Bolton Food & Drink Festival returns for its 21st birthday, taking over the town centre from Friday to Monday. The free event, which has been running since 2005, attracts around 500,000 people each year—more than Glastonbury Festival. This year's edition features over 200 vendors, two live music stages with acts including Liberty X and The Real Thing, and a full programme of free family activities.
Award-winning festival with star chefs
Earlier this year, the festival won the Best Large Speciality Market award at the NABMA Great British Market Awards 2026. It was praised for being 'regarded as one of the leading food and drink festivals in the UK and internationally'.
The star chef line-up includes James Martin, appearing for his 17th year, Nisha Katona, Marco Pierre White, and Michael Caines. There is also a new ticketed experience called Pasties, Pints and Punchlines, pairing Carrs Pasty tasters with Bank Top Brewery beer tasters and a comedy set from Justin Moorhouse. The Festival Garden offers farm-themed activities, a Teen Zone, alpaca walks, and crazy golf.
Five dishes not to miss
With hundreds of stalls, it can be hard to know where to start. We tried five standout options.
Venison burger at Northwest Game
Northwest Game serves locally sourced, sustainable wild British game street food. Their venison burger (£7) comes on a brioche bun with cheddar cheese and caramelised onions. Add brown or red sauce for an extra treat. They also offer wild boar burgers and skin-on fries.
Loaded fries at Texas BBQ Guys
Texas BBQ Guys smoke meat low and slow. Their loaded fries (£17) feature 14-hour smoked chopped brisket in smoky BBQ sauce, topped with cheese whiz, pickled red onions, gherkins, and BBQ sauce. Other fillings include buffalo chicken, Texas cheesesteak, Texas meatballs, and veggie chilli.
Pizza at Killa Carbs
Killa Carbs, a mobile pizza company from the North West, makes Neapolitan-style pizzas with a homemade dough rested for over 24 hours. They use San Marzano tomatoes from Italy and fior di latte cheese. Pizzas are 12 inches and cost £10-13. We tried the Pepp honey slice (£4) with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, and chilli honey drizzle.
Dumplings at Happy Dumpling 365
Happy Dumpling 365 specialises in traditional Chinese dumplings, bao buns, and noodles. Their large meal (£15) includes ten dumplings and ten spring rolls, while the small meal has six dumplings and one spring roll. Bao buns are 3 for £15 or 1 for £6, with flavours like chicken curry, pork and prawn, and spicy beef.
Mr Whippy ice cream
For a sweet treat, there are three Mr Whippy vans on site: Ramzy's Whippy, Northwest Whippy, and Swaley's Ice Cream Van. Other options include Aunt Annie's Fudge, Love Crepes, and Sno Fro snow cones.
The Bolton Food and Drink Festival runs from August 28 to 31.
