One of the major things to explore in every destination is its food! The type of cuisine changes every few hundred miles, offering something diverse and all the more finger licking on your platter every time. With these stupendous food festivals around the world, you can run amok to fill your bellies with your favorite culinary delights and enjoy a range of entertaining activities and events. With each of these carnivals topping the other and offering something unique, they are nothing less than a heaven for foodies across the world. It’s time to let your unconditional love for food do the talking and ditch those useless Diet Goals.
Top 20 Food Festivals Around The World
Scroll down to find out how much fun all you foodies have been missing out on in the world. Shortlist the ones you’ll be visiting, from the below-given list of food festivals around the world 2024 that you’ll be visiting and the cuisines you’ll be sampling. And while you’re at it, don’t just stop at one!
- Pizzafest | June, 2024
- Oktoberfest | 17 Sep, 2024 – 3 Oct, 2024
- Bacon Festival | TBA
- Salon Du Chocolat | Yet to be announced
- Dumpling Festival | 3 June, 2024
- National Cherry Festival | 20 Mar, 2024 – 17 Apr, 2024
- Herring Festival | TBA
- Vegetarian Festival | 24 Sep, 2024 – 03 Oct, 2024
- National Street Food Festival | TBA
- Maslenitsa Pancake Festival | 28 Feb, 2024 – 6 Mar, 2024
- St. Moritz Gourmet Festival | 28 Jan, 2024 – 5 Feb, 2024
- Melbourne Food and Wine Festival | 12 Mar, 2024 – 31 Mar, 2024
- New Orleans Wine & Food Experience | 8 Jun, 2024 – 12 Jun, 2024
- Maine Lobster Festival | 3 Aug, 2024– 7 Aug, 2024
- Gilroy Garlic Festival | 22 Jul, 2024– 25 Jul, 2024
- Giant Omelet Celebration | 5 Nov, 2024– 6 Nov, 2024
- Bugfest | TBA
- Olney Pancake Race | 1 Mar, 2024
- Monkey Buffet Festival | 27 Nov, 2024
- Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling | 30 May, 2024
1. Pizzafest
Join zillions of people on this fine night of September when the village of Naples gear up to make and consume more than 100,000 pizzas of every kind, ranging from 50-odd historic versions including classics Napoletana, Margherita, and Marinara! No wonder it’s among the best food festivals in the world for pizza lovers!
Where: Naples, Italy
When: June, 2024
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2. Oktoberfest
Come, be part of the world’s greatest celebration of beer with million other beer lovers who flock to Germany every year for Oktoberfest. From the finest of brews for you to chug, spill, and bathe in, to culinary delights like bratwurst, pretzels, and roasted meats, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Along with the amazing variety and quantity of beer you get here, the festival also lets you enjoy some tasty dishes. Hands down, it is one of the most famous food festivals in the world.
Where: Germany
When: 17 Sep, 2024– 3 Oct, 2024
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3. Bacon Festival
Yes, you heard it right! There is a festival in the world that is solely dedicated to bacon. The world goes gaga over bacon, so you have no excuse to not visit one of the best food festivals around the world. The meat-loving population of the world can go crazy hogging on dishes like bacon gelato, bacon salad, bacon ramen and bacon tater tots.
Where: Sacramento, California
When: TBA
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4. Salon Du Chocolat
Are you a fan of chocolates and fashions alike? Then you must head to taste some high-quality chocolates produced in Ecuador and attend the Salon du Chocolat festival in Quito. The festival lets you relish the taste of the finest of chocolates, and watch a fashion show with models wearing dresses made of…any guesses what?
Where: Quito, Ecuador
When: Yet to be announced
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5. Dumpling Festival
Does your mouth starts to water when you think of steamy and juicy dumplings? If yes, then this festival is just for you. Savour the taste of zongzi dumplings – glutinous rice with different fillings wrapped in bamboo, lotus or banana leaves – on the fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month. Engulf yourself in a sea of dumplings and the amiable hospitality of the Chinese people.
Where: Hong Kong
When: 3 June, 2024
Don’t Miss: The spectacular Dragon Boat Race!
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6. National Cherry Festival
Take a flight to the town’s Cherry Capital Airport, stay at the Cherry Tree Inn, be part of the Cherry Bomb Lacrosse Tournament, cheer for the girls’ rollerblade team called the Toxic Cherries, witness the Cherry Parade, and crown a Cherry Queen. With so much ‘cherry-ness’ to enjoy, there’s no reason why not to visit this international food festival.
Where: Traverse City, Michigan
When: 20 Mar, 2024– 17 Apr, 2024
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7. Herring Festival
Herring Festival is one of the unique cultural food festivals around the world. Each April, schools of herring swim into the Ringkobing Fjord in Denmark to spawn in its sheltered waters. And when they do, it’s party time for fishermen, and for scores of people coming into the town to now enjoy platters of pickled, filleted, fried, caked, and baked herring! There aren’t many food festivals around the world serving this delicious fish. So, make sure you don’t miss this one!
