Charlize Theron to Host the Exclusive Opening Night Gala on September 18th, Benefiting Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project
Malibu Food & Wine will return to Saddlerock Ranch for a flavorful, high-energy weekend celebrating acclaimed culinary talent, California wines, live entertainment and community impact. Taking place Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, 2026, the destination food-and-wine festival will present two distinctive experiences: an Italian-inspired evening hosted by Adam Richman and a family-friendly Country Cookout centered on barbecue, live-fire cooking and relaxed Malibu hospitality.
Created by husband-and-wife team Chef Marcel Vigneron and Lauren Rae Levy, Malibu Food & Wine has been built around a shared love of remarkable food, meaningful partnerships and charitable giving. Vigneron, who first gained national attention as runner-up on Season 2 of Bravo’s Top Chef and was recently named “Last Chef Standing” on Food Network’s 24 in 24, serves as the festival’s Culinary Director. Levy, founder of LRL Group and an experienced branding, PR and luxury-partnership entrepreneur, leads the event’s partnerships and community-focused initiatives. Together, they have shaped an immersive festival that combines high-level culinary programming with a mission to give back.
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- Marcel Vicheron
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- Lauren Rae Levy
A portion of proceeds from the weekend will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, helping support youth-enrichment programs, family services and no-cost mental health and wellness resources throughout the community. The festival will also support the Culinary Careers Program, or C- CAP, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping underserved students access culinary education, scholarships, job training and career opportunities in the hospitality industry.
On Saturday, September 19, Malibu Food & Wine presents “Italian Night,” an elegant evening inspired by the flavors, traditions and artistry of Italy. Hosted by Adam Richman, best known to audiences as the host of Man v. Food, the event will take over the scenic grounds of Saddlerock Ranch with unlimited food and beverage tastings, curated wine pairings, live music, chef demonstrations and immersive entertainment.
Early Admission begins at 5 p.m., with General Admission running from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Malibu-chic attire is encouraged as guests enjoy an evening designed to blend the romance of Italian dining with the energy of a major culinary festival.
The Saturday lineup brings together some of the most recognizable names in contemporary food and television. Top Chef Season 12 champion and Tournament of Champions winner Mei Lin will be joined by Stephanie Izard, the James Beard Award-winning chef, Iron Chef and first woman to win Top Chef. Also appearing are former NFL player and celebrity chef Tobias Dorzon; James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathan Sawyer; Korean American chef and restaurateur Chris Oh; acclaimed chef Brian Redzikowski; James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Rose Previte; Top Chef finalist Spike Mendelsohn; and award-winning Filipino American chef Karlo Evaristo of 61Hundred Bread.
Throughout the evening, guests will watch chefs interpret Italian culinary traditions through demonstrations highlighting handmade pasta, regional specialties and innovative modern dishes. The programming is designed to offer an up-close perspective on the technique, personality and storytelling behind contemporary restaurant cooking.
A standout moment of Italian Night will be a live bluefin tuna carving presentation from chefs Brian Redzikowski and Nick Devries of Kettner Exchange. The demonstration will give attendees a rare look at the skill and precision behind one of the culinary world’s most dramatic presentations. Guests can also personalize freshly filled cannoli at an interactive Cannoli Bar, selecting from a range of toppings and accompaniments.
The Truffle Boys experience will offer a more decadent stop along the festival route, pairing truffle and caviar bites with premium cocktails featuring Cazcanes Tequila. Capri Gelato & Coffee will bring Espresso Martinis, frozen palomas, affogatos and artisan gelato, including luxurious finishes such as shaved truffles and caviar.
The celebration continues on Sunday, September 20, with the Country Cookout, a laid-back, all-ages gathering that puts live-fire cooking, bold barbecue flavors and elevated comfort food at the center of the afternoon. Children 12 and under are admitted free, making the event an inviting opportunity for families, food lovers and wine enthusiasts to spend a Sunday at Saddlerock Ranch.
Early Admission begins at noon, while General Admission is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Guests are encouraged to arrive in Western-chic style and settle in for an afternoon of unlimited food and beverage tastings, chef demonstrations, wine pairings and live entertainment.
The Country Cookout will feature Brian Malarkey, the Top Chef finalist, restaurateur and Food Network personality; Carlos Anthony, known for his Top Chef appearances; chef, author and television competitor Elizabeth Falkner; Top Chef finalist and 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing winner Lee Anne Wong; and Matt Pittman, founder of Meat Church BBQ, bestselling cookbook author and official pitmaster for the Dallas Cowboys.
The culinary talent continues with Rhoda Magbitang, winner of Top Chef Season 22; Spike Mendelsohn; James Beard Award-nominated chef and two-time Beat Bobby Flay winner Viet Pham; Cordelia Executive Chef Vinnie Cimino; and Malibu local Ace Adler, who appeared on Season 9 of MasterChef Junior.
Live demonstrations throughout the afternoon will explore the techniques that define great barbecue and open-fire cooking, from low-and-slow methods to inventive takes on comfort-food favorites. Guests will be able to sample dishes as they watch chefs and pitmasters share the creative process, practical skills and culinary inspiration behind their cooking.
The Sunday event will add a playful family component through FlutterBy, an interactive butterfly exhibit that invites both children and adults to experience a hands-on celebration of nature, discovery and imagination. The Truffle Boys & Girls Club experience will also return with truffle and caviar bites, Cazcanes Tequila cocktails and a selection of specialty drinks and frozen treats from Capri Gelato & Coffee.
