Your ultimate food festival guide for Leeds and nearby foodie hotspots.
The Leeds foodie scene is growing by what feels like the day: from pop-up pizza trucks to gourmet desserts, horse box coffee stands and outlandish flavours, we really do have an independent to cover just about every dish imaginable.
Not that we need an excuse to test out all of the foodie options in Leeds, but having all of our favourite street vendors, indie food trucks and long-time favourites all in one place really does have its advantages.
Exploring niche trends and speciality dishes, there’s a festival for all sorts of food and drink in Leeds, so we’ve put together a guide to all the best places to visit either in our own city or a short car journey away.
Keep reading to find out how to get there, where to get tickets and all the important information, as well as what food you can drool over upon arrival.
Taco and Tequila Festival
Saturday 30 April – Monday 2 May 2022 | Waterlane Boat House
From Saturday 30 April – Monday 2 May, this three day event will have plenty to tuck into all bank holiday weekend. Each day food, live music and the all important tequila shots will be lined up from 12pm, with free entry all day long.
Bringing the food to Waterlane Boat House on the Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May is Sabroso Street, a causal Mexican in Farsley that’s big on flavour. Think mouth-watering pork tacos with pineapple, chamoy sauce and radishes, amongst other fusions of flavour. Produced in the highlands of the Jalisco Mountains in Mexico, Cazcabel Tequila is a Blue Weber Agave crafted spirit that’ll provide the perfect shot for the occasion.
Tickets: This is a free-to-attend event, so not tickets are required.
Find out more here.
Sausage and Cider Festival
Saturday 30 April 2022 | Royal Armouries, Leeds Dock
There’s a multitude of flavours, spices, sizes and shapes on offer at the Sausage and Cider Festival and Leeds’ foodies are encouraged to take advantage of the vast options available. Hosted at Royal Armouries for a one-day-only festival, meet meat lovers and cider conesseuirs alike.
If that’s not enough, local musicians and some of the UK’s best tribute acts will be taking to the stage to keep visitors on their feet all afternoon and evening long.
Tickets: The final tickets are now on sale and with many slots now filled, you will be more limited if you’re booking last minute. From £15 each, find out which tickets are still available on the Sausage and Cider Festival website.
Find out more here.
Curry and Beer Festival
Sunday 3 July 2022 | Roundhay Park, Roundhay, Leeds
Celebrating all types of curry and beer, this festival is going to be a feast for the senses. After the success of the 2021 festival, Leeds’ Curry and Beer Festival is returning to the city for 2022 with a whole host of independent traders offering food and drink from around the world.
Whether you’re a fan of the dhansak, saag, korma, jalfrezi, or vindaloo, there’s sure to be something for everyone here with the festival promising a ream of different street food traders turning up to cook on the day. Of course, it goes without saying that Leeds knows what it’s doing when it comes to top beer – so we expect to see some of Yorkshire’s finest pulling up with their freshest craft brews too.
Find out more here.
Great British Food Festival
Thursday 2 June – Sunday 5 June 2022 | Harewood House, Leeds
You’ve heard of the Great British Bake Off, and you already know what the bank holiday weekend is celebrating: the Great British Food Festival is an opportunity to meet the best foodies from Yorkshire and beyond. There’s an artisan market, street food, bars, chef demos, live music and even some Men V Food challenges to take on- and if you’ve got room, a Cake Off, BBQ sage, kids cookery classes and foraging walks.
Tickets: To enter the Great British Food Festival requires a pre-booked ticket. Costing from £13.20 for adults and £7.20 for children, all tickets can be booked on the Great British Food Festival website.
Find out more here.
Gin and Rum Festival
Saturday 10 June – Saturday 11 June 2022 | Royal Armouries, Leeds Dock
There are very few places that you’ll be able to sample over 120 of the best gins and rums on the market, including the best of British, spirits from around the world and a huge range of flavoured products.
