Join host Myffy Rigby, chefs Bente Grysbaek and Max Sovechles and NSW's women of wine for Vivid Fire Kitchen – aflame with something new to see, experience...

Vivid Fire Kitchen

Location:

27 Hickson Rd
2000 NSW
Australia

Venue:
Stargazer Lawn
Price:
Free
Text reading "Thursday 4 June" over a colourful gradient of yellow and purple.
Text reading "Thursday 4 June" over a colourful gradient of yellow and purple.

Featuring

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Myffy Rigby

Appearing 4 June

Myffy Rigby is a freelance writer, editor and presenter. Her work has appeared in Bon Appetit, Lucky Peach, Conde Nast Traveller, Gourmet Traveller, Good Weekend and more.

Rigby co-authored the cookbook, Recipes for a Good Time, and has appeared on MasterChef Australia, SBS The Cook Up, Netflix's Chef's Table, and currently hosts her own show, Yes Chef.

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Bente Grysbaek

Appearing 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 June

Danish-born chef Bente Grysbaek is the creative force behind Ignite Catering, known for bold, theatrical fire cooking. 

Inspired by her Nordic heritage and the Australian landscape, she creates immersive food experiences that bring people together centered around flame, shared tables, and elemental, honest cooking shaped by more than three decades in professional kitchens.

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Max Sovechles

Appearing 2, 3 & 4 June

Max Sovechles is a butcher based in Sydney, having worked as a chef in hatted restaurants throughout Sydney and Newcastle. In 2022, Max started his own company  ‘Beefed Up’, which won gold for their beef tallow at the 2023 Sydney Royal Easter show. More recently Max has become a butcher with one of Sydney's butchery's, Emilios (Rozelle) and has been abroad studying styles of American Barbecue in Austin, Texas

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Amelia Birch

Amelia Birch is the Owner and Sommelier of Famelia Wine Bar & Bottle Shop on Enmore Road, Newtown - a hybrid venue dedicated exclusively to showcasing wines made by women. With more than 18 years’ experience spanning hospitality, wine, business operations, marketing, events and communications, Amelia brings an intuitive, customer-focused and deeply human approach to wine service. Her career has been shaped by a belief that wine should feel welcoming and approachable, rather than intimidating - grounded in listening, connection and exploration. 

Famelia & Mem Hemmings

Famelia & Mem Hemmings

Mem Hemmings is a hospitality and wine professional based in New South Wales, and the founder of MEREDITH. With more than a decade working across some of Australia’s leading hospitality venues, Mem has built a career grounded in authentic service, sustainability, and progressive beverage culture. 

Samantha Sutherland

Samantha Sutherland

Samantha Sutherland is the winemaker and founder of Samantha May Wines, a independant wine label focused on producing premium wines from New South Wales wine regions including Mudgee, Orange and Gundagai. Beyond the winery, Samantha is a passionate contributor to the wine industry as a wine show judge and an advocate for elevating the voices of women in wine.

Nadja Wallington

Nadja Wallington

A passionate vigneron from Canowindra, NSW Nadja Wallington first discovered her love for winemaking during high school while working at her family's vineyard. Since those early days, she has honed her craft extensively across Australia and internationally in California, South Africa, and France. Nadja was named Young Winemaker of the Year 2022 and is currently winemaker at ChaLou in Orange, NSW.  

Akala Newman

Akala Newman

Rita Sanches

Rita Sanches

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Jack's Hit House

Event Details

Join host Myffy Rigby, chefs Bente Grysbaek and Max Sovechles and NSW's women of wine for Vivid Fire Kitchen – aflame with something new to see, experience and eat every night from 6-11pm. 

Inspired by the Aussie backyard barbecue, Vivid Fire Kitchen is free-to-enter and features three main stages. Catch interactive cooking demonstrations at the Vivid Fire Pit; enjoy talks, workshops and more at Food For Thought with authors, celebrity cooks, social media favourites and industry innovators; and come together to eat, drink and listen to live music at the Marquee

Be sure to check each day’s line-up of MCs, Flamemasters, musicians, DJs, guests, themed events and specials – and learn more about tonight’s line-up underneath the schedule.

Schedule: Thursday 4 June

Vivid Fire Kitchen Host: Myffy Rigby
World-renowned Australian food writer and presenter Myffy Rigby will lead the Fire Kitchen with humour, expertise and unpretentiousness, in a night spotlighting the women making some of the most exciting wines in NSW today.                

