What’s On at Soneva
Immerse yourself in a world of vibrant celebrations and exclusive gatherings with Soneva’s year-round calendar of events in the Maldives and Thailand. Our Soneva Stars Programme presents a diverse array of activities and rare experiences such as destination dining with Michelin-starred chefs, coaching sessions with sporting legends and wellness workshops with acclaimed therapists. In 2024, guests can also enjoy seasonal highlights with our Summer and Winter Collection, traditional festivities and our pioneering SOUL Festival.
Festivals & Celebrations
Upcoming Soneva Stars
No stay at Soneva is ever quite the same thanks to our Soneva Stars. Throughout the year, we host residencies by acclaimed Michelin-starred chefs, authors, astronomers, sporting legends and wellness specialists.
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Joao Santos
Joao is a renowned wellness consultant and visiting practitioner with a profound understanding of dry massage that surpasses traditional techniques. Drawing from his extensive training and experience, Joao has perfected a therapeutic performance that blends various schools and techniques he has encountered throughout his long career as a body therapist. Joao combines his intuitive holistic approach, knowledge of anatomy and physiology with unwavering commitment to enhance his clients’ physical and spiritual well-being.
Learn more about Joao Santos
Talib Hudda
Talib Hudda is an acclaimed chef and owner of the award-winning restaurant Refer in Beijing, taking 85th in the 2024 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Refer was the first restaurant in Beijing to make it into the top 50 in 2023. Its success revolved around the connection to its seasonal menus, technical expertise and imaginative plating. Later this year, his new restaurant will launch in autumn: going deeper into his connection with food.
Talib’s cuisine reflects his bold philosophy: to draw inspiration from everything in the natural world or urban life, breaking the boundaries between geographical regions and culinary styles to create a unique, immersive dining experience. The restaurant’s avant-garde concept revolutionised the way chefs communicate with diners, allowing them to appreciate the stories behind each dish and leave with awe and lasting impressions.
Learn more about Talib Hudda
Numthip Puntha
Numthip, also known as Khun Amp, specialises in physiotherapy, reiki, sound healing and chi neitsang. She is dedicated to promoting the connection between mind, body and spiritual well-being to help individuals become more aware and discover their full potential in order to achieve happiness.
Learn more about Numthip Puntha
Eric Räty
A rising star in fine dining, Finnish chef Eric Räty is renowned for his refined simplicity, purity of craft and vibrant innovation that seamlessly blends Nordic and Asian cooking techniques and flavours. His culinary journey began in 2005 at Perho Culinary School in Helsinki where he spent his evenings as a kitchen helper at two Michelin-starred Chez Dominique. After graduation, Eric joined as a full-time commis chef, and in 2010, joined three-Michelin-starred restaurant Aqua at Ritz Carlton, Wolfsburg, as a pastry chef. After two and half years at Aqua, he returned to Chez Dominique as the restaurant’s head chef before moving to Hong Kong in 2014, where he was inspired to incorporate Asian ingredients and flavours into his menus.
Now, as chef-owner of Arbor in Hong Kong, Eric brings his tasteful creativity to the city’s fine dining scene, earning his first Michelin star in 2018 and his second star in 2019. Eric’s menu is inspired by nature and a fundamental respect for the changing seasons. Every dish reflects the woods, the forest and the trees through flavour, fragrance, preparation technique or creative presentation. Combining refined Nordic and Japanese sensibilities and a blend of seasonal ingredients, his cuisine is creatively light but developed with sharp, bright flavours that come from rare, exotic ingredients to nourish and excite the palate.
Learn more about Eric Räty
Mark Lundgaard
The chef and director at Kong Hans Kælder Restaurant, located in the oldest building in Copenhagen. In Mark’s universe, food is not a gift sent down from heaven. In order to understand the taste and composition of a dish, it is essential to respect its origin and understand the craftsmanship in its preparation. With a distinctive mix of classic French cuisine and a new Nordic kitchen, Mark creates dishes that define palatability at its best.
Learn more about Mark Lundgaard
Heiko Nieder
Originally from Germany, Heiko Nieder completed his training as a chef at the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg. In 2003, he was awarded “Discovery of the Year” by Gault Millau for his culinary creations at the L’Orquivit in Bonn, which he ran for five years. In 2004, he was awarded one Michelin star, and in 2006 he garnered 17 Gault Millau points. Since its opening, he has been Chef Fine Dining at the Dolder Grand’s The Restaurant. In the first year alone, The Restaurant was awarded 17 Gault Millau points and one Michelin star. In November 2010, it received its second Michelin star, then in October 2012, it was awarded its 18th Gault Millau point, and Heiko was crowned “Most Improved Chef of the Year”. July 2013 saw him named “Hotel Chef of the Year” by Swiss magazine, Bilanz, as part of its annual hotel ratings. Gault Millau Germany presented him with the award for “Best German Chef Abroad” in November 2014, and he was crowned “Le Grand Chef du Guide Bleu” in the 2014/2015 Guide Bleu. In 2017, Nieder received the “Chef of the Year” award from Sonntagszeitung, then in October 2018 he received his 19th Gault Millau point, followed by the title “Gault Millau Chef of the Year 2019”.
Learn more about Heiko Nieder
Dietmar Sawyere
Swiss-born chef Dietmar Sawyere comes from a family of restaurateurs and has been involved in running restaurants since the age of 14. Having since worked at some of the world’s most exclusive hotels and restaurants, Dietmar has honed his skills in incorporating local flavours and ingredients into his menus. His innovation and expertise have been internationally-recognised, garnering numerous awards, and he is one of only five European chefs worldwide to have earned a Michelin Star for a Japanese restaurant.
