Ever wonder what the Luau Soup is or what to bring to it? In the beloved Pelican Town of Stardew Valley, the villagers organize and celebrate at least two special events called “Festivals” every season. For Summer, Stardew Valley celebrates “Luau” at the beginning and “Dance of the Moonlight Jellies” at the end of the season. The Luau festival, like other special events— expands the history, lore, and gameplay of Stardew Valley in fun ways like the Luau soup, villager conversations, and friendship aftermaths.
SUMMER FESTIVAL: The Luau
The Luau is a summer festival that occurs on the 11th day of the season. Being a summer festival, the Luau happens on the Beach on a bright summer’s day! The special event starts when the farmer enters the Beach sometime between 9 AM-2 PM and ends when the player decides to leave, returning to their farm at 10PM.
The Luau’s main attraction is the Communal Potluck Soup. Out of all the special events, the Luau is one of the most useful and significant to the farmer’s relationships with the villagers of Stardew Valley. Placing an edible, uncooked food item into the communal Luau soup will result in either an increase, decrease, or no change in friendship points.
The purpose of the Luau is for the community to gather in merriment and celebration of the beginning of Summer in Stardew Valley, showcase the best produce and culinary arts, and welcome the Governor for his visit to Pelican Town. Aside from the Luau soup, there will be unique event only villager interactions and the Luau Shop stall staffed by Pierre, selling summer themed items like decorations and Starfruits!
The Luau Soup
The Communal Potluck Soup at the Luau is one of the high points of the Summer in Stardew Valley. It is a fun, special and community centered event that the farmer can participate in that benefits the friendship with the villagers. The Luau Soup is located right in the middle of the beach on top of a green, leafy carpet. Marnie stirs the soup occasionally while the other villagers partake in the summery treats on the tables surrounding the Luau Soup.
There is a ladder on the left side of the large pot of soup that the farmer can climb to contribute to the potluck. The Luau Soup only accepts edible, uncooked, and some crafted food items in Stardew Valley. However, the strange and sometimes annoying thing is that the farmer is not informed beforehand about the Luau Soup, that the farmer should bring something, or which items are not eligible to add to the soup. Luckily, there are multiple guides for Stardew Valley online (like this one) to help farmers out!
What can you Bring To the Luau Soup?
There are a lot of factors that affect the Luau Soup, and consequently, the Governor’s reaction and the farmer’s friendship levels with the villagers. Firstly, item quality affects the potluck. Placing a gold star food item will gain the farmer more points than a normal quality or silver star food item. Secondly, base sell price of the food item affects the Luau Soup. Rare, expensive, or hard to grow/obtain food items gain more points. Lastly, special effects like healing help determine the Governor’s reaction.
There are seven possible responses to the Luau soup depending on the food items the farmer chooses to place (if any.)
- Missing Something Response: occurs when the farmer does not contribute to the Communal Potluck Soup. The Governor, after tasting, states that it is not bad but is missing something.
- Neutral Response: occurs when the farmer contributes something lackluster to the soup. The Governor merely states that it is average soup and does not have much to say about it.
- Good Response: occurs when the farmer adds fairly good food items to the Luau soup. The Governor is pleased by the soup after tasting and states that the food from Stardew Valley never disappoints. Getting this response garners 60 friendship points with all the villagers.
- Best Response: occurs when the farmer places the best food items of the valley into the potluck soup. The Governor simply states that it is the best soup he’s ever tasted and the farmer gains a whopping 120 friendship points with all the villagers.
- Bad Response: occurs when the farmer contributes generally disliked food items to the soup. The Governor is disgusted by the Luau soup and the farmer loses 50 friendship points with all the villagers after.
- Worst Response: occurs when the farmer adds some of the worst tasting, even poisonous food items in Stardew Valley to the Communal Potluck Soup. The Governor exclaims his disgust and proclaims the soup as vile. The farmer ends up losing 100 friendship points with all the villagers after the Governor passes out.
- Secret Response: occurs when the farmer places a secret item to the soup.
*For the complete lists of eligible food items corresponding to the different responses, check out the tables below.
What are the Best Items to Put in the Luau Soup in Stardew Valley?
FOR FIRST TIME PLAYERS: For farmers experiencing the Luau for the first time looking to this guide for help and information… By now, Spring has sprung; crops have grown and harvested and hopefully the farmer has stored at least one of everything in numerous chests. Keeping items is a handy tip because in Stardew Valley, every single thing is useful and important for the future.
