Five years in and the Heaton Park Food & Drink Festival is going bigger than ever. The Fifth Anniversary Feast takes over the Papal Monument field on 1 to 2 August 2026, running 10am to 8pm on Saturday and 10am to 7pm on Sunday, with over 30 cuisines represented across more than 180 exhibitors and performers.
The food offer spans some of the UK’s best street food traders, independent bars, and dedicated dessert stations. The Cookery Theatre is hosted this year by Great British Bake Off star Makbul Patel, with Viking Heritage Kitchen adding open-fire cooking demonstrations to the mix. Tickets cover entry only, so budget a bit extra once you’re inside.
Music runs all weekend across 14 live performances. Saturday night headliners The Soul Shebang bring a full eight-piece Legends of Soul tribute set, while Sunday closes with The Fab 4, one of the UK’s most celebrated Beatles tributes. Will Forrester opens both days on saxophone, and Live Ibiza Sax closes each evening. Kids have their own programme too: circus skills, cooking classes with artisan cooks, axe throwing, a petting farm, face painting, and a scavenger hunt.
The festival has raised over £182,000 for Manchester Mind through optional ticket donations across its five years, and that partnership continues in 2026. Getting there by tram is straightforward: Heaton Park has its own Metrolink stop, roughly 500 metres from the event. On-site parking is limited, so public transport is the practical call. Tickets from £6.95 at heatonparkfoodfestival.com.
