Cayman Cookout 2026 Tickets, Packages Now On Sale
Key points
- Tickets are on sale for the 17th annual Ritz-Carlton Cayman Cookout January 14–19, 2026
- The 2026 edition coincides with the resort’s 20th anniversary
- More than 60 demonstrations, tastings, and excursions are planned
- Featured chefs include Eric Ripert, Jose Andres, Andrew Zimmern, Stephanie Izard, Carla Hall, Gavin Kaysen, Gregory Gourdet, and Ming Tsai
- A five-night Cayman Cookout Room Package starts at $2,600 per night for two guests and includes access to signature events
Tickets are now on sale for the 17th annual Ritz-Carlton Cayman Cookout, returning to The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman from January 14 to 19, 2026. The resort is also selling a Cayman Cookout Room Package that bundles luxury accommodations with access to several signature events across the five-night festival window. With more than 60 demonstrations, tastings, and excursions led by a roster of acclaimed chefs, the 2026 edition coincides with the resort's 20th anniversary, a milestone the program will mark with expanded celebratory moments and a refreshed format. Travelers who want guaranteed access to headliners and anchor events should plan early.
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
Hosted by Eric Ripert, the Cookout will again turn Seven Mile Beach into a weeklong stage for chef-driven programming, wine and spirits tastings, and island-focused experiences. Headlining talent announced by the resort includes José Andrés, Andrew Zimmern, Stephanie Izard, Carla Hall, Gavin Kaysen, Gregory Gourdet, and Ming Tsai, among others. Organizers say more than 60 sessions will span hands-on demos, ticketed dinners, poolside soirées, and off-site excursions, with a balance of returning favorites and new formats designed for the anniversary year. The hotel's fine-dining flagship, Blue by Eric Ripert, returns as the setting for the Grand Finale Dinner, a multicourse collaboration that traditionally closes the program and, this year, nods to two decades of the resort's culinary profile.
Latest developments
Two key booking paths are already live. First, individual event tickets will roll out on the festival site, where travelers can curate à la carte lineups as inventory opens. Second, the Cayman Cookout Room Package starts at $ 2,600.00 (USD) per night for two guests, exclusive of taxes and fees, with a five-night minimum covering January 14-19. The package includes daily in-room culinary surprises and access for two to signature events such as An Epicurean Eve, Barefoot BBQ, and Rum & Robusto, plus additional inclusions like daily breakfast at Seven and round-trip airport transfers. Because headline dinners and poolside gatherings typically sell out first, the bundled access can remove friction for guests who prefer guaranteed entry to the tentpole experiences while they layer on smaller demos after schedules are published. The resort has also flagged anniversary-year additions, including a wellness panel hosted by Andrew Zimmern with Gavin Kaysen and Gregory Gourdet, as well as cooking demonstrations highlighting Haitian and Chinese influences from Gourdet and Ming Tsai.
Analysis
For travelers, the 2026 Cookout reads as both a celebratory edition and a practical, plan-ahead event. Air schedules to Grand Cayman generally tighten around January, so locking flights into Owen Roberts International early will preserve arrival options and business-class award space. On arrival day, consider a buffer, landing January 13 or earlier to account for potential winter weather on the U.S. mainland and to be rested for opening events. Accommodations skew premium during festival week, and the room package's included access to multiple signature events can offset per-event spend while simplifying logistics. Those who prefer maximum flexibility can wait for the full event grid, then assemble a custom mix of demos and dinners, but should expect dynamic pricing and quick sell-outs for the most in-demand names.
Background for first-timers, the Ritz-Carlton Cayman Cookout is an annual, chef-hosted festival centered at a single resort, which makes moving between sessions easy compared with citywide food events. Most programming clusters around the beachfront, the resort's culinary studios, and marquee restaurants, with occasional off-property experiences that require lead time to book. Signature anchor events like the An Epicurean Eve opening celebration, Barefoot BBQ on the beach, Rum & Robusto on closing day, and the Grand Finale Dinner at Blue create a reliable spine for the week. Around those, the schedule fills with daytime demos, wine seminars, and collaborative dinners that reward early perusal once the timetable posts.
Advisors building longer Cayman itineraries around the festival can pair mornings at the resort with low-lift island experiences, such as snorkeling at Cemetery Beach or a Stingray City catamaran, leaving afternoons free for tastings and demos. For destination context and seasonal messaging, see the Cayman Islands' new "Welcome to vaCay" platform, which emphasizes slower travel and longer stays, a natural fit for Cookout-week pacing and recovery between late-night events Cayman Islands launches 'Welcome to vaCay'. Travelers looking to extend their time on island can also watch airline additions into Grand Cayman that broaden access beyond traditional hubs; recent route news shows more options from South Florida that can pair with festival dates if schedules align Spirit Airlines Belize Flights, Cayman Service Launch From FLL.
Operationally, expect per-event pricing on top of any room package for special dinners, limited-capacity excursions, and premium tastings once the grid is public. Because the edition coincides with the resort's 20th anniversary, anticipate commemorative touches, chef collaborations, and a slightly fuller evening slate around the beach events and at Blue. The festival's wellness-forward additions and culturally specific demos suggest a more rounded daytime program this year, which may help balance late-night beach parties with mornings built around recovery and learning. If weather enters the picture, beachfront sessions can shift to covered venues without losing the headliners, but it is wise to leave modest gaps between events for transitions.
Final thoughts
Cayman Cookout 2026 brings back a concentrated, chef-led festival with guaranteed access options and an anniversary-year refresh. Travelers who prioritize the headline dinners and beach events should move quickly on the room package or set alerts for the a la carte ticket drops, then build a week that mixes culinary mainstays with the new wellness and culture programming. With dates fixed for January 14-19, 2026, and a strong chef roster already confirmed, the event remains one of the Caribbean's most efficient ways to immerse in high-caliber food and wine on a single, walkable campus.