Wine will remain a central part of the Malibu Food & Wine experience across both days. Festival guests can expect pours from Smith Story Wine Cellars, Fat Dragon, Malibu Wines, Dutcher Crossing, Saddlerock Ranch & Vineyards, Lyons Vineyard Estate, TOR Napa Valley, Summer Somewhere Wines, Aura California, Williams Selyem and Campo Grande, along with wines representing Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley. The Carneros Wine Alliance will also be represented through Domaine Carneros, Bouchaine Vineyards and Firetree Family Vineyards.
The Snyder Diamond Showcase will bring together luxury kitchen design and culinary craftsmanship, featuring appliances from Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau. The Snyder Diamond Lounge will spotlight Thermador wine refrigeration while Dutcher Crossing Winery and Fat Dragon offer tastings. Morro Bay Oyster Company will serve fresh oysters, and Aura California will display handcrafted knives that will also appear in select chef demonstrations on the festival’s culinary stage.
For guests looking to enjoy thoughtful nonalcoholic options, the Gaia Herbs Non-Alcoholic Mixology Experience will serve botanical mocktails made with Gaia Herbs’ new tinctures, showcasing a more plant-forward approach to sophisticated social drinking. The Just Ice Tea Lounge will feature chef-curated pairings by Spike Mendelsohn alongside Just Ice Tea’s Watermelon Lime White Tea, with snacks served in a relaxed, après-surf-inspired setting.
Malibu local Kelly Furano’s Sandy Brew Beer Garden will pour handcrafted, plant-based beers made with clean, high-quality ingredients. Food Network chef Nicky Martin will create beer-friendly pairings with Schaller & Weber products, serving garden chicken sausage on Saturday and Garden Bratwurst during Sunday’s Country Cookout.
Aviation Nation Dreamland, the iconic music venue and restaurant, will power the Main Stage both days with live music, DJs and immersive entertainment, creating a festival atmosphere that moves seamlessly from culinary discovery to evening celebration.
Italian Night takes place Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu. Early Admission begins at 5 p.m., while General Admission is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. General Admission tickets are $175, and Early Admission tickets are $250. All food and beverages are included with admission, with nonalcoholic options also available.
Country Cookout follows on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Saddlerock Ranch. Early Admission begins at noon, and General Admission is available from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. General Admission tickets are $175, while Early Admission tickets are $250. The event is family-friendly, welcomes guests of all ages and offers free entry for children 12 and under.
Tickets for Italian Night are available at Malibu Food & Wine’s Saturday event page, while tickets for Country Cookout are available at the festival’s Sunday event page.
Kicking off Malibu Food & Wine’s weekend of culinary celebration is an extraordinary, exclusive opening-night dinner on Friday, September 18, hosted by Academy Award winner Charlize Theron in support of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, also known as CTAOP. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, the evening will bring together world-class chefs, exceptional wines, live entertainment and a meaningful commitment to creating lasting change for young people across Southern Africa.
Curated by Malibu Food & Wine founders Chef Marcel Vigneron and Lauren Rae Levy, the intimate experience reflects the husband-and-wife team’s shared passion for exceptional food, purposeful partnerships and philanthropy. Vigneron, who first rose to prominence on Season 2 of Top Chef and was most recently crowned “Last Chef Standing” on Food Network’s 24 in 24, will be joined in the kitchen by acclaimed chefs Andrew Zimmern, Bryan Voltaggio and Michael Voltaggio. Featured vintner Baron Ziegler, founder of Marine Layer Wines, will guide the evening’s curated wine pairings.
The night begins with a cocktail reception from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., where guests can enjoy tray-passed bites, handcrafted espresso drinks from Bruce’s Beans Espresso Bar and plant-based beers from Malibu local Kelly Furano’s Sandy Brew. The reception will also feature live culinary demonstrations on the Snyder Diamond stage, highlighting Bosch technologies, Aura California knives and Tumbler’s user-friendly knife sharpener. Live music from the Minta Spencer Collective, accompanied by sound from Aviator Nation Dreamland, will set the tone for the evening.
Following the reception, guests will be seated for an intimate five-course, farm-to-table dinner with thoughtfully selected Marine Layer Wines pairings. The tablescape, curated by Designtonik, will draw inspiration from the beauty of the Malibu setting and the partners who have helped bring the experience to life.
The seasonal tasting menu will showcase the work of Zimmern, the Voltaggio brothers and Vigneron, with a focus on exceptional seasonal ingredients and premium products from culinary partners including Sea Stephanie Fish, Campo Grande, Schaller & Weber, the American Lamb Board and Seatopia. An abundance of produce from local California farms will further shape the menu, creating an experience rooted in seasonality, craftsmanship and California’s agricultural bounty.
Throughout the dinner, chefs and winemakers will share the inspiration behind each course and pairing, inviting guests into the culinary process and celebrating the connection between food, wine and community. Each attendee will also receive a curated gift bag as part of the exclusive evening.
More than a spectacular dining experience, the opening-night event will directly support CTAOP’s mission to advance the health, safety and opportunity of young people across Southern Africa. It is an evening where acclaimed culinary talent, refined hospitality and entertainment converge in service of a larger purpose.
The 21-and-over event takes place Friday, September 18, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu. Cocktail attire is requested, and all food and beverages are included with admission. Tickets are $749 per person and are available through Malibu Food & Wine’s Friday event page.