Where: Hvide Sande, Denmark
When: TBA
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8. Vegetarian Festival
They say food festivals favour only the meat-lovers. We say different! Join the frenzy at this nine-day Thai celebration with colourful parades, music, and the best of vegan dishes! You’ll be surprised to see how the whole town goes vegan for these nine days amid a range of dishes made out of vegetables, fruits, soybean, and protein products, which is why it is called one of the best fruit festivals around the world. Even non-vegetarians will fall in love with this international food fest. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most famous food festivals in the world and also the most prominent festival in Thailand.
Where: Phuket, Thailand
When: 24 Sep, 2024– 03 Oct, 2024
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9. National Street Food Festival
This will surely bring a smile to the faces of all those street food lovers. From savoury chaat, oily chhole kulcha, sweet and tangy bhalle papdi, to spicy gol gappe, there’s no end to the kind of food one can have on the streets of Delhi. And once every year, all these amazing street delicacies are brought to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to the delight of all foodies in the capital!
Where: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, India
When: TBA
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10. Maslenitsa Pancake Festival, Russia
This is among the most famous food festivals around the world and probably the most cheerful holiday in Russia. The Pancake Week (Shrovetide) used to be a rather sombre remembrance of the deceased where the figure of Maslenitsa was burned. But with time, it turned into something positive and fun! There are activities like sledding, horse sleigh riding, fistfights, folk dance, puppet shows, and lots of food dominated by pancakes (of course)! People dress up in colorful costumes and wear bright masks. On Wednesday, feasts are prepared and enjoyed amongst the locals and visitors. The food items include baked pancakes, brewed beer, hot sbiten (drinks from water, honey and spices), nuts, honey gingerbread, and tea.
Where: St. Petersburg and Moscow
When: 28 Feb, 2024– 6 Mar, 2024
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11. St. Moritz Gourmet Festival
St. Moritz Gourmet Festival is the kind that brings together legends from famous kitchens around the world so that they can whip up delicious delights in unison for the people of Switzerland! This 9-day long food fiesta is actually among the most awaited food celebrations around the world where electrifying top guest chefs cook and offer culinary highlights from the best cuisines around the world. The theme of last year’s fest was Japanese cuisine and visitors absolutely loved the exotic flavors they tasted! A prominent part of every St. Moritz Gourmet Festival is the Chocolate Cult, where you’ll get to taste a diverse range of delicacies made from the finest chocolate and you may even get “chocolate wasted”!
Where: St. Moritz, Switzerland
When: 28 Jan, 2024– 5 Feb, 2024
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12. Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
The MFWF has never disappointed fans, and it is least likely to do that next year as well. So gear up for one of the best food festivals around the world in 2024 where you can indulge your senses and your tastebuds for 10 uninterrupted days. This festival aims to spoil you with award-winning wines, sumptuous lunches and dinners, as well as some of Australia’s most avant-garde culinary creations. A delight for food and wine lovers, this festival observes a massive crowd every year where people flood the restaurants, laneways, basement cafes, and rooftop settings of Victoria, making it one of the most successful festivals in the country.
Where: Victoria, Australia
When: 12 Mar, 2024– 31 Mar, 2024
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13. New Orleans Wine & Food Experience
Slowly turning into one of the most incredible culinary events in the world, the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience attracts over 7,000 gourmands as well as connoisseurs from around the world to share the stage and surprise foodies with their skills! Other than food experts and chefs, you’ll also find art and music lovers here owing to the various small-scale yet fabulous music events that take place at this time to keep the guests entertained while they gorge on delicious delicacies and the finest wine. You’ll see over hundreds of wineries and restaurants participate in this mega food fiesta, which is set to break all records of being the finest food festivals around the world in 2024. Try everything from local flavors to fusion food prepared by the top chefs of USA, and don’t forget to taste the variety of wine!
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
When: 8 Jun, 2024– 12 Jun, 2024
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14. Maine Lobster Festival
Go crazy amidst five days of fun and feasting at this annual fiesta held every year on the fabulous coast of Maine! The amazing Maine Lobster Festival takes place during the first weekend of August and has slowly evolved into an internationally-recognized celebration of local seafood unlike anywhere else in the world! Luring in seafood lovers from around the world, especially Europe and Asia, the Maine Lobster Festival pampers its guests with delicious culinary delights made from fresh catch like crabs, lobsters, squids, calamari, fish, shrimps, and more. You’ll also be entertained with music, cooking contests, carnival shows, art bazaars, and more. All the proceedings are donated to Midcoast Maine’s communities.
