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Events · Top 10

The 10 Best Food and Drink Festivals in the United Kingdom in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 5 min read
Bolton Food and Drink Festival
Direct answer

The Bolton Food and Drink Festival is the best food and drink festival in the United Kingdom, with Ludlow Food Festival at #2 and Abergavenny Food Festival at #3. The order is based on published visitor numbers first, then on how long each festival has run and how easy it is to get in.

At a glance

#PickWhenBest for
1Bolton Food and Drink Festival2027 dates not yet announced; the 21st festival ran Friday 28 August to Monday 31 August 2026The biggest crowd and a free, walk-in day out
2Ludlow Food Festival2027 dates not yet announced; 2026 ran 11, 12 & 13 SeptemberMarches producers inside a medieval castle
3Abergavenny Food Festival18 & 19 September 2027 (its 28th year)Welsh producers, chef demos and talks across a whole town
4Taste of London2027 dates not yet announcedTasting dishes from London’s top restaurants in one park
5Big Feastival27th - 29th August 2027A family food-and-music weekend with camping
6Edinburgh Folk and Food FestivalReturns in 2027; dates not yet announced. 2026 ran 24 July - 02 AugustScottish street food and folk music during the Edinburgh summer festivals
7Foodies Festival2027: Brighton 1 May - 3 May; Bath 21 May - 23 May; Syon Park, London 29 May - 31 May; St Albans 4 June - 6 June; Tatton Park 9 July - 11 July; Winchester 16 July - 18 July; Edinburgh 6 August - 8 August; Glasgow 13 August - 15 August; Oxford 28 August - 30 AugustA food festival near you, almost anywhere in Britain
8Falmouth Oyster Festival2027 dates not yet announced; 2026 ran 8-11 OctoberCornish oysters and seafood by the harbour
9Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival2027 dates not yet announced; 2026 ran 26th & 27th SeptemberSuffolk producers, demos and free kids’ cookery classes
10Pub in the Park Marlow14-16th May 2027Gastropub food and live music by the Thames

Pick by what you want

Best overall
Bolton Food and Drink Festival
Oldest
Ludlow Food Festival
Best in Wales
Abergavenny Food Festival
Best in London
Taste of London
Best for seafood
Falmouth Oyster Festival

The ranking

1

Bolton Food and Drink Festival

Bolton Food and Drink Festival
Answrs VerdictBolton Council calls it the biggest food and drink festival of its kind in the UK.
When: 2027 dates not yet announced; the 21st festival ran Friday 28 August to Monday 31 August 2026Where: Bolton town centre, Greater Manchester, EnglandVisitors: More than half a million in 2025Traders: More than 200Entry: Most activities are free; some special events need tickets

Bolton’s town-centre festival drew more than half a million visitors in 2025, and its 21st edition ran Friday 28 August to Monday 31 August 2026 with more than 200 traders. Most activities are free; 2027 dates are not yet announced.

Go ifThe biggest crowd and a free, walk-in day out
Skip ifYou want a quiet producers’ market
Why #1 over #2: More than half a million visitors in 2025 dwarf Ludlow’s record of over 21,000 in 2010.
2

Ludlow Food Festival

Ludlow Food Festival
Answrs VerdictThe ‘original’ food and drink festival, held in Ludlow Castle.
When: 2027 dates not yet announced; 2026 ran 11, 12 & 13 SeptemberWhere: Ludlow Castle, Ludlow, Shropshire, EnglandSince: 1995Visitors: Over 21,000 at its 2010 peakTrails: Sausage Trail and Ale Trail

Ludlow has run its food festival since 1995, with a tented village inside Ludlow Castle, a Sausage Trail and an Ale Trail. It peaked at over 21,000 visitors in 2010; the 2026 festival ran 11, 12 & 13 September and 2027 dates are not yet announced.

