Award-winning Smoke & Fire Festival (S&F) — the UK’s largest BBQ and outdoor cooking festival — celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026, marking a decade of showcasing the art of cooking with fire. Returning to one of its most loved locations, Promenade Park, Maldon (Essex) on 15–16 August 2026, this year’s festival promises a weekend packed with firsts, favourites, and unforgettable food experiences.
This year’s festival brings together more live fire cooking demonstrations from top chefs, hosted by Sam and Shauna (Samantha Evans and Shauna Guinn) are acclaimed Welsh-based BBQ experts, cookbook authors, and stars of the BBC series Sam and Shauna's Big Cook-Out alongside pop-up restaurants in BBQ Alley, award-winning street food, and interactive workshops to help visitors elevate their own BBQ skills.
New for 2026 is Festival BBQ School where visitors can step up to the grill themselves in this pre-bookable hands-on workshop experience. In another first S&F Maldon will be hosting the European Butcher Wars – a theatrical competition bringing the best butchers to the table in the art and science of butchery.
Ember Lounge Sessions make a welcome return after a standout debut. The exclusive Ember Lounge Sessions will be hosted by award-winning live fire chef James Peck, alongside a special collaboration with legendary Māori Chef Matt Burgess (AKA Mat Blak). It offers an immersive VIP experience away from the main festival where guests can enjoy specially curated menus from four internationally renowned fire chefs/pitmasters, making it one of the festival’s most sought-after culinary highlights.
Also back are the British Open Freestyle BBQ Championships where you can watch British and European teams vie for a place at the BBQ World Cup. And appealing to those who dare the festival’s Extreme Eating Challenges of Hot Chilli and Hot Wings are sure to entertain and offer up their own fiery fun!
The fun, party atmosphere includes live music all weekend with a Saturday headliner planned alongside the UK’s best tribute acts on the Sunday. Plus a Family Fun Zone including rides and bouncy castles and children entertainers.
A Decade of Smoke & Fire
Over the past 10 years, Smoke & Fire has welcomed more than 250,000 visitors, serving up an incredible celebration of live-fire cooking.
- 500,000 plates of food served
- 100 tonnes of meat cooked low and slow
- 1,600 BBQs, smokers, and grills fired up
- Over 3,000 raw chillies and up to 5,000 hot wings devoured in our extreme eating
challenges - 300,000 drinks poured
- 300 chefs, pitmasters & butchers
- 25 top tribute acts performed
- 39 countries represented
- Over £55,000 generated for Charities
- 85 dogs taking part in agility challenges
Buy tickets for Maldon now directly from www.smokeandfirefestival.com/tickets - Camping packages available exclusively at Maldon too.
