The Darwin International Laksa Festival has cemented its place as one of the Northern Territory's premier events, with its eighth year proving to be the biggest yet and drawing thousands of laksa lovers to the Darwin Waterfront for a spectacular Grand Finale.
More than 9000 people attended the free Grand Finale event, transforming the Darwin Waterfront into a celebration of food, culture and community spirit on the final day of October, affectionately known as Laksa Month.
Following a highly competitive month-long festival featuring more than 120 venues and over 230 laksa and laksa-inspired dishes across the Territory, with more than 30 per cent of participating venues new to the competition in 2026, Angkor Takeaway has been crowned the winner of the coveted Golden Bowl, earning the title of Greater Darwin's Best Laksa for 2026.
The Darwin International Laksa Festival continues to showcase the creativity and diversity of the Territory's hospitality industry while generating visitation and strengthening Darwin's reputation as Australia's Laksa Capital.
This year's festival saw thousands of locals and visitors participate in the Laksa League, with players travelling across Darwin and the Territory to taste, review and rate laksa dishes in pursuit of leaderboard glory and a share of the festival's major prize pool.
The Laksa League attracted 3,020 participating players, who collectively enjoyed, reviewed and voted on 6,612 dishes throughout October. With 4,621 venue check-ins recorded.
After a month of fierce competition, laksafortune claimed the title of Laksa League Champion, earning 165,133 points after tasting an incredible 94 dishes during the month-long festival.
Festival participants also played a key role in determining the People's Choice awards. The 2026 People's Choice Best Laksa was awarded to Kopi Stop Laksa, Makan Stop.
The award for People's Choice Laksa Inspired-By Dish was awarded to Kopi Stop for its Laksa Shio Pan, recognising the innovation and creativity that has become a hallmark of the festival.
Regional honours were also awarded, with Thai De Cuisine, Alice Springs, taking out the Regional Golden Bowl award, while The Meeting Place, Katherine, won the Regional People's Choice Inspired-By award for its Outback Laksa Banh Mi.
The Grand Finale featured live cooking demonstrations from Friends of Laksa Junda Khoo and Luke Nguyen, who also served as judges for the Golden Bowl finalist competition, alongside chef Zach Green on the AYAM Kitchen Stage. The event also showcased headline culinary conversations on the new Spilling the Broth Stage, family-friendly entertainment, cultural performances, food vendors, producer markets, and the highly anticipated live Golden Bowl judging.
Darwin Waterfront restaurants also joined the celebrations, offering exclusive festival specials and helping create a vibrant atmosphere throughout the precinct.
The 2026 Darwin International Laksa Festival has once again demonstrated why it remains one of the Territory's most-loved food events, bringing together hospitality venues, producers, chefs, locals and visitors for a month-long celebration of Darwin's most iconic dish.
2026 Darwin International Laksa Festival Award Winners:
· Golden Bowl: Angkor Takeaway
· People's Choice Best Laksa: Kopi Stop Laksa, Makan Stop
· People's Choice Laksa Inspired-By: Laksa Shio Pan by Kopi Stop
· Regional Golden Bowl: Thai De Cuisine, Alice Springs
· Regional People's Choice Best Laksa: The Meeting Place, Katherine
· Regional People's Choice Best Inspired-By: The Meeting Place, Katherine
· Laksa League Champion: laksafortune
