York Food & Drink Festival reveals packed 2026 programme

10 days of food, drink, demonstrations, tastings, trails and entertainment will fill York from 18–27 September

The York Food & Drink Festival has unveiled its programme for 2026, promising ten days of food, drink, entertainment and hands-on experiences across the city from 18 to 27 September.

With hundreds of things to see, taste and do, this year’s festival combines the much-loved market and street food offer in Parliament Street, with an expanded programme of cookery demonstrations, workshops, tastings, tours, family activities and evening events.

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A major new addition for 2026 is the St Sampson’s Centre, which will become a new hub for the festival’s demonstration and evening programme. A dedicated theatre will host free daily cookery demonstrations throughout the festival, alongside workshops, tastings and special events.

Festival Director Michael Hjort said:

“The programme is really about giving people more reasons to come into the city and discover something new. We’ve got some fantastic chefs and food producers involved, but also a huge range of activities where people can get involved themselves. The new St Sampson’s Centre gives us the opportunity to develop this side of the festival considerably.”

Cooking demonstrations from TV Chefs

The 2026 demonstration programme features a strong line-up of chefs and food personalities.

Great British Bake Off star Freya Cox returns to the festival stage on Saturday 19 September, bringing her celebrated vegan cooking.  The new St Sampson’s Centre also hosts MasterChef 2025 personalities Claire Syrenne and Darren Gurry.  UK Pastry Champion Florian Poirot returns to the festival stage with his patisserie skills lessons.

Get hands-on at the Food Factory

The festival’s popular Food Factory returns with a programme designed to get visitors involved in making food rather than simply watching it.

Based at St Sampson’s Centre, the free activity explores how basic ingredients are transformed into familiar foods, with visitors able to make and taste products including bread, pasta, butter, ice cream, cheese and preserved foods.

The Food Factory runs throughout the festival, with additional sessions during the week and extended activity over the opening and closing weekends. There are more free family activities, including the free Kid’s Tour.

Taste your way around York

The festival’s popular Taste Trails return from 18–27 September, offering visitors a self-guided food tour around the city.

The two trails each feature around 20 stops, giving participants the chance to discover York’s independent delis, restaurants, producers and suppliers while sampling a wide variety of food and drink.

A dedicated Vegan Taste Trail will also offer around 20 stops featuring vegan samples and alternatives.

Tickets for the trails are limited, with booklets available from the festival Information Point on Parliament Street.

Food, drink and some very unusual evenings

The programme extends well beyond the festival market, with a series of special events taking place in some of York’s historic venues.

Highlights include a Medieval Feast at Barley Hall, a Gascony four-course menu at The Chopping Block, and Mead Cocktails and Sagas with Horns of Odin, combining Viking-inspired storytelling with mead cocktails.

The festival will also host a Great Yorkshire Tasting at St Sampson’s Centre, bringing together Yorkshire wines, beers and spirits and giving visitors the opportunity to meet the producers.

For something with a distinctly York flavour, the historic Assize of Ale returns on Saturday 26 September. Starting at York Mansion House, participants will visit city pubs before finishing at the festival, with the traditional event followed by a fish and chip supper and ale. Proceeds from the event will support the Lord Mayor’s Charity Fund.

The programme also reflects the breadth of York’s food community.

York Cocoa Works will explore the history of drinking chocolate and offer a very different “NOT Chocolate” tasting, showcasing ways of using cocoa pod and plant materials beyond chocolate itself.

Yahala Mataam will host a hands-on Syrian cooking session, where participants can make falafel, hummus and baklava before sharing a mezze-style meal together.

The festival’s evening programme also includes Live for St Leonard’s, with live music across Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square from 18–26 September. The event, organised by York BID, has raised almost £9,000 for St Leonard’s Hospice over the last two years.

Something for everyone

The festival continues to centre on its free-to-access public programme, with the food market running daily from 10am–5pm alongside festival bars and evening entertainment.

The 2026 programme brings together York’s independent food businesses, Yorkshire producers, chefs, community organisations and cultural venues to create a festival that is as much about discovering York as it is about eating.