Some of the easiest eligible food items to add to the Luau Soup are quality crops that the farmer (probably) grew and harvested during Spring. To get the best response from the Governor and the villagers, the farmer can add a Gold quality Cauliflower from Spring. Out of all of the options to get the best response, Cauliflower is one of the easiest and most accessible as the farmer will have grown lots of them during Spring for huge profits, nine (9) seeds are given for free at the museum after donating five (5) items, and Cauliflower is needed for the Community Center. Another easy option for the best response is a Gold quality Large Milk.
If, however, Gold quality Cauliflower and Large Milk are not on hand, there are other options! If the farmer is also a Fishing maniac, then a Gold quality Catfish, Gold quality Sturgeon, and Gold quality Super Cucumber will definitely garner the best response. The Catfish can be caught in rivers during rainy days in Spring. They are also needed in the Community Center so it is not inconvenient at all to try and catch it. Sturgeons can be caught in the Mountain Lake from 6 AM to 7 PM while Super Cucumbers can be caught in the Ocean from 6 PM to 2 AM, both during the Summer. These are definitely doable before the Luau with proper skill in Fishing.
| QUALITY | ELIGIBLE FOOD ITEMS |
| Normal | Normal quality items cannot garner the Best Response. |
| Silver | Ancient Fruit Wine • Apple Wine • Banana Wine • Blobfish • Coconut Wine • Crimsonfish • Crystal Fruit Wine • Goat Cheese • Golden Egg • Ice Pip • Large Goat Milk • Lava Eel • Legend • Legend II • Magma Cap • Mango Wine • Melon Wine • Orange Wine • Ostrich Egg • Pale Ale • Peach Wine • Pineapple Wine • Pomegranate Wine • Rhubarb Wine • Son of Crimsonfish • Starfruit • Starfruit Wine • Strawberry Wine • Wine |
| Gold/Iridium | Ancient Fruit Wine • Angler • Apple Wine • Artichoke • Banana Wine • Beer • Blobfish • Cactus Fruit Wine • Catfish • Cauliflower • Chanterelle • Cheese • Cherry Wine • Coconut Wine • Cranberries Wine • Crimsonfish • Crystal Fruit Wine • Fairy Rose • Glacierfish • Glacierfish Jr. • Goat Cheese • Goat Milk • Golden Egg • Grape Wine • Ice Pip • Large Goat Milk • Large Milk • Lava Eel • Legend • Legend II • Magma Cap • Mango • Mango Wine • Mead • Melon • Melon Wine • Ms. Angler • Mutant Carp • Orange Wine • Ostrich Egg • Pale Ale • Peach Wine • Pineapple • Pineapple Wine • Pomegranate Wine • Purple Mushroom • Radioactive Carp • Red Cabbage • Rhubarb Wine • Son of Crimsonfish • Spice Berry Wine • Spook Fish • Starfruit • Starfruit Wine • Stingray • Strawberry Wine • Sturgeon • Super Cucumber • Truffle • Wild Plum Wine • Wine • Yam |
FOR SEASONED PLAYERS: By now, seasoned farmers will have already experienced the Luau and accumulated quite a lot of items in numerous storage chests. There are now more possibilities and options to get the best response from the Governor and the villagers.
Some of the easiest and most attainable items to get the best response are animal products like Gold quality Cheese, Gold quality Goat Cheese, Gold quality Goat Milk, Gold quality Large Goat Milk, and Gold quality Large Milk. Long time players have a higher probability of already owning fully developed and efficient Coops and Barns and certain artisan good processing equipment like the Cheese Press, making these options possible for the Luau Soup.
The other easy options to get the best response are farm crops like Gold quality Fairy Rose, Gold quality Melon, Gold quality Red Cabbage, Gold quality Starfruit, and Gold quality Yam. These are all crops that farmers can easily obtain in gold quality after a few seasons or years in the game. On the other hand, there are less easily attainable options like wines. Gold quality wines take at least an entire season to age in the cellar. Farmers are better off saving some of their gold quality crops in storage for events like the Luau Soup or the grange display during Fall.
