The Territory’s very first International Laksa Festival will be held in Darwin this November, Chief Minister Michael Gunner has announced.

The Top End will embrace its multicultural community, love for food and tropical climate while supporting local businesses, with Territorians taking part in one of our favourite pastimes – eating laksa.

The Territory’s laksas are recognised internationally as the best in the world, and in its inaugural year the competition will be open to any restaurant, eatery or stallholder from across the Darwin, Palmerston and rural area.

After the first year the competition will open to other countries wishing to enter the field and go up against the world’s best and undefeated.

Restaurants, eateries or stallholders can register to be part of the Laksa Festival, which will commence on October 24 with a month-long trail where people are encouraged to vote for their favourite laksa and culminating in a festival day on Sunday 24 November in Darwin city.

The festival will activate the Darwin CBD, with the trail supporting local businesses, encouraging people to explore the variety of restaurants, stallholders and eateries right across the Greater Darwin region who offer Laksa on their menu and vote for their favourite on the Darwin Laksa App (which will soon be available).

A panel of experts, chaired by Jimmy Shu, will award Darwin’s best Laksa the ‘Golden Bowl’, with Diana Chan, winner of MasterChef Australia 2017 being the headline Chef during the festival.

To register your restaurant or to learn more about the Festival visit www.darwinlaksafestival.com.au

This is another Territory Government initiative focussed on stimulating the Darwin CBD, with the Bruce Munro – Tropical Light exhibition running from November 2019 to April 2020.

The NT Government’s Darwin Street Art Festival has also added to the revitalisation of the CBD with murals brightening up and drawing crowds into the city centre.

Quotes attributed to Chief Minister Michael Gunner:

“It is my priority to support Territory businesses by boosting the number of visitors coming into our CBD and creating more local jobs for Territorians.

“This is why we have seen our CBD activated more in the past few years than we have ever before – with street art festivals creating world-class murals, a historic overhaul of our State Square by making it cooler and greener, and bringing a world renowned artist’s light festival into the City .. just to name a few.

“The Darwin International Laksa Festival aims to further increase restaurant trade, drive people into Darwin City and gain positive attention for Darwin as the gateway to Asia and the capital of Laksa in Australia.

“Everyone is invited to participate, whether it be to vote for your favourite Laksa, learn how to make your own or celebrate the Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian cultures that contribute to making Darwin so unique and the multicultural capital of the world.”

Media contact: Hannah Farmer 0428 497 154