In a vast global landscape of virtual experiences, there are few pleasures as meaningful as coming together around food and drink. And for five days in March, when the Nassau Paradise Island Wine & Food Festival takes over the storied Atlantis Paradise Island, the exuberant, elemental joy of partaking takes center stage as the entire resort dedicates itself to celebrating culinary accomplishment.
The 2026 edition runs March 11 through 15 and reads like a who’s who of dining. In this year’s lineup are culinary stars Rachael Ray, Tom Colicchio, Antonia Lofaso and Ian Kittichai, joining returning chefs Aarón Sánchez, JJ Johnson, José Andrés, Michael Symon and Michael White. Alongside them are celebrated Bahamian chefs like Julie Lightbourn of Sip Sip, Kenneth McKenzie of McKenzie’s Conch Shack, and Wayne Moncur of Sun & Ice. Together, they turn Atlantis into the culinary center of the region.
Launched in 2023, the event has quickly become one of the Caribbean’s most exciting events, mirroring the scale of festivals in Miami and New York but maintaining its Bahamian roots. Each year brings new chefs, new ideas, and an increased focus on the islands’ growing food identity. “I think we’ve demonstrated our willingness to be creative and to step out of the box and be bold and daring to create unique experiences,” says Lenny Cumberbatch, Atlantis’ vice president of food and beverage.
The festival’s draw lies in its range, with more than 30 experiences in total. Guests might begin with Catch & Cook with Tom Colicchio, where a small group fishes offshore before dining on their own catch. They might then head to Paella on the Beach with José Andrés, Jerk Jam with JJ Johnson and Antonia Lofaso, or Tacos & Tequila with Aarón Sánchez and Michael Symon. Other highlights include Rachael Ray’s Wine Dinner, A Taste of Paradise with Tom Colicchio, and Atlantis Chef’s Table featuring Michael White and Antonia Lofaso under the stars.
Across the resort, smaller dinners and beach events unfold at parallel times. From the Ocean’s Edge bluff to the open-air decks of The Cove, every marquee space in the resort is utilized for the events. Evening concerts turn the resort into a festival ground. For 2026, Sugar Ray headlines Jerk Jam, while DJ Pauly D brings energy to Tacos & Tequila. Between the cooking, cocktails and performances, the week balances indulgence and entertainment without losing sight of what’s at its core: food.
The festival also doubles as a showcase for Atlantis’ own restaurants and partnerships. The resort is home to globally recognized, Michelin-starred, and James Beard Award–winning chefs, including José Andrés’ Fish, Nobu Matsuhisa’s Nobu, and Michael White’s Paranza. That foundation gives the festival a built-in roster of talent, with celebrity chefs arriving on-island and mixing easily with Atlantis’ own culinary teams.
The festival’s preparations are a year in the making. “The planning process begins the day after the previous festival,” says Cumberbatch, who meets with the team immediately following the last event to recap, reflect and plan for the next festival. “It’s a 360-day sort of thing.”
Cumberbatch describes the festival as a chance to push creativity forward, but his approach is grounded in the guest perspective. “Everything that we do, we’re inspired by the guest experience,” he says. “How is the customer going to react to it?”
Each event relies on teams across culinary, beverage and operations working in sync to deliver dozens of experiences over just five days. The choreography is seamless; a reflection of how closely the resort’s staff works behind the scenes to pull off an event of this scale. Cumberbatch, who began his career at Atlantis decades ago before moving through senior roles across the Caribbean, oversees a program that blends operations, logistics and hospitality into a single moving system. Every tasting, demo and dinner is layered on top of Atlantis’ regular daily service, and each one depends on the same infrastructure that keeps the resort running year-round. “That level of integration is only possible because of the team,” he says. “From the chefs to the servers to the stewards, everybody is engaged. Everybody understands the assignment.”
Behind the scenes, Atlantis works closely with Lee Brian Schrager, founder of the South Beach and New York City Wine & Food Festivals, and who now consults on programming and production, but the Bahamian presence remains central to the week. Many chefs showcase local flavors built around conch, guava and tropical spices. Cumberbatch says it’s that mix of global and local that makes the festival truly stand out. “It’s wonderful to showcase the outstanding culinary talent in The Bahamas alongside the equally known talent of celebrity chefs like José Andrés or Tom Colicchio,” he says. “Everybody understands the assignment.”
Everybody understands the assignment.”
Dishes and drinks draw on ingredients that define the islands, blending the warmth of Bahamian hospitality with global flavors. For visiting chefs and guests alike, it is a reminder that The Bahamas food story runs deeper than its scenic views. It is rooted in the community.
Speaking to that community mind, festival proceeds benefit the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation, the resort’s nonprofit dedicated to marine conservation throughout The Bahamas and Caribbean. That link between sea and plate is intentional — Atlantis’ restaurants depend on the ocean, and the festival’s success helps sustain it. “It’s about creating experiences that can only happen here,” Cumberbatch says. And by the time the final glass is cleared on March 15, his team will already be planning the next one.
