & Beer and more to be announced. In addition to curated bites, Grand Tasting guests can enjoy live demonstrations, educational experiences, the Mixology Competition, wine seminars and live music throughout the night.
The festival concludes Sunday with the Food Faire, a free-to-attend market that invites locals to eat, sip and shop their way around Centennial Park from more than 50 vendors and food purveyors. Participating booths include beloved food trucks and specialty cuisine vendors popping up for the day alongside local artisans selling specialty goods. Guests of the Food Faire Market will also get to enjoy live music and to try samples and learn from culinary and wine seminars onsite.
MCFW is also proud to present the return of Big Gay Brunch, a series of special brunch events hosted across the city at restaurants and rooftops including Play by Suzy Wong’s, Canvas and LA Jackson, on Saturday, April 25. Guests can expect delicious food, brunch cocktails, and of course, over the top entertainment! A full schedule of events is available on the MCFW website.
Tickets for Music City Food & Wine Festival 2026 are now on sale, with a variety of options available for every type of food and drink enthusiast:
Weekend VIP Pass (starting at $449): This all-access ticket includes unlimited food and beverage tastings at both the Southern Fried Hootenanny on Friday, April 24, and the Grand Tasting on Saturday, April 25, along with access to the VIP Lounge from Friday through Sunday. VIP guests will enjoy complimentary bar service, exclusive bites, a dedicated VIP entry line, reserved seating at chef demonstrations and wine seminars, commemorative swag, VIP lanyards and additional surprises throughout the weekend.
Weekend General Admission (starting at $225): Weekend general admission tickets include access to both signature tasting events at Centennial Park — the Southern Fried Hootenanny on Friday, April 24, and the Grand Tasting on Saturday, April 25.
Southern Fried Hootenanny Experience (starting at $125): Presented by Waldo’s Chicken & Chefs, the Southern Fried Hootenanny features live music, unlimited bites from more than 25 local restaurants, chef collaborations and bottomless sips from the Whiskey & Beer Garden and wine exhibitors. Event access begins at 6 p.m. Friday, April 24.
Grand Tasting Experience (starting at $125): The festival’s signature event, the Grand Tasting offers unlimited food and beverage samples from more than 100 local restaurants, wineries, beer and spirits brands. Guests can also enjoy chef demonstrations, wine seminars, live music and the Mixology Competition. Event access begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25.
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