Following a record number of visitors last year, Foodies Festival returns to Preston Park, Brighton, from 4th – 6th May, with brand new features and a star-studded line-up of celebrity chefs and chart-topping music stars, including: Scouting For Girls, Sister Sledge and the exhilarating Symphonic Ibiza Orchestra with live vocals and DJ.
Known as Gastro-Glastonbury, the three-day event will feature live cooking demonstrations from TV celebrities and chefs drawn from the ranks of MasterChef, Great British Bake Off and Great British Menu.
What's On at Foodies Festival this May
Early announcements, include: MasterChef champion, Tom Rhodes, MasterChef: The Professionals champion, Alex Webb, Great British Menu winner and chef-patron of Bib Gourmand awarded 64 Degrees, Michael Bremner, MasterChef: The Professionals champion, Steven Edwards, from 3AA Rosette-awarded, Etch, Great British Bake Off favourite, Jürgen Krauss and Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch bread expert, Jack Sturgess.
Alex Webb, said: “I'm really looking forward to the Foodies Festival tour, it’s my 3rd year in a row, and I’m glad to be returning! I can’t wait to celebrate the local food and drink in the region. I’ll be cooking some of my favourite dishes, such as Lobster Toast and Chilli Jam, as well as some classics from MasterChef!”
Sussex-based Roy Stride, frontman of Scouting For Girls, said: "We always look forward to performing at Foodies and it just wouldn’t be summer without it! The festivals have such a great vibe and are the perfect way to spend a lovely weekend with family and friends"
Showcasing the best of Brighton's culinary expertise
Showcasing the best of Brighton and beyond, many of the regions most-highly acclaimed Michelin and multi-award-winning chefs will also appear, including: Peter Dantanus, Head Chef from Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded, Burnt Orange, Jamie Halsall, Head Chef from Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded, Cin Cin, Mark Charker Head Chef from 2AA Rosette-awarded, The Bell in Ticehurst, Will Devlin, Chef-Patron of Green Michelin Star awarded, The Small Holding, Lee Parsons, Chef-Patron from 2AA Rosette-awarded The Parsons Table, Alun Sperring, co-founder and chef from Bib Gourmand awarded Chilli Pickle and Paul Peters, Head Chef from 3AA Rosette-awarded, Amberley Castle.
Throughout the 3-day weekend, visitors will enjoy a jam-packed schedule of TV cooking show champions and award-winning chefs in the interactive live theatres. In the Chefs Theatre, celebrities will create their signature dishes and share new tips and tricks, whilst in the Cake & Desserts Theatre, patisserie chefs and star bakers whip up showstoppers and offer tempting sweet treats.
Activities to entertain the whole family
In the Kids Cookery School, Foodies SuperChefs make cooking fun, helping younger guests to prepare delicious food which they can take away and enjoy. Masterclasses in the Drinks Theatre include tutored Champagne, Beer, Cider, Cocktail and Wine-tasting - presenters include BBC, ITV and Channel 4 drinks experts.
Visitors can browse the latest food trends in the Shopping Village, meet local producers in the Artisan Market and taste exotic and unusual new dishes in the Feasting Tent – which features a mouth-watering range of street food and delicacies from all four corners of the globe.
Other exciting attractions and new features include: TV Chef battles, Fire Pit BBQ sessions, Cook School with experts, Silent Disco, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, Chilli Eating competitions featuring the current world champion, fairground rides, walk about artists, drum troops, choirs, children’s activities and family-friendly areas. Throughout the weekend, the Music Stage presents a summer soundtrack of chart-topping artists, top tribute acts, covers bands and superb local bands.
For the fifth year running, the festival is supporting Musicians Against Homelessness (MAH) with tickets helping to raise money for UK-wide homelessness charity Crisis.
Dates and tickets
Preston Park, Brighton
4th, 5th, 6th May 2024
Tickets from £4 (child) and £21 (adult)
Weekend tickets from £38 (3-day)
On sale now at www.foodiesfestival.com
*Entry to all theatres is included in the ticket price
And Connected Brighton are running a competition to win 3x VIP WEEKEND TICKETS! Head to our Instagram to enter - @connectedbrighton - good luck!
FOODIES in FIGURES
The festival will visit 14 regions across 42 dates in 2024
Over 600 live theatre demonstrations will take place across the series, featuring celebrity and Michelin chefs, star bakers and highly acclaimed local restaurants.
There will be more than 400 music performances from headline artists and exciting local and UK touring acts on the Musicians Against Homelessness stage.
And 2000 artisan producers, exhibitors and street food vendors will be involved across the series.
Praise for Foodies Festival
Daily Telegraph: “a day of great taste, socialising and indulgence"
Guardian: “high profile festivals, each with its own distinct accent”.
Evening Standard: “Foodies Festival is not the biggest in the game for nothing, expect a packed itinerary of cooking masterclasses from what appears to be every MasterChef and Great British Menu winner that ever existed to live music from a roster of throwback hit makers.”
Time Out: “Listen. We all love food. We all love music. Foodies festival brings both together in a bumper programme of eating, drinking, and food-inspired entertainment – and boy, does it sound tasty."
Grazia: “A jumping mix of fabulous food and music”
About Foodies Festival
Foodies Festival launched in 2005 as a single event and is now the largest food and drink festival in the UK. To date, Foodies has welcomed over 3 million visitors, helped launch hundreds of new businesses and supported thousands of small producers. Foodies Festival proudly celebrates local produce in each festival region and showcases the most exciting and talented chefs, bakers and producers in the UK.
About Musicians Against Homelessness
For the fifth year running, the festival is supporting Musicians Against Homelessness (MAH) with tickets raising money for UK-wide homelessness charity Crisis. Since 2016 MAH have hosted gigs and festivals in local pubs, music venues and community spaces featuring 1000s of fantastic bands and artists who have kindly performed across the UK. This award winning not for profit organisation has raised close to £400,000 for homelessness services. Around 400 superb headliners and local artists will perform on the MAH main stage at Foodies Festivals in 2024, helping to support the national homelessness charity Crisis.
*All images and copy provided by Foodies Festival