11 of the best European food festivals this year
When the gloomy winter months are over (uh, hello: when exactly?), food festivals start popping up like mushrooms. All over Europe, you can celebrate with great snacks and delicious drinks this spring and summer. Last year, we already gave you a list of cool food festivals to visit, and this year we’re doing it all over again. These are 11 culinary festival hotspots you mustn’t miss this year—including 2 food festivals right here at home.
1. Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, United Kingdom
Eating in a palace, who wouldn’t want that? You can during the Blenheim Palace Festival. This festival takes place in the palace gardens of—you guessed it—Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England. For an entire weekend, you can enjoy the tastiest bites. The British cuisine takes center stage, but there are also plenty of stalls serving food from other cuisines around the world. Have a homemade ice cream or sample artisan baked goods. If you like, you can sign up for a wine tasting. Royal indulgence is what the Blenheim Palace Festival is all about.
May 27–29, 2023, Blenheim Palace Festival, Woodstock, United Kingdom
2. Foodies Festival, United Kingdom
Foodies Festival is the largest food festival in the United Kingdom. There is all kinds of food to taste, but plenty to do as well. You can take masterclasses with Michelin-starred chefs and MasterChef winners, enter cooking competitions and watch a genuine baking theater. And there is music. Golden oldies such as Sophie Ellis Bextor and boy band Blue perform, for example. Foodies Festival takes place throughout the summer in various towns and cities across the United Kingdom, from London to Glasgow. You can find the full program, including times and locations, on the website.
April 29–September 10, 2023, Foodies Festival, United Kingdom
3. Malmö Food Festival in Malmö, Sweden
Malmö Food Festival is the oldest and largest city festival in Northern Europe. Almost 1.5 million (!) foodies head to Malmö every year to enjoy Scandinavian dishes for an entire week. You taste things here that you would otherwise never try. Bet? Have you ever had elk kebab, for example? Or wild boar ribs? At Malmö Food Festival, you’ll find them in abundance. There is also plenty to experience in the fields of art and culture, including lots of great live performances. You’ll be entertained here for quite a while.
August 11–18, 2023, Malmö Food Festival, Malmö, Sweden
4. Gladmat Food Festival in Stavanger, Norway
Scandinavians certainly know how to put on a good food festival. One of the best is Gladmat Food Festival in Stavanger, Norway. At this festival, you get acquainted with the latest culinary trends. Professionals and amateurs stand side by side with their own stalls, letting you taste their special products. You can take cooking lessons and enter real cooking competitions. Stick around in the evening for the music. It’s a bit of a journey, but more than worth the trip.
June 28–July 1, 2023, Gladmat Food Festival, Stavanger, Norway
5. Ardesio DiVino Wine Festival in Bergamo, Italy
Attention, wine lovers. If you want to immerse yourself in the best wines this summer, you need to book a ticket to Bergamo, Italy. This year, the Ardesio DiVino wine festival will take place there on August 5 and 6. Expect very good Italian wines—you can of course taste them—alongside top-quality Italian food. In the evening, you can sit down for dinner in the city’s streets and squares. You’ll be served the tastiest local products. Tip: leave enough room in your suitcase to take your favorite wines home. Because believe me, you’ll need it.
August 5 and 6, 2023, Ardesio DiVino, Bergamo, Italy
6. Taste of Dublin in Dublin, Ireland
Ireland is bursting with culinary talent, and it all comes together at the Taste of Dublin festival. In the beautiful Iveagh Gardens park, you’ll find street-food stalls everywhere, from traditional Irish fare to exciting Middle Eastern dishes. The atmosphere is wonderfully laid-back. Take your time strolling past the stalls and sampling everything. In the mood for a little more action? Join a real foodies’ panel, attend a masterclass by a top chef or hunt for local and artisanal products to take home. Or dance off all those delicious treats: there is music on the main stage all day long.
June 15–18, 2023, Taste of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
7. European Streetfood Festival, Austria
Crazy about street food? Then the European Streetfood Festival in Austria is the place to be for you. This Austrian festival doesn’t have just one location: it travels all over the country. One weekend it’s in Vienna, and the next it’s in Salzburg. And that goes on for no less than six months! Don’t expect boring street food at this festival, but genuine showstoppers. Maori steak from New Zealand, for example. The food at this festival is of exceptional quality. If you’re a seasoned foodie, you need to visit at least once.
March 25–October 29, 2023, European Streetfood Festival, Austria
8. Abergavenny Food Festival in Abergavenny, Wales
Abergavenny Food Festival takes place in a stunning location: on Abergavenny’s market square, surrounded by ruins and green hills. This festival aims to make you aware of where your food comes from. It’s a kind of celebration of the United Kingdom’s farming industry. More than 200 entrepreneurs come along, all of whom have a deep passion for their product. Wonderful to see.
September 16 and 17, 2023, Abergavenny Food Festival, Abergavenny, Wales
9. Aarhus Food Festival in Aarhus, Denmark
The largest food festival in Denmark? That’s Aarhus Food Festival. It may even be the largest food festival in Scandinavia. Here, you can enjoy the very best of the cuisines of the far north. A must: check out the build-your-own-hot-dog competition. Which top chef builds the tastiest hot dog? Don’t forget to take part in a traditional workshop, either. Making sausages, for example. Who knows, you might discover a deeply hidden talent there in Aarhus.
September 1–3, 2023, Aarhus Food Festival, Aarhus, Denmark
10. Bacchus in Amsterdam
Bacchus in Amsterdam is our favorite festival of all festivals. Why? Because of the good wines, delicious food and wonderful music. In a fairytale setting in the Amsterdamse Bos, the party will be in full swing again this year for 2 whole weekends. More than 300 wines can be admired and tasted, ranging from €4.50-a-glass wines to rare, more expensive varieties. Whether you’re a seasoned wine connoisseur or a casual sipper, this festival is for everyone who holds liquid gold in high regard.
June 2–4 and 9–11, 2023, Bacchus Wijnfestival, Amsterdam
11. Rollende Keukens in Amsterdam
Another lovely one, right here ‘in our own Amsterdam’: Rollende Keukens. This year, Europe’s largest open-air restaurant will take place from May 17 through 21. For the 15th year already. And this year will once again be a spectacular edition. Once again, you can sample delicious cuisines from every corner of the world, from Brazilian bolinhos to Moroccan briouates. Vegan herring is also on the menu. The tasty live acts scheduled this year will make it even more enjoyable. Nice bonus: admission to the festival is free, and there are plenty of snacks available for smaller budgets.
May 17–21, 2023, Rollende Keukens, Amsterdam
Read also:
- Festival beer: is it weak stuff or the real deal?
- When a trip to the supermarket is just as much fun as a festival or weekend getaway
- The Festicoolr is cooler than cool: 3D-printed and made from used festival coins
Source: Big Seven Travel, images: Bacchus (main image), Rollende Keukens (photo in article)