The best and easy options to get the best response from the Governor and the villagers for the Luau soup are:
- Gold quality Cauliflower
- Gold quality Large Milk
- Gold quality Catfish
- Gold quality Sturgeon
- Gold quality Super Cucumber
- Gold quality Cheese
- Gold quality Goat Cheese
- Gold quality Goat Milk
- Gold quality Large Goat Milk
- Gold quality Fairy Rose
- Gold quality Melon
- Gold quality Red Cabbage
- Gold quality Starfruit
- Gold quality Yam
TABLES: eligible food items and their responses for the Luau Soup
*Gold and Iridium quality items can be used interchangeably.
| QUALITY | ELIGIBLE FOOD ITEMS |
| Normal | Amaranth • Ancient Fruit Wine • Aged Roe (all kinds) • Angler • Apple • Apple Wine • Apricot Wine • Artichoke • Banana • Banana Wine • Beer • Beet • Blackberry Wine • Blobfish • Blue Discus • Blueberry Wine • Cactus Fruit • Cactus Fruit Wine • Catfish • Cauliflower • Caviar • Chanterelle • Cheese • Cherry Wine • Coconut Wine • Coffee • Cranberries Wine • Crimsonfish • Crystal Fruit • Crystal Fruit Wine • Dorado • Energy Tonic • Fairy Rose • Flounder • Glacierfish • Glacierfish Jr. • Goat Cheese • Goat Milk • Golden Egg • Grape Wine • Green Tea • Hot Pepper Wine • Ice Pip • Juice (any, including from the Traveling Cart) • Kale • Large Goat Milk • Large Milk • Largemouth Bass • Lava Eel • Legend • Legend II • Lingcod • Lionfish • Magma Cap • Mango • Mango Wine • Maple Syrup • Mead • Melon • Melon Wine • Midnight Carp • Midnight Squid • Milk • Morel • Ms. Angler • Muscle Remedy • Mutant Carp • Oil • Orange • Orange Wine • Ostrich Egg • Pale Ale • Peach • Peach Wine • Pike • Pineapple • Pineapple Wine • Pomegranate • Pomegranate Wine • Poppy • Purple Mushroom • Radioactive Carp • Red Cabbage • Rhubarb Wine • Rice • Roe (all kinds) • Salmonberry Wine • Slimejack • Snow Yam • Son of Crimsonfish • Spice Berry Wine • Spook Fish • Stardrop • Starfruit • Starfruit Wine • Stingray • Strawberry • Strawberry Wine • Sturgeon • Super Cucumber • Taro Root • Tiger Trout • Truffle • Truffle Oil • Tuna • Vinegar • Void Salmon • Walleye • Wild Plum Wine • Wine (from Traveling Cart) • Yam |
| Silver | Albacore • Amaranth • Angler • Apple • Apricot Wine • Artichoke • Banana • Beer • Beet • Blackberry Wine • Blue Discus • Blueberry Wine • Bok Choy • Bullhead • Cactus Fruit • Cactus Fruit Wine • Catfish • Cauliflower • Chanterelle • Cheese • Cherry • Cherry Wine • Cranberries • Cranberries Wine • Crystal Fruit • Dorado • Duck Egg • Eel • Fairy Rose • Fiddlehead Fern • Flounder • Glacierfish • Glacierfish Jr. • Goat Milk • Grape • Grape Wine • Halibut • Hazelnut • Hot Pepper Wine • Kale • Large Egg (white/brown) • Large Milk • Largemouth Bass • Lingcod • Lionfish • Mango • Mead • Melon • Midnight Carp • Midnight Squid • Milk • Morel • Ms. Angler • Mutant Carp • Orange • Peach • Pike • Pineapple • Pomegranate • Poppy • Potato • Purple Mushroom • Radioactive Carp • Radish • Red Cabbage • Red Mullet • Salmon • Salmonberry Wine • Sandfish • Slimejack • Snow Yam • Spice Berry • Spice Berry Wine • Spook Fish • Squid • Stingray • Strawberry • Sturgeon • Summer Spangle • Sunflower • Super Cucumber • Taro Root • Tiger Trout • Tilapia • Truffle • Tuna • Void Salmon • Walleye • Wild Plum • Wild Plum Wine • Winter Root • Woodskip • Yam |
| Gold/Iridium | Albacore • Amaranth • Apple • Apricot Wine • Banana • Beet • Blackberry Wine • Blue Discus • Blueberry Wine • Bok Choy • Bullhead • Cactus Fruit • Cherry • Cranberries • Crystal Fruit • Dorado • Duck Egg • Eel • Fiddlehead Fern • Flounder • Grape • Halibut • Hazelnut • Hot Pepper Wine • Kale • Large Egg (white/brown) • Largemouth Bass • Lingcod • Lionfish • Midnight Carp • Midnight Squid • Milk • Morel • Orange • Peach • Pike • Pomegranate • Poppy • Potato • Radish • Red Mullet • Salmon • Salmonberry Wine • Sandfish • Slimejack • Snow Yam • Spice Berry • Squid • Strawberry • Summer Spangle • Sunflower • Taro Root • Tiger Trout • Tilapia • Tuna • Void Salmon • Walleye • Wild Plum • Winter Root • Woodskip |
