Newcastle Tuna Festival

Newcastle Tuna Festival

Welcome the first Newcastle Tuna Festival, a new cultural and food festival to premiere on October 26th in the Newcastle CBD. This never-before-seen experience begins an annual tradition that will ignite the winter with energetic passion, the world's greatest seafood, and memories to last.

Centerpiece of the festival is the amazing Southern Bluefin Tuna, presented as a dynamic main attraction at Nagisa. See in wonder as an entire 80kg Bluefin Tuna is skillfully disassembled before your eyes live on stage, then enjoy seven newly created tuna dishes accompanied by the finest Hunter Valley wines, caviar, and much more.

Featuring special guest Chef Koji who's been flown in from Japan especially for this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, the experience will be complemented by the rhythmic intensity of the ancient Japanese drumming of Taiko Oz. But the excitement doesn't end there.

This lively festival also raises a bigger cause, with a live charity auction in support of the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), with top-quality tuna cuts and a Japanese-style tuna knife. Join us and celebrate an international annual tradition bringing together food, culture and community in the heart of Newcastle.

The Newcastle Tuna Festival is not only an event - it's a movement.

Following the spectacular opening day at Nagisa, the Newcastle Tuna Festival launches the Tuna Trail — a two-week culinary journey through the heart of the city. Across 15 Newcastle CBD restaurants, chefs will present their own unique tuna-inspired dishes, showcasing creativity, flavour, and local flair. This trail invites food lovers to explore Newcastle one plate at a time, turning the city into a living festival of seafood and culture. Proudly supported by Hunter Culinary and published in the Newcastle Herald, the Tuna Trail cements this event as a true community-wide celebration.

Host or Publisher Nagisa