The Maldives will take centre stage on MasterChef Sri Lanka on 3 October 2026 at 10:00 pm on TVM, with a special destination episode filmed in the Maldives showcasing the country’s cuisine, culture and hospitality through one of the world’s most recognised culinary television formats.

The exclusive Maldives episode was delivered through a collaboration between Maldives Holiday Collections (MHC Group), and Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC) as Official Destination Partner, bringing the MasterChef Sri Lanka judges, host and contestants to the destination for a culinary challenge set against the Maldives’ iconic island backdrop.

The episode offers audiences a different perspective of the Maldives, placing food at the heart of the destination story. Maldivian ingredients, flavours and hospitality feature alongside the competition, bringing the country’s culinary identity to a regional audience and showcasing experiences beyond the beaches and marine environment for which the Maldives is already recognised worldwide.

As Official Destination Partner, VMC supported the production as part of its efforts to diversify destination storytelling and reach international audiences through high-impact content and entertainment platforms.

Speaking on the collaboration, Abdulla Yasir, CEO & Managing Director of Visit Maldives Corporation, said, “The Maldives is recognised around the world for its islands, ocean and exceptional hospitality, but our food and culinary heritage offer another powerful way to tell the story of our destination. MasterChef gives us an exciting platform to take Maldivian flavours, culture and the people behind them to a wider regional audience through a format that people already know and connect with. We look forward to audiences seeing another side of the Maldives when the episode airs on 3 October.”

Bringing the MasterChef Sri Lanka production to the Maldives involved recreating the MasterChef experience in an outdoor island setting. The full contingent, including judges, host, contestants, production crew and technical teams, travelled to the Maldives, together with the equipment required for filming.

Maldives Holiday Collections managed the on-ground production requirements, including international travel, accommodation and transportation, equipment logistics, and the construction of individual cooking stations and kitchen decks at the filming location. VMC worked with relevant government institutions to facilitate filming approvals, visa arrangements and administrative clearances, while coordinating with the production team throughout preparations and filming.

Ahmed Shaushaan Shafeeq, Managing Director of Maldives Holiday Collections, said, “What viewers eventually see on screen is only a small part of what it takes to make a production of this scale happen. Behind it were months of coordination, logistics, customs clearances, transportation, accommodation, equipment movements, construction and constant problem-solving. There were many requirements that were new to us. What impressed me most was how our team responded.”

The collaboration also highlights the potential of food and culinary experiences as a platform for destination promotion. While the Maldives has established a strong global identity in luxury, nature and marine tourism, its culinary traditions provide further opportunities to connect international audiences with Maldivian culture, communities and the experiences that shape the destination.

Hifnaz Jiffrey, Group CEO of MHC Group, said, “Food is one of the few truly global languages. Through MasterChef, we had an opportunity to showcase another side of the Maldives: our cuisine, our people, our hospitality and our ability to deliver world-class experiences. We don’t necessarily need to look at Sri Lanka and the Maldives as two separate markets. When Sri Lankan creativity and talent come together with Maldivian hospitality and destination expertise, we can create something neither country could create alone.”

MasterChef Sri Lanka is produced by Reality TV Sri Lanka, franchise owner of the MasterChef format in Sri Lanka, with its production and culinary teams leading the creative delivery of the episode.

The Maldives production was delivered with the support of Nestlé Professional, Maggi Professional, Nescafé, Milo and Lily International as Official Food & Beverage Partners; Visit Maldives Corporation as Official Destination Partner; Maldives Holiday Collections as Exclusive Event Partner; and CROSSROADS Maldives, The Marina, SAii Maldives Lagoon- Curio Collection by Hilton, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives and SO/ Maldives as Official Hospitality Partners.

Additional partners include Flora as Official Hygiene Products Partner; Public Service Media (PSM) as Official Broadcast Partner; United Food Suppliers as Frozen Partner; and Redstar, Nautigo, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Swift Logistics, Footrest Salon & Aesthetics, Nihon Bashi, Carne Diem Grill by Dharshan and Ministry of Crab as Associate Partners.

The production demonstrates the Maldives’ ability to host international television and creative productions through coordinated government facilitation and local industry expertise. For VMC, collaborations of this nature provide an opportunity to take Maldivian stories to new audiences, diversify destination content and showcase the food, people, culture and experiences that complement the Maldives’ globally recognised tourism offering.

The special Maldives episode of MasterChef Sri Lanka will air on 3 October 2026 at 10:00 pm on TVM.