The Andrews Labor Government has backed the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival to continue to grow and showcase Victoria’s wares to the world, announcing a new four-year funding deal for the renowned event.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula today confirmed the continued support for Australia’s premier food and wine festival, as well as a new approach to the 2020 program that will see the Queen Victoria Market play a starring role.

The 2020 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, entering its 28^th year, will take place exclusively in Melbourne over 10 days from 20-29 March, with a dedicated festival in regional Victoria to be launched next spring.

The new structure will showcase more of Melbourne and regional Victoria’s food and wine experiences than ever, encouraging visitors to stay longer and immerse themselves in festival offerings.

The 141-year-old Queen Victoria Market will become the new festival hub and will host a series of signature events, plus talks and presentations led by the best local talent and international guests.

Queen Victoria Market sits at the heart of Melbourne’s food and wine culture and is one of the city’s top attractions, welcoming 2.7 million visitors each year.

The World’s Longest Lunch will return to Melbourne on Friday, 20 March with culinary legends Stephanie Alexander, Philippe Mouchel and Jacques Reymond to host 1600 diners at Treasury Gardens.

The Crawl and Bite event is also back which will see curious diners return to Melbourne’s labyrinth of laneways for old favourites and to discover the newest openings across the city.

Festival organisers are also collaborating with the National Gallery of Victoria to host a free exhibition celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the iconic cookbook, The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book.

Victoria’s visitor economy is worth $26.7 billion annually with 4.7 million tourists enjoying a food and wine experience last financial year – an increase of 8 per cent on the previous period.

For more information and to book tickets for the 2020 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, go to mfwf.com.au.