In recent years, Dietmar’s focus has shifted to consultancy and management. In 2023, he and his wife Nicole took over the historic 500-year-old inn Gasthaus zum Kreuz in Dallenwil, Switzerland. Here, they created two unique concepts, Stübli and Bijou, both of which hold one Michelin Star each.
Stübli offers a modern interpretation of Swiss cuisine, while Bijou seamlessly combines Swiss and Asian flavours and hospitality.
Learn more about Dietmar Sawyere
Igor Oleynik
Igor Oleynik is ranked among the top 16 football freestylers in the world and is a four-time Russian national champion. He started playing football when he was six years old and switched to freestyling at 16. He went on to successfully participate in numerous international tournaments, including the prestigious Red Bull Street Style events.
During his professional career, he has been a brand ambassador for Nike and Adidas and collaborated with Volkswagen and FC Lokomotiv. In 2018-2019 he played for Amkal, one of the most popular media football teams in Russia and also one of the biggest YouTube projects.
In addition, he is the founder of iFreestyle, the largest freestyle and street football school in the world which united around 250 children. A talented coach, Igor never stops learning and polishing his skills. Passionate about inspiring others, he never sets limits for himself, constantly inventing new tricks.
Learn more about Igor Oleynik
Karan Gokani
Karan grew up in Mumbai and moved to England in 2005 to study law at the University of Cambridge. Even as a practicing solicitor, Karan’s passion for food and hospitality never faded and he spent time in professional kitchens in his spare time. In 2012, he left his legal career at a city law firm to pursue a career in hospitality, traveling across India and Sri Lanka to immerse himself in the food and culture of the countries.
His restaurant Hoppers was founded in October 2015. The first Hoppers in Soho was inspired by the toddy-shops, home cooking and roadside stalls of Sri Lanka and South India, and served its namesake Hoppers alongside Dosas, Kothu, Short Eats, Rice and Roasts. The acclaim soon followed with reviews from London Evening Standard’s Fay Maschler and the late Sunday Times critic A.A. Gill who applauded Hoppers for its ‘seductive, come-hither menu’ and ‘spectacular, impressive, authentic, confident and swaggering kitchen.’
Over the years Karan has written travel features and recipes on Sri Lanka and southern India for major national and international publications including The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveller, The ES Magazine, Bloomberg, The Financial Times; and appeared on Sunday Brunch, Great British Chefs, Sorted Food’s YouTube channel and various food festivals across the UK.
Learn more about Karan Gokani
Dr James Gilbert
Dr James Gilbert is a space engineer, astrophysicist and inventor. He is known for his work on multiple new technologies for some of the world’s most complex scientific machines, including planet-finding telescopes on Earth and wildfire-fighting cameras in space. He is currently leading the development of mission-critical electronics at Rocket Lab in New Zealand.
Originally from the UK, Dr James emigrated to Australia in 2009 and – almost by accident – found the fascinating world of scientific instrumentation. Since then, his career has spanned multiple technical disciplines including optics, photonics, electronics and robotics.
A passionate advocate of ‘blue sky’ research, Dr James has also led programs that take cutting-edge technologies out of the lab and apply them elsewhere to improve life on Earth. As a result, he is now an accomplished leader in academia and industry and loves to share stories that connect uncompromising technological achievements with the human condition.
Dr James has a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Oxford and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed astronomy and space technology publications. He was recently named Engineer of the Year 2023 and Researcher of the Year 2022 at the Australian Space Awards. He is a trusted authority on space technology with multiple interviews on Australian national media, and his TV documentary appearances have been broadcast worldwide on networks including ABC, BBC and Discovery Channel.
Learn more about Dr James Gilbert
Jane Alty
Over ten years in the UK, Jane Alty has opened minds and tickled tastebuds, becoming a key ingredient of the Asian food revolution. By focusing on genuine Thai ingredients, Jane has brought Thai cuisine to a curious and increasingly dedicated public.
Jane’s connection with Thailand runs deep. As a classically trained chef, she was first captivated by the deeply complex flavours and cooking processes of this wonderful country when she stayed with family outside Bangkok and became infatuated with the country’s cuisine. After four years at world-renowned Nahm, working under the internationally acclaimed chef David Thompson, she opened The Begging Bowl, in the heart of Southeast London. Alongside incredible Thai ingredients, Jane also uses seasonal produce from the UK, using it delicately where it makes sense with Thai food. It’s now a magnet for foodies, and Jane features in the top 100 influential women in hospitality – all achieved against the backdrop of managing as a single parent and leading the charge for women in hospitality.
In 2022 Jane took her years of experience to JKS. Here, she is nurturing the next generation of chefs and overseeing all their ambitious Chaiyo restaurants.
Learn more about Jane Alty
Mike Bryan
Mike Bryan is one of the world’s most successful doubles tennis players. Playing with his twin brother Bob, the Bryans won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, 39 Masters 1000 titles, and 119 ATP Tour titles.
Mike also won seven Grand Slam titles in mixed doubles, is a Davis Cup champion, and was the number one ranked doubles player in the world for 439 weeks. The Bryans were the top doubles team on the ATP Tour for 10 seasons and, in 2012, they clinched the career Golden Slam, winning all four Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal during a 12-month run.
Learn more about Mike Bryan
Seasonal Highlights
Experience wonder all year round with Soneva’s seasonal celebrations, from the sun-soaked bliss of summer and magical festivities of winter.