Time Vivid Fire Pit Food For Thought Stage Marquee Stage
6.00pm Fire Pit ignites    
       
6.30pm   The Vivid Fire Kitchen NSW Wine Collective:
Women of Wine 
Hosted By Amelia Birch (Famelia) with
Mem Hemmings, Meredith Wine (Hunter Valley, Hilltops)
Live Music:
Akala Newman
7.15pm Fire Pit Sessions: 
Max Sovechles | Beefed Up Tallow
   
7:30pm     Live Music:
Rita Sanches
8.00pm   The Vivid Fire Kitchen NSW Wine Collective:
Women of Wine 
Hosted By Amelia Birch (Famelia) with
Samantha Sutherland, Samantha May Wines (Orange, Mudgee, Gundagai)
 
8:30pm     Live Music:
Akala Newman
8.45pm Fire Pit Sessions: 
Bente Grysbaek | Ignite Catering
   
9.30pm   The Vivid Fire Kitchen NSW Wine Collective:
Women of Wine 
Hosted By Amelia Birch (Famelia) with
Nadja Wallington, ChaLou Wines (Orange)
Live Music:
Rita Sanches
10.40pm Fire Pit closes    
11.00pm Flames Out Flames Out Flames Out

All Night:

Vivid Light installations | Vivid Fire Kitchen & surrounds:
Explore the Kitchen under the glowing canopy of River of Fire. Be mesmerised by Flea Circus, Mycelium Network and Peekaboo Parliament, an interactive game of Red Light, Green Light. And it's hard to miss Molecule of Light, a celestial and cerebral 23-metre-tall laser installation by revered UK artist Chris Levine.

 

< Back to Vivid Fire Kitchen 2026 daily schedules

Vendors

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Agape Organic Fire Bowls

Founded in 2012, Agape Organic's foodtrucks serve up delicious, inventive organic street food wherever they appear. 

For Vivid Fire Kitchen, owner and chef Simon Lawson has curated a special barbecue menu cooked in front of customers, using organic, biodynamic, sustainable & natural ingredients as well as native Australian produce. One highlight? Blowtorch-melted cheese on nacho bowls. 

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Antico Pizza Sandwiches

Serving authentic Italian in Narellan, Antico Woodfire Pizza is also a favourite at events across NSW through their foodtrucks. Antico Pizza Sandwiches is a new endeavour, making traditional deli-style sandwiches using folded pizza dough, cooked in the oven and filled with the likes of cold cuts, burrata and hot honey.

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Bianco Italian Market

Bianco Group is a modern Italian hospitality brand redefining how premium food is experienced at scale. Rooted in generational recipes and driven by precision, they deliver high-impact food concepts across retail, wholesale, and Australia’s most recognised events, combining quality, theatre, and operational excellence to create unforgettable experiences.

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Bon Brulee

Bon Brûlée is all about doing one thing really well - crème brûlée, but bigger and better. Their extra-large brûlées have a perfect balance of smooth custard and a thick, crunchy caramel top in every bite.

The best part of a crème brûlée is cracking through the top, so each one is flame-torched to order. Expect a bit of theatre, a bit of fire, and that fresh caramelised finish you can hear and smell before you even take a bite.

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Brazilian Flame

Brazilian Flame barbecue combines traditional Brazilian barbecue cooking with  Brazilian barbecue excellent cuts to deliver big on flavour and theatricality, with its ribs, porchetta and rotisserie machines working their magic in front of the crowd.

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Burn City Smokers

Based in Melbourne, Burn City Smokers treats barbecue as an artform, offering smoked wood-smoked meats via catering, premium delivery and pop-ups. Combining ancient techniques with modern flavour and style, Burn City Smokers is a favourite of Vivid Fire Kitchen.

 

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Firepop

Hailed as the Good Food Guide 2025 New Restaurant of the Year, Firepop brings a masterclass in charcoal grilling to the festival. 

Originally a cult-favourite market stall, this Newtown standout has redefined the "pop" (skewer) by blending premium Australian produce—like Fullblood MBS9+ Wagyu—with bold, experimental flavours. Whether it’s their signature lamb with sesame cumin dukkah or their innovative "accordion" steaks, Firepop offers a high-impact, artisan dining experience that is as exciting as it is delicious.

