On 19 September 2026, H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Chairman of the Advisory Board to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, presided over the opening ceremony of Thailand Grand Festival 2026, held from 19 to 20 September at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, Sydney, under the theme "Creative Life and Creative Heartbeat." Guests of Honour included the Hon. Chris Minns MP, Premier of New South Wales; the Hon. Anoulack Chanthivong MP, Minister for Trade and Investment of New South Wales; and Councillor Robert Kok, representative of the Lord Mayor of Sydney. Also in attendance were H.E. Ms. Arjaree Sriratanaban, Ambassador of Thailand to Australia; Mr. Naruchai Ninnad, Consul-General of Thailand in Sydney; and Mr. Panidone Pachimsawat, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Festival welcomed approximately 80,000 visitors over two days.

In his remarks, the Chairman highlighted that Thailand today is a nation of creative talents, exporting creative products, services and ideas to the world through proactive Economic and Cultural Diplomacy. He thanked the Thai community in Australia for sharing Thai ways of life and culture with Australians, laying the foundation for the Festival. He also noted that this year's Festival marks a milestone ahead of the 75th anniversary of Thailand–Australia diplomatic relations in 2027, following Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's official visit to Australia in August 2026, the first by a Thai Prime Minister in fourteen years.

Festival highlights included the Thailand Grand Parade; cultural performances by Bunditpatanasilpa Institute, Mahasarakham University and Thai community groups; Thai cooking demonstrations; a Thai costume and jewelry showcase; Muaythai competitions and an interactive Muaythai AI experience; meet-and-greets with popular Thai artists; and Thai food and product stalls. The Festival also featured a showcase of circular-economy and upcycled Thai products under the Local to Global project, bringing local Thai entrepreneurs to international markets.

The Festival was a collaborative effort by the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Sydney and Team Thailand in Australia, comprising the Thai Trade Centre Sydney, the Thailand Board of Investment Sydney Office, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Canberra. Partners also included Thai Airways International, the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, the Chanthaburi Provincial Commercial Affairs Office, the Thai Restaurant Association of Australia and the Thai community as well as the Department of Information and Development of International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.