10 amazing food festivals around the world

In this article, we explore some of the best food festivals around the world. Each offering a different experience from the last, these festivals promise to fill your belly with the finest foods and give you top culinary tips. Read on to explore which world food festival will suit your taste best.

The Taste festivals have spread to Cape Town, Hong Kong and all over the globe but the London edition was the inaugural event. 

Taste of London sets up shop in Regent’s Park to showcase creations from the world’s best chefs, sommeliers and mixologists. 

Michelin-starred mini kitchens give out tasters of their favourite dishes, while live entertainment, masterclasses and award ceremonies offer a social feel to the event.

Every year, the birthplace of pizza pays tribute to its beloved dish with a dedicated, fortnight-long festival. 

Being one of the best food festivals around the world, this celebration of food in Italy sees acclaimed pizzerias come from all over the world to test their recipes. Here, they’ll also have the chance to compete in the World Pizza-making Championship.

Categories include wood-fired, gluten-free and freestyle – all of which are judged by Michelin-starred chefs. 

Expect dough-tossing demonstrations, educational classes and some of the best pizza you’ve ever tasted.

Melbourne is a gastronomic melting pot of global cuisines, so it’s a fitting place to attend a food festival, and this ten-day celebration is one of the most prestigious. 

Each March, the most renowned restaurants in and around the city open their doors to curious epicureans, with over 200 events to choose from. 

You can attend workshops led by the world’s greatest chefs, as well as food tours, cheese tastings and the festival’s famous ‘Longest Lunch'. This is a record-holding, three-course meal served on a 600-metre-long table.

Each summer, this symposium is hosted by MAD Food Organization (a non-profit community) set up by René Redzepi, chef of Noma, a four-time winner of the World’s Best Restaurant title. 

Mad means food in Danish and this event is something of a pilgrimage for enthusiastic gourmands, with numerous food-focused educational talks and demonstrations.

To get your hands on a ticket, you have to submit an application showcasing your culinary curiosity and open-mindedness.

Singapore is one of Asia’s foremost food destinations and Savour is one of the most anticipated events in the city’s culinary calendar. 

There’s a winter edition, a September wine edition and a May gourmet edition, the latter being the main event, spanning four days and attracting thousands of food lovers. 

There are gourmet tastings, celebrity chef masterclasses, kitchen skill demonstrations, competitions and a market where you can pick up plenty of delectable souvenirs.

If you want to visit a variety of food festivals around the world, make sure to add La Tomatina to your list. This food festival in Spain happens every last Wednesday of August and promises excitement from start to finish.

Each year, visitors of the food festival take part in a tumultuous tomato fight, where fellow fighters launch the red vegetable at one another. 

Aside from the tomato-pulp-covered streets, there is an array of delicious dishes to be feasted upon at this food festival. From paella to sangria, this truly is one of the best Spanish food festivals that you won’t want to miss out on.

Chocolate lovers, unite. Salon du Chocolat, an international food festival, can be found in Paris, France and is filled with some of the most decadent confectionery on the market. 

Popular sweet treats at this festival include ganache, pralines and truffles – sure to satisfy all those with a sweet tooth. 

The confectionery isn’t just to be eaten either. The elaborate minds of Salon du Chocolat even design outfits with chocolate features or entirely made with the sweet stuff!

Every September, the Galway International Oyster Festival takes place. At this food festival, you’ll learn all about Ireland's oyster farming heritage. And what food festival would be complete without some delicious grub? 

Here, you’ll be able to pick oysters with a variety of toppings. From buttermilk to trout roe, this festival knows how to get experimental with flavour.

Beyond the oysters, you’ll also be able to find a vast array of entertainment. From live music to other performances, Galway International Oyster Festival offers the full experience.

The Tokyo Ramen Show is an annual food festival that can be found in Tokyo, Japan. Every October and November, at Komazawa Olympic Park, ramen enthusiasts come together to celebrate the flavour sensation that is ramen. 

Varied in flavour, ramen broths and ingredients vary from dish to dish – so you’re sure to be spoiled for choice at this food festival. 

You won’t just be able to taste the ramen either. You’ll be able to learn about the various cultures of Japan, making the overall experience one of the best food festivals around the world.

Bagels and New York go hand in hand, so what better way to celebrate the iconic food of the concrete jungle, than going to BagelFest in New York?

At this food festival in Piazza 31 Club at Citi Field, you’ll find some of the finest bagel artisans around, showcasing their take on this staple. 

Want to get in on the action for yourself? Well, you’ll be able to make your own bagels if you choose.