Go ifMarches producers inside a medieval castle
Skip ifYou need step-free access everywhere (the castle is an outdoor ruin)
Why #2 over #3: Running since 1995, it is older than Abergavenny, founded in 1999, and its peak of over 21,000 visitors tops Abergavenny’s 15k+.
3

Abergavenny Food Festival

Abergavenny Food Festival
Answrs VerdictWales’s flagship food festival, with 2027 dates already set.
When: 18 & 19 September 2027 (its 28th year)Where: Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, WalesVisitors: 15k+Stall holders: 120+Founded: 1999, by two local farmers

Abergavenny Food Festival returns on 18 & 19 September 2027 for its 28th year, with 120+ stall holders and 15k+ visitors. Two local farmers founded it in 1999.

Go ifWelsh producers, chef demos and talks across a whole town
Skip ifYou want a one-day city event
Why #3 over #4: Founded in 1999, it has run longer than Taste of London, first held in 2004.
4

Taste of London

Taste of London
Answrs VerdictLondon’s restaurant festival in Regent’s Park.
When: 2027 dates not yet announcedWhere: The Regent’s Park, London, EnglandSize: 36 restaurants, 50 chefs and 150 artisan producers over five daysFirst held: 2004, at Somerset House; in Regent’s Park since 2005

Taste of London fills The Regent’s Park for five days with 36 restaurants, 50 chefs and 150 artisan producers. It began at Somerset House in 2004 and has been in Regent’s Park since 2005; 2027 dates are not yet announced.

Go ifTasting dishes from London’s top restaurants in one park
Skip ifYou want a countryside or market-town setting
Why #4 over #5: First held in 2004, it predates Big Feastival, which started in 2011.
5

Big Feastival

Big Feastival
Answrs VerdictFood and big-name music on a Cotswolds farm.
When: 27th - 29th August 2027Where: Alex James’ Cotswolds farm, Kingham, Oxfordshire, EnglandStarted: 2011, on Clapham Common; on the Kingham farm since 2012Line-up: Music from the UK’s biggest artists, Michelin-starred chefs and award-winning street food

Big Feastival runs 27th - 29th August 2027 on Alex James’ Cotswolds farm, mixing music from the UK’s biggest artists with Michelin-starred chefs and street food. It started on Clapham Common in 2011 and moved to the Kingham farm in 2012.

Go ifA family food-and-music weekend with camping
Skip ifYou only want food, not a music festival
Why #5 over #6: It started in 2011, before the Edinburgh festival launched in 2014, and its 2027 dates are already set.
6

Edinburgh Folk and Food Festival

Edinburgh Folk and Food Festival
Answrs VerdictFree Scottish food and folk music in George Square Gardens.
When: Returns in 2027; dates not yet announced. 2026 ran 24 July - 02 AugustWhere: Assembly George Square Gardens, Edinburgh, ScotlandEntry: Free to enter, with some ticketed eventsLaunched: 2014

The Edinburgh Folk and Food Festival, launched in 2014, is free to enter at Assembly George Square Gardens. The 2026 edition ran 24 July - 02 August; it returns in 2027 with dates not yet announced.

Go ifScottish street food and folk music during the Edinburgh summer festivals
Skip ifYou want a big-name chef line-up
Why #6 over #7: It is free to enter, while Foodies Festival is ticketed (only kids under 6 get in free).
7

Foodies Festival

Foodies Festival
Photo: Зеленый кабинет / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe touring food festival, with 2027 dates out now.
When: 2027: Brighton 1 May - 3 May; Bath 21 May - 23 May; Syon Park, London 29 May - 31 May; St Albans 4 June - 6 June; Tatton Park 9 July - 11 July; Winchester 16 July - 18 July; Edinburgh 6 August - 8 August; Glasgow 13 August - 15 August; Oxford 28 August - 30 AugustWhere: Touring England and ScotlandChefs: Michelin-starred chefs and MasterChef champions cooking liveEntry: Ticketed; kids under 6 get in free

Foodies Festival has 2027 dates out for Brighton, Bath, Syon Park, St Albans, Tatton Park, Winchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Oxford, from 1 May - 3 May in Brighton to 28 August - 30 August in Oxford. Michelin-starred chefs and MasterChef champions cook live.

