Pique your palate: a preview of the main events to experience at the Dubai Food Festival

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  Courtesy Dubai Food Festival

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  Courtesy Real Food Festivals

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  Courtesy Dubai Food Festival

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  Courtesy Dubai Food Festival

The Dubai Food Festival, the city’s annual culinary extravaganza, kicks off on Friday, February 26. With so much to see and do — and taste — between then and March 12 it is all-but impossible to sample everything. Stacie Overton Johnson is here to help, with an in-depth guide to the main highlights.

• To celebrate street culture, the Dubai Food Festival is hosting Street Nights over one weekend on Bay Avenue in Business Bay. The event will feature food trucks, live street art, performances from local musical talent and a night bazaar. March 4 and 5 from 5pm to 10pm. Free entry.

A good place to start your experience at this year’s festival is the ever-popular — but completely revamped — Beach Canteen, which will act as the festival’s central hub during the event.

Located on Kite Beach for the entire festival, the Beach Canteen will be home to 15 home-grown pop-up restaurants; a Chefs Demonstration Stage, where local and international celebrity chefs will give cookery demos; beach sports; kids’ activities; live entertainment; and a wide range of daily events throughout the festival.

Five of Australia’s top chefs will be participating at various events throughout the festival.

They are Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris, both judges on MasterChef Australia; Matt Moran, who is a regular face on Australian cookery shows including MasterChef Australia and The Great Australian Bake Off; Manu Feildel, co-host of My Kitchen Rules; and chef and author Shannon Bennett.

The chefs will be making regular appearances at the Beach Canteen, as well as hosting masterclasses.

The Eat The World DXB festival will feature 15 street-food trucks from the UK and 12 from the UAE. But street food isn’t the only thing on offer.

On the Chef Stage, international celebrity chefs will show off their culinary skills. Watch for street-food connoisseur Andy Bates from Food Network UK; John Quilter from Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube; and baking star Eric Lanlard, also known as the Cake Boy. Local chefs will also host demos on the stage.

A food market will offer guests the chance to sample and purchase pasta, cheese, artisan breads, oils, sauces, cured meats and more. There is also a tea and cake tent, a cake-decorating competition, a kids’ zone and a Bedouin tent with Arabic coffee, falcons and henna.

It runs from February 25 to 27 in Burj Park, Downtown Dubai. From noon to 5pm and 6pm to 11pm each day. The day session costs Dh30 at the door (Dh25 online in advance); the evening session is Dh40 at the door (Dh35 online in advance). For advance tickets, visit www.eattheworld.ae.

Head to Century Village for a street-food carnival that will serve nine world cuisines against a backdrop of live music, dancers and street performers. The one-day-only event is on March 4 from 4pm to midnight.

Raffles Dubai hotel is hosting the Spring Family Fest for two days during the festival.

The hotel’s garden will be turned into a family-friendly spring market, with stalls serving Arabian, Asian and international cuisines, including pulled barbecued-meat sandwiches, gourmet burgers, hot dogs, and grilled seafood and sausages.

Kids’ entertainment zones will feature bouncy castles, face painting, art stations, balloon artists and more. March 4 and 5 from 1pm to 6pm. Free entry with separate charges for food and activities.