Maldivian cooking, wine & dine and gala feasts shape Coco Bodu Hithi festive season
Coco Bodu Hithi will bring Maldivian cuisine, interactive cooking sessions, wine experiences and beachfront dining together for its 2026–2027 festive programme, running from 22 December to 7 January.
Presented under the theme “Island Glow: Moments Made to Remember”, the programme will include Christmas and New Year gala dinners, sushi-making and local cooking workshops, cocktail sessions, a guest cook-off, Wine & Dine evenings and beach barbecues.
For chefs and food and beverage professionals, the festive calendar combines large-scale celebratory dining with smaller interactive experiences that bring guests closer to the culinary team.
The season begins with the resort’s annual Festive Tree Lighting, accompanied by live music and a celebratory toast.
On 24 December, the culinary focus shifts to a Christmas Eve Gala Dinner, supported by live entertainment. Christmas Day begins with brunch before Santa arrives at the Main Jetty, while the evening will highlight Maldivian flavours, music and island culture.
The inclusion of local cuisine gives the resort’s chefs an opportunity to introduce guests to flavour combinations associated with Maldivian cooking, where tuna, coconut, chilli, lime, onion and spices have long played central roles.
Rather than limiting local food to a single themed meal, the festive programme will also include dedicated local cooking activities, giving guests the chance to engage directly with preparation and technique.
Interactive cooking takes guests behind the scenes
Coco Bodu Hithi will offer several hands-on culinary experiences throughout the season, including sushi making, local cooking sessions and a playful family cook-off.
For chefs, guest-facing workshops require a different approach from normal restaurant production. Techniques need to be simplified without losing their culinary foundations, while ingredients and equipment must be organised so participants can work safely and comfortably.
Sushi workshops are particularly dependent on mise en place. Rice needs to be correctly seasoned and held at the right temperature, while seafood, vegetables and garnishes must be prepared precisely before the session begins.
The resort’s cook-off, meanwhile, places chefs in a mentoring role, guiding guests while encouraging creativity and friendly competition.
Such activities also help make the culinary team more visible within the overall resort experience, moving chefs from behind the kitchen doors into direct interaction with guests.
Wine, cocktails and beachside dining
Beverage experiences will form another part of the festive programme.
Guests will be able to take part in cocktail workshops, while Wine & Dine evenings will bring food and wine pairing into a more intimate setting.
For sommeliers and chefs, pairing dinners depend on close collaboration. Acidity, tannin, sweetness and body in the wine all need to be considered alongside the richness, seasoning and preparation of each dish.
Cocktail workshops similarly allow bartenders to explain the fundamentals of balance, including sweetness, acidity, alcohol and dilution, while demonstrating how ingredients are prepared and combined.
More informal dining will include freshly grilled dishes served by the beach.
Outdoor grill service remains one of the most characteristic formats of Maldives resort dining, but it requires detailed preparation behind the scenes. Heat management, seafood and meat storage, mise en place and service timing all become especially important when cooking takes place away from the main kitchen.
Gala dining to welcome 2027
New Year’s Eve will begin with a sunset cruise before guests return to the island for an elegant Gala Dinner.
For the culinary brigade, New Year’s Eve is likely to be one of the busiest services of the festive period, involving coordination across hot kitchen, cold kitchen, pastry, bakery, stewarding and front-of-house teams.
Gala dining demands careful production planning so that food remains fresh and properly presented throughout an extended evening of entertainment.
Pastry teams also carry a significant share of festive production, from gala desserts and brunch pastries to celebratory treats and smaller amenities.
In the Maldives climate, heat and humidity can make chocolate, mousses and sugar work especially demanding, requiring careful temperature control from production through service.
The programme will continue into January with an Orthodox Christmas Eve Gala Dinner.
On 7 January, Orthodox Christmas Day, the festive season will conclude with a relaxed Breeze Beach BBQ featuring freshly grilled dishes and live entertainment by the sea.
Culinary experiences as part of the wider festive programme
Food and beverage will sit alongside a wider schedule that includes coral planting, reef exploration, Maldivian handicrafts, sunset cruises, wellness experiences and live performances.
That combination reflects the increasingly broad role of resort culinary teams during festive periods.
Chefs are not only responsible for restaurant meals, but also for destination dining, workshops, themed events, family activities and large celebrations that must fit around the island’s wider entertainment programme.
At Coco Bodu Hithi, the festive calendar will move between formal gala dining, local culinary storytelling and informal guest participation.
From Maldivian cooking and sushi workshops to Wine & Dine experiences and beachfront grills, the programme gives chefs, bartenders and service teams several different ways to contribute to the resort’s “Island Glow” celebrations.
