Gippsland welcomes a new celebration of regional food and music excellence this October.
Eat Drink Play Gippsland transforms Leongatha into a food and music destination.
The inaugural festival spotlights the region’s exceptional produce and creative talent.
Local organisations including South Gippsland Shire Council will drive this community effort.
Eat Drink Play Gippsland
- When: Saturday 18 October 2025
- Where: Leongatha Railway Precinct, Leongatha, Victoria
- Day session (Eat Drink): 11am-5pm, $35 adults, $10 children 11-17, free under 10
- Evening session (Play): 6pm-10pm, $49 adults, $25 children 11-17, free under 10
- Full day pass: $79 adults, $29 children 11-17, free under 10
- Tickets on sale: Thursday 26 June 2025
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
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The daytime Eat Drink session brings the beloved Eat Drink Gippsland guide to life.
Guests receive festival totes, tasting glasses and event guides and can sample wines, cheeses, spirits, ciders and seasonal local produce.
Local favourites Trulli, Hogget Kitchen and Messmates provide delicious bites.
Standout winemakers include Fleet, The Wine Farm, Dirty Three, Patrick Sullivan, Xavier Wine and Lightfoot Wines. Gurneys Cider, Loch Distillery and Sailors Grave Brewing showcase beverages.
Dairy delights come from Gippsland Jersey, Prom Country Cheese and Loch Cheese Merchant.
Live music features Misty Harlowe, Janie Gordon and Jungle Jim Smith.
Food pairings and meet-the-maker chats enhance the experience.
The evening Play session transforms the precinct into an open-air music celebration.
Melbourne Ska Orchestra headlines alongside Emma Donovan performing Take Me To The River. This tribute celebrates timeless soul classics. Gippsland’s rising star Steph Strings completes the lineup.
Festival-goers can dance under the stars. On-site bars and food stalls keep local flavours flowing throughout the night.
Weekend festivities extend beyond Saturday’s main event. Friday night features Ella Hooper performing her Linda Ronstadt tribute show at Meeniyan Town Hall. Lyrebird Arts Council hosts this spellbinding performance.
Bonus Sunday events
Sunday offers bonus events across neighbouring towns. Porchetta & Pinot returns to Trulli. Fleet Wines hosts Bahn Mi and beats. Gurneys presents cider-fuelled entertainment.
The festival expects thousands of attendees from across Victoria and beyond. This influx delivers meaningful economic benefits to small businesses, accommodation providers and tourism operators throughout the region.
Wine Gippsland producers helped co-develop this new festival. The event brings together participants from across this huge region that has gained recognition as Australia’s most exciting wine region.
The Leongatha Railway Precinct provides an ideal historic setting.
This venue can accommodate both intimate tastings and large-scale performances. The space transformation from day to night enhances the festival experience.
Dan Sims brings his expertise from Pinot Palooza and Mould. The Hills Are Alive Group, run by locals Aidan and Rhett McLaren, joins the production team. Victorian government support through the Regional Events Fund makes this celebration possible.
For more information, head here.
