“Sweets & Sips – Southeast Asia Stirred into Brisbane”, reimagining Southeast Asian heritage, will be held in Brisbane on 22 March during Harmony Week.

BRISBANE — A group of Vietnamese professionals and students living in Australia are organising Sweets & Sips – Southeast Asia Stirred into Brisbane, a curated cultural event introducing Southeast Asian heritage through desserts, coffee, music and dialogue. The event will take place on March 22, 2026, celebrating Harmony Week.

“Sweets & Sips is inspired by how younger generations in the Southeast Asian diaspora, including Vietnamese communities, experience culture today," said Celine Dang, Project Lead who has been living in Australia for nearly 10 years. "For many of us living between cultures, it’s not only about preserving traditions but also reimagining and refreshing them, so they can be understood and enjoyed by the wider community."

Initiated and led by members of the Vietnamese diaspora community in Brisbane, the event offers a fresh approach to cultural storytelling. Rather than simply presenting traditional culture, the initiative reflects how a new generation living between cultures is reimagining cultural heritage through contemporary experiences.

The programme will begin with pop-up stalls showcasing Southeast Asian desserts and drinks, including Vietnamese favourites such as chè bưởi, chè khúc bạch and tào phớ (tàu hũ), presented innovatively alongside creations inspired by other Southeast Asian countries. These tastings offer visitors a chance to experience tropical flavours in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

A key highlight of the event is a Vietnamese coffee omakase workshop, where participants explore Việt Nam’s coffee culture through traditional phin brewing combined with curated tasting recipes and creative presentation. As Australia is known for its strong coffee culture, the workshop introduces Vietnamese coffee in an innovative and engaging format for local coffee lovers.

The event also features live music performances that reinterpret traditional sounds in contemporary ways, including Vietnamese musical elements performed through modern instruments such as the cello as well as Thai musical traditions expressed through contemporary styles.

Another central element of the event is a panel conversation titled Reimagining Asian Heritage in Today’s Australia. The discussion brings together creatives, artists and entrepreneurs from Vietnamese, Thai and Filipino backgrounds to explore how cultural identity and heritage evolve for people living between cultures.

The event will take place at Coffee Iconic, a Brisbane outdoor café space loved by locals for its city views and relaxed atmosphere. Hosting the event in this contemporary Australian venue reflects the spirit of the initiative – bringing Asian heritage into a modern community space where cultures can naturally meet and connect.

Through food, coffee, music and storytelling, Sweets & Sips highlights how diaspora communities are refreshing and reinterpreting cultural traditions in ways that resonate with contemporary life while promoting cultural diversity and harmony in multicultural Australia. — VNS