Kingston prepares to transform into a dynamic culinary epicenter as the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival (JFDF) returns from March 5-8, 2026. This year’s edition moves beyond mere celebration to present a sophisticated dialogue on Caribbean cuisine’s evolution, featuring internationally acclaimed chefs who are redefining traditional flavors through technical precision and global influences.
The festival’s dual culinary showcases—KUYAH and DECADE 2.0—offer distinct approaches to culinary innovation. KUYAH, hosted at the waterfront Festival Marketplace, challenges chefs to reinterpret familiar Jamaican ingredients with heightened technical execution and deliberate presentation. Joining this year’s lineup is Chef Scotley Innis, the Jamaican-born culinary master behind Continent Atlanta and Continent Brooklyn, known for his appearances on Hell’s Kitchen and Food Network. Sponsored by Scotnabank, Innis brings his signature approach of refining Caribbean flavors through restraint and precision—techniques evident in his meticulously balanced jerk preparations and thoughtfully composed oxtail dishes.
DECADE 2.0 takes a more expansive approach on Friday night at Sabina Park, creating an all-inclusive culinary showcase that traces Caribbean cuisine’s evolution over the past decade. Sponsored by Visa, this event features Trinbagonian Chef Brigette Joseph, whose background in diplomatic dining and large-scale culinary productions informs her sophisticated layering of Caribbean ingredients with global techniques. Also returning is Patrick Simpson of The Simpson Brooklyn, continuing his collaboration with Walkerswood to demonstrate how local flavors travel, absorb international influences, and return home transformed yet recognizable.
Festival Director Alicia Bogues emphasizes the intentional inclusion of international talent: ‘We invite global chefs not due to any shortage of local expertise—Jamaica possesses exceptional culinary artistry—but to foster meaningful exchange. This creates dialogue that allows Jamaicans to experience diverse techniques while visiting chefs engage with the depth of our food culture.’
The festival continues to feature Jamaica’s most respected culinary voices, including Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau, Alexa Von Strolley, Oji Jaja, and Brian Lumley, whose pioneering work has shaped modern Jamaican cuisine and created space for experimental new talent.
For four days in March, Kingston becomes a destination where Jamaican food simultaneously comforts and surprises—a tension that maintains culinary relevance and excitement in the ever-evolving global food landscape.