| QUALITY | ELIGIBLE FOOD ITEMS |
| Normal | Albacore • Apricot • Blue Jazz • Blueberry • Bok Choy • Bream • Bug Steak • Bullhead • Cave Carrot • Cherry • Chub • Common Mushroom • Corn • Cranberries • Dandelion • Duck Egg • Eel • Egg (white/brown) • Eggplant • Fiddlehead Fern • Garlic • Ghostfish • Ginger • Grape • Green Bean • Halibut • Hazelnut • Hops • Hot Pepper • Large Egg (white/brown) • Leek • Parsnip • Perch • Potato • Radish • Rainbow Trout • Red Mullet • Red Snapper • Salmon • Sandfish • Sardine • Shad • Smallmouth Bass • Spice Berry • Squid • Sugar • Summer Spangle • Sunflower • Tilapia • Tomato • Tulip • Void Egg • Wheat Flour • Wild Horseradish • Wild Plum • Winter Root • Woodskip |
| Silver/Gold/Iridium | Apricot • Blue Jazz • Blueberry • Bream • Chub • Common Mushroom • Corn • Dandelion • Egg (white/brown) • Eggplant • Garlic • Ghostfish • Green Bean • Hops • Hot Pepper • Leek • Parsnip • Perch • Rainbow Trout • Red Snapper • Sardine • Shad • Smallmouth Bass • Tomato • Tulip • Void Egg • Wild Horseradish |
| QUALITY | ELIGIBLE FOOD ITEMS |
| Any | Anchovy • Blackberry • Carp • Crocus • Daffodil • Field Snack • Green Algae • Herring • Joja Cola • Qi Fruit • Qi Fruit Wine • Salmonberry • Seaweed • Spring Onion • Sunfish • Sweet Pea • Unmilled Rice • White Algae |
| QUALITY | ELIGIBLE FOOD ITEMS |
| Any | Holly • Pufferfish • Red Mushroom • Sap • Scorpion Carp • Sea Cucumber • Void Mayonnaise |
*Spoilers ahead! Stardew Valley is known for its many mysteries, easter eggs, and fun little secrets. Unknown to a lot of first time players, there is a secret response during the Luau soup event. On the third day of the first Summer, Mayor Lewis sends the farmer mail asking for help in finding his Lucky Purple Shorts. The clothing item will go on to be a recurring easter egg in Stardew Valley, unlocking multiple secret interactions and events. For the Luau during Summer, placing Mayor Lewis’ Lucky Purple Shorts into the Potluck Luau soup will trigger a secret response from the Governor and Mayor Lewis. Luckily, friendship with the villagers will remain unaffected by this.
What do I do if I don’t have any eligible food item in my inventory at the Luau?
Luckily for you, Pierre’s got your back! He almost always has a stall set up during festival events. During the Luau in Summer, he sells a lot of summer themed decorations like jungle decals and totem poles; however, what you really want to get from him is a Starfruit! Pierre sells one (1) Starfruit for 3,000 gold at the Luau. This might be too expensive a purchase for first time players but for long time players, it’s mere pocket change at this point. The Starfruit is great for when you forget to bring an eligible food item for the Luau Soup and you have money to spare!
Is it worth it to buy a Starfruit from Pierre? Most probably not if you’re a first time player with very little spending money, but it might be worth it if you’re a long time player with loads of gold to spend and you could care less about the Luau Soup and the festival in general.
Should I dress up for the event?
Yes! You definitely can and should if you want to! Wearing a themed attire for the festival events in Stardew Valley definitely adds another layer to the fun and immersion of the game. The first outfit that comes to mind is the Grass Skirt, Island Bikini, and Living Hat for a beachy Hawaiian summer vibe. Another outfit involves the Sailor Shirt, Shorts in blue, and Sailor’s Cap.
Conclusion: To sum it all up, the Luau festival of Summer is one of the best special events to participate in Stardew Valley. There are a ton of easy ways to get the best response and gain friendship points with all of the villagers and it is honestly recommended to dress up!
