DJ Irie at 2025 SOBEWFF

Inside the 2026 South Beach Wine & Food Festival: What to Expect and What to Prioritize

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15 Jan 2026

Amber Love Bond

Writer

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As SOBEWFF celebrates 25 years, these are the events, experiences, and planning tips that matter most for making the weekend count.

Every February, Miami briefly turns into a culinary capital, as chefs, winemakers, and spirits producers descend for four days of tastings, dinners, and beachside spectacle. Often described as celebrity chefs’ “spring break,” the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival returns February 19–22, 2026, marking its 25th anniversary.

At its core, SOBEWFF is a party with a purpose. Founder Lee Schrager has long focused on supporting hospitality education, and this year’s fundraising is expected to push the festival past $50 million raised for the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. “Our commitment to supporting FIU and the culinary industry in South Florida has never and will never change,” he says. “It’s been a priority since the festival began 25 years ago.”

Beyond the headline events, the festival features a packed lineup of wine seminars, hands-on cooking classes, and intimate chef dinners hosted throughout the city. From guided pours and technique-focused demonstrations to collaborative meals led by world-class chefs, SOBEWFF offers opportunities to indulge and learn, often in the same sitting.

Whether you’re attending for the first time or returning after past visits, here’s what you need to know about this culinary-focused weekend and what to prioritize.

The Festival’s Anchor Experiences

If you’re building your schedule from the ground up, start with the events that define SOBEWFF. The most iconic is the Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village, a sprawling, tented playground set directly on the sands of South Beach. Taking place Saturday and Sunday afternoons, the Grand Tasting Village is where the festival’s scale comes into focus, with hundreds of chefs, winemakers, and brands offering bites and pours alongside live culinary demonstrations and activations that turn the beach into a full-fledged food campus. It’s the easiest way to experience SOBEWFF in one concentrated window and a rite of passage for first-time attendees.

One practical note: this is a beach event in every sense. Many of the marquee experiences take place on the sand, which means your shoe choice matters. Heels are cute, but they do not mix well with beach terrain. Opt for a chic flat or comfortable sneakers that won’t leave you wobbling by hour two. If you’re attending daytime tent events, sunscreen is non-negotiable. South Beach sun plus hours outside is a recipe for a souvenir you don’t want.

Another iconic SOBEWFF event is Burger Bash, held Thursday night, and it remains one of the festival’s most beloved experiences. Guests eat their way through more than 20 burger variations and vote for their favorites. Meanwhile, Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best takes place Friday evening at Fontainebleau Miami Beach. The event delivers a more polished, wine-forward experience and offers the chance to taste wines from world-class producers alongside dishes from some of the country’s top chefs.

This Year’s Big Signature Nights on the Sand

During SOBEWFF, there is a signature event on the sand every night. In addition to the iconic Burger Bash, Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions LIVE returns after a blockbuster debut. Taking place Friday, February 20, the event brings the Food Network competition format to South Beach, turning the sand into a live arena with A-list culinary talent and serious fan energy. Schrager credits Fieri as a foundational figure in the festival’s growth, noting that the partnership with Food Network, and personalities like Fieri, helped propel SOBEWFF onto the national stage. “We would not be here today if we didn’t have Food Network as a part of this,” he says, calling Fieri “a huge get for us.”

In the same large tent on Saturday, February 21, Masters of Fire, hosted by Tyler Florence, returns as part of the festival’s 25th anniversary celebration. The event centers on live-fire cooking and grilling in an outdoor format that plays perfectly to Miami’s winter weather.

Then there’s the finale: 25 Years of Legendary Bites & Iconic Sips on Sunday, February 22, hosted by Andrew Zimmern, with a special performance by DJ CASSIDY. Positioned as a celebratory capstone to the anniversary year, the closing party is designed to feel like a greatest-hits moment, with fresh culinary talent added to the mix.

The Buzziest New Energy for 2026

A 25th anniversary naturally invites reflection, but this year’s programming makes it clear that SOBEWFF is also responding to what audiences want now: nightlife-forward events and crossover entertainment.

The biggest headline here is Diplo: Live from South Beach, a Thursday-night kickoff that adds concert-level energy to the start of the weekend. Centered on Diplo’s performance, the event blends food and drink with table service, caviar, and a steady flow of bites, creating an unapologetically Miami moment on the sand.

On the other end of the spectrum, the festival is leaning into wellness and daytime culture with Coffee Culture: A Miami Wellness & Brunch Experience in the Design District, Bootcamp & Bites with Robert Irvine, and a Peace Love Yoga event.

FoodieCon Is Back, and Bigger Than Ever

Not every SOBEWFF event is about eating your way through a field of stations. FoodieCon serves as the festival’s creator and community hub. Expect live panels, demonstrations, and meet and greets that bring digital food culture off the screen and onto the beach. If your interests skew toward content, trends, and the influencer side of the culinary world, FoodieCon is one of the clearest windows into where food media is heading, while still delivering the festival atmosphere.

Planning Tips That Make the Weekend Smoother

The best way to build a SOBEWFF schedule is to choose one anchor event, such as the Grand Tasting Village, then layer in one signature night and one smaller-format experience that matches your interests, whether that’s wine, demonstrations, wellness, or late-night energy. The festival spans multiple neighborhoods, so grouping events geographically, whether you plan to stay in South Beach, head to the Design District, or spend time in Coconut Grove, can make the weekend feel far more manageable.

15 Jan 2026