Coastal feasts, island cooking and festive banquets shape Eri Maldives’ first festive season
Eri Maldives is preparing to mark its first festive season with a culinary programme spanning Christmas, New Year and Orthodox Christmas, placing Maldivian ingredients, interactive dining and relaxed island hospitality at the centre of its year-end celebrations.
Running from 22 December 2026 to 7 January 2027, the resort’s debut festive programme is themed La Dolce Vita, drawing inspiration from the Mediterranean idea of enjoying food, company and everyday pleasures without rushing. Across the two-week programme, Eri will combine festive banquets and live cooking with Maldivian culinary experiences, seafood-focused dining, wine tasting and hands-on cooking activities.
For chefs and food and beverage professionals, one of the programme’s notable elements is the way Eri is incorporating local ingredients and Maldivian food traditions into a broader international festive offering rather than limiting them to a single themed dinner.
Among the seasonal dining experiences is the Coastal Feast, built around seafood and cooking over fire. Maldivian reef lobster will be served directly from the grill alongside charred fish dishes, putting the emphasis on the produce and straightforward cooking techniques suited to an island setting.
Guests interested in understanding the cuisine beyond the dining table will also be able to participate in The Island Kitchen, a hands-on cooking class dedicated to Maldivian staple recipes. The experience introduces visitors to the ingredients, techniques and preparations that underpin everyday Maldivian cooking, creating an opportunity for the resort’s culinary team to connect guests directly with the country’s food culture.
That approach continues at the resort’s Maldivian Village. On 30 December, the space will host a Maldivian High Tea, presenting local flavours through an afternoon dining format. On 5 January, the village will be transformed for a one-night pop-up market featuring local crafts and street food, adding another dimension to the resort’s presentation of Maldivian culture through food.
Christmas celebrations begin with The Christmas Glow, when Eri will light its festive tree for the first time. Canapés and cocktails will accompany the sunset event, alongside Christmas carols.
Pastry and confectionery also form part of the programme through a festive gingerbread-house decorating workshop. Guests will be invited to use icing and decorations to create miniature seaside cottages, turning a traditional Christmas pastry activity into an interactive experience reflecting the resort’s island setting.
On Christmas Day, the focus shifts to Soul Kitchen, where the Christmas Banquet will offer a lunch featuring festive dishes interpreted with tropical influences. The meal follows Santa’s arrival earlier in the day and is designed as an informal gathering for families and other guests celebrating on the island.
The culinary programme expands further on New Year’s Eve. Celebrations begin during the day with an island treasure hunt before moving into a gala dinner in the evening. Live cooking stations will form a major component of the dinner, allowing dishes to be prepared and finished in front of guests while creating greater interaction between the kitchen team and diners.
For hospitality professionals, live stations also provide an opportunity to turn food preparation itself into part of the entertainment. Rather than separating the kitchen entirely from the celebration, chefs become visible participants in the evening while guests are able to observe the techniques and final preparation of dishes.
Following dinner, the celebrations move to Sip & Dip Beachfront for the Seaside Soirée, including music, a costume competition, a countdown and fireworks over the water.
Food remains central to the programme the following morning with the New Year Reset Brunch. Conceived as a slower start after the previous night’s celebrations, the brunch will focus on comforting dishes and coffee before guests move into the day’s activities.
Eri will also cater to guests observing Orthodox Christmas in early January, with an intimate shore-side dinner and lunch planned as part of the closing days of the festive calendar.
Beverage programming runs alongside the food experiences throughout the season. Daily sundowners will feature changing themes, including Island Afterglow and Sunset Soirée, combining drinks with DJ sets as the island moves from afternoon into evening.
On 2 January, Sip & Dip will host a dedicated wine-tasting experience, pairing selected wines with sharing plates. The session adds a more structured food-and-beverage component to the festive calendar, giving guests an opportunity to explore how wine selections interact with dishes intended for communal dining.
While much of the programme centres on food, Eri is linking its culinary offering to a wider interpretation of island life. Guests can participate in sunset fishing excursions and the Battle of the Big Catch, alongside educational sessions exploring ocean ecology and geology. The resort’s marine expert will also host Secrets of the Sea storytelling evenings covering the surrounding marine environment and Eri’s growing turtle community.
The relationship between ocean, island and kitchen is particularly relevant in the Maldives, where seafood remains an important part of the country’s culinary identity. Through experiences ranging from fishing and marine education to grilled reef lobster and Maldivian cooking classes, Eri’s festive programme gives guests several ways to engage with the environment and the food culture it supports.
The resort is complementing its culinary calendar with wellness and private dining experiences. Eskape Spa will introduce the seasonal Eskape Journey, beginning with a cocoa, coffee and sugar body scrub before a full-body massage.
Couples can meanwhile book the Castaway Table, a private barefoot lunch arranged on a secluded sandbank. The experience uses the surrounding seascape as the dining room, reflecting the continued importance of destination dining within the Maldives resort sector.
Across its first festive season, Eri Maldives is using food not simply as an accompaniment to Christmas and New Year celebrations, but as one of the main ways guests can experience the island. From live cooking and pastry activities to Maldivian street food, seafood, wine and traditional recipes, the programme brings together international festive traditions and the culinary identity of the Maldives.
The La Dolce Vita festive programme will run at Eri Maldives from 22 December 2026 until 7 January 2027.
