Taste Great Southern festival return announced for 2021 to boost tourism and put region on map

Taste Great Southern will be rebooted in March 2021 after this year’s edition of the major food and wine festival was called off due to COVID-19.

Next year’s festival will run from March 18 to 28, featuring 30 events across 11 local governments in the Great Southern region.

The inaugural Southern Sets music festival, which was set to debut this year, has been included in next year’s line-up.

Both the Albany Food and Wine Festival and the Southern Sets will be moved from Eyre Park to the new Centennial Park Exhibition Centre.

The event draws tourists from across the State into the Great Southern, not only to the major centres such as Albany but also smaller towns such as Katanning, Kojonup and Ongerup.

The rebooted festival is expected to bring more than $1 million and 2000 tourists into the region.

While some of the headline guests have been finalised, including the rescheduling of River Cottage Australia star Paul West, the search is on for additional celebrity chefs.

Amazing South Coast spokeswoman Susan McCabe said the effects of Taste Great Southern were felt right across the region with the festival putting local produce on the map.

“It is a major motivator for visitors to travel through and to regional WA,” she said. “These visitors bring with them an increase in visitor spend and length of stay, a win-win for all.”

See tastegreatsouthern.com.au.