Where: S Main St, Rockland, ME, USA
When: 3 Aug, 2024– 7 Aug, 2024
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15. Gilroy Garlic Festival
The Gilroy Garlic Festival is a renowned food festival in the US, held each year in the city of Gilroy, California. This annual three-day event is among the country’s most awaited food festivals that attracts people from across the nation, and even the world. Since Gilroy has often been called the Garlic Capital of the World owing to its massive garlic production, it is befitting that the main ingredient in all the finger-licking dishes distributed at this festival is – you guessed it right – garlic! But that’s not all that makes this one of the best food festivals around the world. You get indulge in delicious garlicky food under a bright summer sky, enjoy fun rides and games with your loved ones, meet celebrity chefs, attend live music gigs, and take part in cooking contests when you’re here.
Where: Christmas Hill Park, Gilroy, California
When: 22 Jul, 2024– 25 Jul, 2024
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The Most Weird Food Festivals Around The World
There are some food festivals around the world that are rather unique and strange, though equally worthy of being visited and enjoyed! Here are a few such festivals:
16. Giant Omelet Celebration
Prefer omelets in breakfast? How about one that’s bigger than your house? According to legend, Napoleon had once ordered every egg in town be broken to prepare a giant omelet after he had enjoyed his own! To this day, Bessieres carries on the tradition where chefs come together to prepare a 15,000-egg omelet for the people of Bessieres, usually on Easter.
Where: Bessieres, France
When: 5 Nov, 2024– 6 Nov, 2024
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17. Bugfest
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Ever had bugs served in your plate for lunch? Here’s a festival that is totally dedicated to bug-dishes and they exhibit a variety of both – bugs and the dishes prepared with them. Oh yes! It’s exactly what you think it is! Would you like to attend the Bugfest if you ever visit US around the time when this festival is on?
Where: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
When: TBA
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18. Olney Pancake Race
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Women in Onley have been running a 400-yard annual pancake race since 1445 while holding pancakes in cast iron pans, a tradition that has now become one of the most amusing world food festivals! And, of course, you get to eat those delicious pancakes once the race is over and the winner is announced!
Where: Olney, England
When: 1 Mar, 2024
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19. Monkey Buffet Festival
No, this festival DOES NOT provide you an unlimited supply of monkeys for eating. This is one of the most amazing (as well as amusing!) food festivals around the world where the animals eat and the humans watch! With our sneaky little friends going crazy amidst the sea of 400 kg of food laid out before the temples of Thailand, the scenario can get wilder than the Hatter’s tea party!
Where: Lopburi, Thailand
When: 27 Nov, 2024
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20. Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling
People in this festival do exactly what the name says they do! They roll down a hill. And no, we’re not kidding! Held each spring over the hill outside of Gloucester, England, this crazy game is among the most bizarre cultural food festivals in the world. All the participants have to do is follow some simple rules – watch a 9-pound round Double Gloucester cheese run down the hill, give it a second’s head start, and then tumble after it. The one who catches it, takes it home! How cool is that! And though this crazy fest has often been deemed the “world’s most dangerous footrace” over the years, it still doesn’t stop the locals from assembling at this hill on this particular day and rolling down the hill over a large piece of cheese to celebrate this fun festival! In fact, this mad event has grown to the point where people from all over the world come here to participate in it.
Where: Cooper’s Hill, Brockworth, Gloucester, England
When: 30 May, 2024
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With so many interesting and weird food festivals around the world, which of these had you drooling? Don’t just pick one! Escape to as many of these incredible food events around the world as you can! And if we missed out on any, tell us in the comments below! But before that, plan a trip to any of your favorite international destinations to attend one of these food fests.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Food Festivals Around The World
Which food festival is celebrated in the whole world?
While there isn’t a particular food festival that is celebrated around the world, but you will find many beer fests and wine festivals almost everywhere in the world.
What is the biggest food festival in the world?
All of these food festivals mentioned above are popular around the world and each of these offers something unique to visitors. No particular food festival out of these can be classified as the biggest.
What are the different types of food festivals?
From wine festivals, beer festivals, gourmet fests, food tasting events, to mega cooking competitions, there are various types of food festivals around the world. They can be as simple as a normal pancake festival or garlic festival, or they can be as crazy as the Cheese Rolling festival where people can be seen chasing a ball of cheese down the hill.
Which country has maximum food festivals?
Owing to its diverse cultures and cuisines, India is one of the countries with the maximum number of food festivals around the world.
How many Indian food festivals are there?
There are well over 20 major food festivals in India that you must attend at least once in your life. Some of the best ones include:
National Street Food Festival, Delhi
Mei Ram-ew, Meghalaya
Asian Hawkers Market, Delhi
Great Indian Food Festival, Delhi
The Grub Fest, Pune and Mumbai
Goa Food and Cultural Festival, Goa
Ahare Bangla, Kolkata
Foodistan, Gurgaon
Bengaluru Food Fete, Bangalore
Which is the biggest festival of India?
Diwali is considered to be the biggest festival of India that is celebrated all over the country in different styles and traditions.
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Kanika has 4 years of experience in writing blogs and marketing content for travel. And when she’s not writing, she’s either exploring new terrains in a different corner of the world, or out in the city freezing urban scenarios in her camera.
