Ayada Maldives puts fire and open-flame cooking at heart of festive dining
Ayada Maldives has announced its festive programme for the 2026–2027 season, with beachfront barbecue, Teppanyaki and fire-led dining forming part of three weeks of celebrations from 18 December 2026 to 7 January 2027.
The programme is organised around four elements — Sea, Fire, Light and Magic — which will be interpreted through dining, entertainment, cultural activities and family experiences across the resort.
For Ayada’s culinary and food and beverage teams, the Element of Fire will provide the clearest gastronomic expression of the concept. The programme will incorporate open-flame cooking alongside fire performances and evening entertainment, using the resort’s beachfront environment as part of the dining experience.
Among the returning experiences is the SeaSalt Beach BBQ, where grilling and live cooking will form part of an outdoor dinner setting. The programme will also feature Teppanyaki dining, bringing cooking directly in front of guests and combining culinary technique with the performance element that runs through the wider festive calendar.
Both formats place chefs at the centre of the experience. Beach barbecue requires coordination across preparation, live grilling and service in an outdoor environment, while Teppanyaki combines temperature control, timing and knife skills with direct interaction between chef and diner.
Ocean influences festive experience
The Element of Sea will draw on the Maldives’ longstanding relationship with the ocean. Marine encounters, Maldivian folklore and activities inspired by the island environment and marine life will form part of this section of the programme.
For the resort’s culinary operation, the theme provides a natural connection between the surrounding Indian Ocean and the destination in which festive dining takes place. Together, Sea and Fire establish two of the central characteristics of island gastronomy: the marine environment and cooking over heat.
The other two elements will shape the atmosphere around the dining programme. Light will introduce festive installations, illuminated pathways and evening displays across the island, contributing to the setting for after-dark dining during Christmas and New Year.
Magic will focus primarily on families, with children’s activities, carnival games and other experiences incorporated throughout the festive period.
Three weeks of festive operations
Running from 18 December through the first week of January, the programme will cover Christmas, New Year and the opening days of 2027.
For culinary teams, an extended festive calendar of this nature involves more than individual gala dinners. It requires kitchens and F&B operations to manage a succession of dining formats while maintaining consistency across one of the busiest periods of the Maldives hospitality calendar.
At Ayada Maldives, the programme’s combination of beachfront barbecue, Teppanyaki and other culinary experiences will sit alongside entertainment and activities designed around the four-element theme.
The focus on Fire in particular reflects the continuing prominence of live cooking within Maldives resort dining. From grills and beach barbecues to interactive Teppanyaki counters, open-flame and chef-led formats allow the cooking process to become part of the guest experience rather than remaining solely behind the kitchen doors.
Through Sea, Fire, Light and Magic, Ayada Maldives’ 2026–2027 programme will therefore combine its wider festive celebrations with dining experiences shaped by the island environment, live cooking and the interaction between chefs and guests.