This two-day festival in the heart of Leeds will showcase hand-picked products and offer customers the chance to discover the highest quality gins and rums, many of which are exclusive to the festival. New for 2022 is a themed Tequila bar, offering 20 authentic Tequilas on offer, the Gin and Rum Festival can’t wait to bring a taste of Mexico to Leeds this summer. Local favourites, The Cheesy Living Co. will also be bringing their hand-selected cheese and charcuterie products to the festival to keep your stomach lined and satisfied.
Tickets: This is a ticketed event, costing £15.00 plus a £1.48 booking fee per person. For more information, including how to book your tickets, visit the Eventbrite listing.
Find out more here.
Near Leeds…
These festivals are up to two hours away by car or train- but well worth the journey. After all, we can’t keep all of the best festivals to ourselves now can we?
Manchester Sushi Festival
Thursday 21 April – Saturday 23 April 2022 | Audacious Church, Trinity Way, Salford
Happening in Manchester, which takes less than an hour to reach via train, the event will bring together a host of the area’s best sushi parlors for a day dedicated to celebrating Japanese cuisine. Taking place on Thursday 21 April, those heading down can expect to try a range of sushi from different local traders and restauranteurs, as well as other Japanese dishes like ramen, and a selection of different drinks from Japanese pop-up bars.
Tickets: £20 per person and include entry to the Sushi Festival, access to the theatre with live cooking demonstrations, and a portion of sushi or delicious Japanese dish from one of the festival’s hand-picked vendors. Tickets can be purchased here.
Read More: A huge sushi festival is happening under an hour away from Leeds
Yorkshire Dales Food Festival
Saturday 23 July – Sunday 24 July 2022 | Funkirk Farm, Skipton
This is the celebrity-covered food festival that celebrates all things in God’s Own Country over two-days of foodie festivities. Yorkshire AA Rosette, Vegan, Dessert and Local Chef Cookery Stages will show live cooking demonstrations; The Hairy Bikers and James Martin will be showcasing their culinary skills and if that’s not enough, expect masterclasses, a vintage funfair, crafting demonstrations, tasting sessions, musical tribute acts hundreds of exhibitors and some of the best street food the UK has to offer.
As this is the biggest food and drinks fest in Yorkshire, there’s camping options for three nights as tend camping or caravanning and motorhomes so you don’t miss a second of the action over the weekend.
Tickets: The prices of tickets range massively, so make sure to look on the Yorkshire Dales Food Festival website at all the options available to avoid disappointment. Generally, day tickets cost from £12.00 for adults and £59.90 for a family of two adults and two children.
Find out more here.
Malton Food Lovers Festival
Friday 3 – Sunday 5 June 2022 / Saturday 27 – Monday 29 August 2022 | Malton Markets
Home to plenty of artisan producers and award-winning independent businesses, visitors to the Malton Food Lovers Festivals will not be disappointed.
This year, expect a huge array of unique stalls with tasty treats and gorgeous gifts, celebrity chef talks and demonstrations, live music and fun for all the family. The exact line-up is yet to be announced, but across the six day event, visitors can expect only the best of home-grown goods to be in attendance.
Tickets: There are no tickets needed as the Food Lovers Festival is free to attend, and a Park and Ride is available at each entrance to Malton from the A64, with a free shuttle bus service to the event.
Find out more here.
Wing Fest: the world’s biggest chicken wing festival
Saturday 24 September – Sunday 25 September 2022 | The Trafford Centre, Stretford, Manchester
The world’s biggest chicken wings festival is returning to the UK for another year- and it’s only an hour away from Leeds. This summer, the world’s biggest wing festival will return to Manchester, bringing together the UK’s very best to serve a whopping 200,000 wings over a two-day period. Here, you’ll find 20 different street food traders, restaurants, BBQ teams and pop-ups from across the country serving up their signature bites – be they deep-fried, spicy, baked, sweet or sticky as all hell. In total, 8,000 lucky chicken wing fans will have the opportunity to cast their vote for their favourite wings across the weekend.
Tickets: Wing Fest tickets start from £20 per day and include a Wing Fest signature trucker hat, and all rides, games and entertainment. Tickets can be purchased here.
Find out more here.
Feature Image- Great British Food Festival