Go ifA food festival near you, almost anywhere in Britain
Skip ifYou want one special place with local character
Why #7 over #8: It visits towns from Brighton to Glasgow in 2027, while the Falmouth Oyster Festival is held in one town.
8

Falmouth Oyster Festival

Falmouth Oyster Festival
Answrs VerdictCornwall’s oyster party at the start of the dredging season.
When: 2027 dates not yet announced; 2026 ran 8-11 OctoberWhere: Events Square, Falmouth, Cornwall, England (2026)Celebrates: The start of the oyster dredging season and the native Fal OysterEntry: Free in the daytime; ticketed entertainment at nightLength: Four days

The Falmouth Oyster Festival marks the start of the oyster dredging season with four days of Cornish seafood, free in the daytime. The 2026 festival ran 8-11 October at Events Square; 2027 dates are not yet announced.

Go ifCornish oysters and seafood by the harbour
Skip ifYou don’t eat seafood
Why #8 over #9: Its four days are free in the daytime, while Aldeburgh is a ticketed weekend (26th & 27th September in 2026).
9

Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival

Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival
Answrs VerdictSuffolk’s not-for-profit food weekend at Snape Maltings.
When: 2027 dates not yet announced; 2026 ran 26th & 27th SeptemberWhere: Snape Maltings, Suffolk, EnglandProducers: 130+ local food and drink producersFirst held: 2006, at Snape MaltingsRun by: A not-for-profit organisation

Aldeburgh’s not-for-profit festival has been held at Snape Maltings since 2006 and brings 130+ local food and drink producers. The 2026 festival ran 26th & 27th September; 2027 dates are not yet announced.

Go ifSuffolk producers, demos and free kids’ cookery classes
Skip ifYou want a festival in the summer
Why #9 over #10: First held in 2006, it has a longer record than Pub in the Park, launched in 2017.
10

Pub in the Park Marlow

Pub in the Park Marlow
Answrs VerdictA gastropub food and music weekend in Marlow.
When: 14-16th May 2027Where: Higginson Park, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, EnglandRestaurants: 14 (2026)Launched: 2017Owner: Sold to Rewind Festival, part of the Live Nation portfolio

Pub in the Park, launched in 2017 and now owned by Rewind Festival, returns to Higginson Park in Marlow on 14-16th May 2027. The 2026 edition had 14 restaurants.

Go ifGastropub food and live music by the Thames
Skip ifYou want lots of small producers

How we ranked these

We ranked each festival on published visitor numbers first, then on how long it has run and how easy it is to get in. Dates come from each festival’s own site; where 2027 dates are not out yet, we say so and give the 2026 dates. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

What is the biggest food festival in the UK?

The Bolton Food and Drink Festival. Bolton Council says it drew more than half a million visitors in 2025 and calls it the biggest food and drink festival of its kind in the UK.

When is Abergavenny Food Festival 2027?

18 & 19 September 2027, the festival’s 28th year, in Abergavenny, Wales.

When is Big Feastival 2027?

27th - 29th August 2027, on Alex James’ Cotswolds farm. Tickets are on sale now.

Where is Foodies Festival in 2027?

Brighton, Bath, Syon Park in London, St Albans, Tatton Park, Winchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Oxford, starting with Brighton on 1 May - 3 May and ending with Oxford on 28 August - 30 August.

Year first held at a glance

Ludlow Food Festival1,995 year
Abergavenny Food Festival1,999 year
Taste of London2,004 year
Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival2,006 year
Big Feastival2,011 year
Edinburgh Folk and Food Festival2,014 year
Pub in the Park Marlow2,017 year
Year first held, as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Sources

Prices, specs and availability change; confirm on the official site before you buy.