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Gelato Messina

Born in Darlinghurst in 2002, Gelato Messina has grown into Australia’s most-loved gelateria, with 35 (soon 36) locally owned stores —and counting— along with sites in Hong Kong and Singapore.For Vivid Fire Kitchen, Gelato Messina is creating three delicious bespoke desserts designed to keep people coming back day after day.

One of them is the Smore's Sundae : think milk choc gelato with choc brownie cheesecake on graham cracker crumbs, topped with dark choc fudge and a perfectly toasted vanilla marshmallow. Sounds pretty amazing, right?

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Hoy Pinoy

Hoy Pinoy, meaning "Hey Filipino!", is a Filipino barbecue sensation dedicated to bringing authentic Ihaw-ihaw (grilled meats) to the masses. Inspired by the vibrant street food scene of the Philippines, Hoy Pinoy uses traditional recipes and cooking techniques to create skewers bursting with smoky, savory flavor.

 

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KOI Dessert Bar

KOI Dessert Bar is a world-renowned destination for indulging in fine artistic dessert & cuisine. Locatied in Sydney and Melbourne and sought-out globally, KOI brings together the expertise of exceptional in-house chefs to architect unforgettable experiences unlike anything else.

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Mr Spanish Churro

Mr Spanish Churro continues a family legacy started by more than 50 years ago in a small churreia in Valenica, Spain. Crafted fresh on-site, the award-winning pop-up combines authenticity with innovation with their signature and viral churro cones — a refined twist on a timeless classic, with modern flavours such as Oreo, cheesecake and crème brûlée.

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Olympic Meats

Bringing the soul of a Greek taverna to Sydney's Inner West, Olympic Meats is a celebration of "slow" food and family tradition. Chef Timothy Cassimatis honours his heritage by making everything from scratch—from the two-day sourdough pita bread to his grandmother’s authentic spanakopita recipe. 

Known for their succulent chicken gyros and charcoal-grilled Politiko kebabs, Olympic Meats delivers honest, heart-felt Mediterranean flavours that have made them a local institution.

Smoky Sue's BBQ

Smoky Sue's BBQ

A staple of the Sydney BBQ scene, Smoky Sue’s arrives at the Stargazer Lawn for Vivid Fire Kitchen 2026 with an exclusive Mexican-inspired activation: The Smoke & Fire Fusion. This year, we are pushing the boundaries of traditional BBQ by marrying American "Low ‘n’ Slow" craftsmanship with the bold, soul-warming heat of traditional Mexican flavors.

The air at Barangaroo will be thick with the scent of Australian hardwoods and spice as our iconic smoker, "Big Red," works alongside our Live Fire Pit. Watch as our pitmasters manage the flames to create the ultimate theatrical dining experience—where 12-hour smoked brisket meets a glowing, bubbling cauldron of rich, "Birria Gold" consommé.

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The Coffee Mill

The Coffee Mill is a premium mobile coffee and crepe experience, delivering high-quality café-style service at events across Melbourne and beyond. 

Combining speed, consistency, and presentation, the Mill serves up rich espresso-based and barista-made coffees and specialty teas alongside warm, made-to-order sweet crepes with a variety of classic and indulgent toppings.

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THICC S'mores Bar

THICC Cookies is a Sydney-based cookie brand known for loaded, New York-style cookies made fresh and served warm. Their THICC treats are rich, nostalgic and a little bit excessive — in the best way.

For Vivid Fire Kitchen, they're launching the THICC S’mores Bar. Think S’mores cookies, S’mores hot chocolate, and a warm S’mores cookie pie — all built around that classic combo of chocolate, marshmallow and biscuit. The theatre comes from the live toasting — gooey marshmallow, melted chocolate, and that fresh-off-the-heat finish that people can see, smell, and crave instantly.

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Toastie Smith Darling Square

Toastie Smith's fully loaded toasties are an explosion of tastes, guided by a two-year culinary expedition across the globe in search of the perfect toasty. Combining global flavours and traditions, their menu delights across four Sydney locations. 

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Yummy Yummy Knafeh

Highlighting Palestinian culture, heritage and hospitality, Yummy Yummy Knafeh serves up theatrical, fun and sweet Palestinian knafeh, a delicious dessert made with molten Australian-made Akkawi cheese, ghee, golden kataifi and syrup and topped with pistachios. A favourite of Lakemba Nights during Ramadan's markets, Yummy Yummy Knafeh's dessert pairs perfectly with a cup of authentic Middle Eastern coffee, brewed on hot sand.