Rita’s Longest Lunch returns to the grounds of St Rita’s College, with doors opening at 12:30pm for an afternoon of long table dining, live music and community fundraising that runs through to 4:30pm.
The annual event that will take place on 14 June 2026, hosted by the St Rita’s College Music Support Group, is one of the inner-north’s most relaxed and sociable school fundraisers, and 2026 carries extra significance: the college marks its centenary this year, having been founded by the Presentation Sisters in 1926. The Centenary Hat, available to pre-order or purchase on the day, will give the occasion its own keepsake moment.
Tickets are still available, but they sell in tables of six, so the sooner your group gets organised, the better.
Planning your long lunch
Rita’s Longest Lunch is modelled on the traditional European long lunch, where the emphasis is on good food, good company and no rush. Grand tables are set up on the Hogan Place grounds with full table settings including plate, cutlery, glassware and water provided at every seat.
The food part is entirely in your hands. This is a BYO food event, which means you can pack a picnic basket, order a gourmet box from Say Cheese, a local Brisbane catering business, or be as creative as your table wants to be. Say Cheese is offering a range of gourmet boxes specifically for the event, available to pre-order via their website, with the deadline for orders set at 10 June.
Orders will be delivered to Hogan Place for collection on the day, with $10 from every box donated to the Music Support Group. There are no heating or cooking facilities at the venue, and food cannot be purchased on the day, so planning ahead matters.
Beverages work differently. A bar will be on-site offering sparkling wine, wine and beer by EFTPOS. BYO beverages of any kind, including non-alcoholic drinks, are not permitted. Two champagne options, Piper Heidsieck NV and Veuve Clicquot, are available exclusively as pre-purchased add-ons and will not be sold at the event. The pre-order deadline for champagne is 10am on Monday 8 June.
Live music from First Summer will carry the afternoon.
Booking the table
Tickets are sold as tables of six, and full payment along with contact details for all six guests is required at the time of booking. If your group has fewer than six, you can book a table and fill it by inviting additional guests, or coordinate with other attendees to make up a complete table.
Individual add-ons including champagne and Centenary Hats can be purchased without a full ticket booking by selecting the add-ons option at checkout. All ticket and champagne purchases are non-refundable.
The event is 18+ only.
A college with a century behind it
St Rita’s officially opened on 27 September 1926, when the Presentation Sisters purchased Stanley Hall, a landmark Clayfield residence, to establish the college. Today, the college educates around 1,200 girls from Years 5 to 12 and maintains a strong tradition of community events, with Rita’s Longest Lunch among the most anticipated on the annual calendar.
Proceeds from the lunch support the Music Support Group, which funds music education, instruments, performance opportunities and events for students at the college.
Tickets are available here. For enquiries, contact the college at communications@stritas.qld.edu.au.
Published 20-May-2026
