Velaa Private Island Lines Up Guest Chefs, Champagne Dinner and Becky Hill Anniversary Show
The Noonu Atoll resort's calendar runs from a vampire-themed Halloween to its 13th anniversary on 20 December, with two guest chefs cooking at Aragu in November.
The News
Velaa Private Island in Noonu Atoll has set out a calendar of events from Halloween to its 13th anniversary on 20 December. It includes two guest chefs for its Gastronomy Month, a Champagne Billecart-Salmon dinner and a live performance by British singer-songwriter Becky Hill.
The calendar opens with A Vampire Halloween on 31 October and 1 November, with vampire-themed escape rooms and theatrical performances.
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Gastronomy Month begins with Mark Lundgaard, head chef and director of Kong Hans Kælder, a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen. From 6 to 8 November he will join Velaa's chef Gaushan de Silva at Aragu for two four-hands dinners, with a menu that reworks classical French techniques from a Nordic perspective. Kong Hans Kælder occupies one of Copenhagen's oldest buildings.
Michelin-starred chef Olivier Limousin follows, cooking four-hands dinners with de Silva at Aragu on 11 and 13 November. Limousin's career spans more than 25 years in Paris, London and Bangkok, including work alongside Joël Robuchon.
On 18 November Velaa will host a Champagne Billecart-Salmon dinner at Aragu, led by the house's managing director, Alexandre Bader, and its Asia-Pacific director, Sébastien Papin. Bader has been part of the Billecart-Salmon family since 1992. Papin, who was raised in Bordeaux, works with luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants across the region. The dinner pairs a specially created menu with the house's champagnes.
Padel professional Sofía Araújo will be at the resort from 16 to 21 December.
Velaa will celebrate its anniversary on 20 December with an evening of music and a live set by Becky Hill. The evening honours what the resort calls the "Velaa Family" of staff, along with its returning guests.
Step Back
Velaa opened on 20 December 2013 on the island of Fushivelaavaru, about 45 minutes by seaplane from Malé.
Earlier this year the resort ran a Toy Story-themed Easter programme and a Kids Week in August.
