Top 10 Food Festivals in the World 2023

Cuisines across the world have a plethora of different kinds of food that makes it impossible for one person to grab a taste of everything. But we can surely give it a try! These mouth-watering food festivals have something for everyone on their plate, quite literally. Foodies around the world can savor these culinary delights as well as the fun activities that come along with them.

Here’s a list of the top 10 food festivals in 2023 that every foodie on earth needs to try. Scroll down to find your favorite one.

NAME OF THE FESTIVAL	PLACE
Lobster Festival	Maine
Coopers Cheese Rolling and Wake	England
Pizzafest	Naples
National Street Food Festival	Delhi
Dumpling Festival	Hong Kong
La Tomatina	Spain
Oktoberfest	Germany
Vegetarian Festival	Phuket, Thailand
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival	Victoria, Melbourne
Bugfest	North Carolina, US

1. Maine Lobster Festival

This five-daylobster fiesta is the place to be for all lobster lovers. This lobster festival takes place in Rockland, Maine, during the first weekend of August from Wednesday through Sunday. It started as an idea to rekindle the marine communities and is now an internationally recognized food festival serving a variety of seafood like shrimp, crabs, fish, and many more. It’s not just a treat for the taste buds, they also offer various fun activities like cooking contests and carnival shows. The best part, all the proceedings are donated to the Midcoast Maine communities.

2. Coopers Cheese Rolling and Wake

Ever loved cheese so much you wanted to roll down a hill for it? Well, that is exactly what this festival entails! Held in Gloucester, England every spring, this game is bizarre, to say the least. It is often deemed as one of the strangest cultural food festivals in the world. The rules are simple. A 7 to 9-pound double Gloucester cheese is sent rolling down the 200-yard hill and the participants then roll after it. The first to catch the cheese takes it home. Sounds pretty adventurous to me. This world-famous festival attracts winners from all over the world like Canada, New Zealand, and Nepal.

3. Naples Pizzafest

Heaven for pizza lovers resides in Naples which attracts thousands of people each year to its Pizzafest. It is widely known as the greatest celebration of Pizza in Italy. This 5 to 11-day-longfest has pizza suitable for everyone’s taste buds and also carries the classics like Margherita, Marinara, Capricciosa, and Diavola. There are fun activities like concerts and dancing to enjoy along with your food. You will also see chefs competing and displaying their talents.

4. National Street food Festival Delhi

Mouths start watering just thinking about all the flavorful food that Delhi streets offer. Street vendors from across the country travel to Delhi for this occasion and delight the people with a variety of street foods. From spicy GolGappa, Bhalla papdi, aloo chaat, to bhelpuri, you will be confused about what to choose, but don’t just stop at one! These delicacies are set up at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium every year for people from all over the country to enjoy.

5. Dumpling Festival Hong Kong

Celebrated on the 5^th day of the 5^th lunar month of China, it is the best place for all the dumpling lovers. This dumpling festival in Hong Kong is also known as Dragon Boat Festival which is associated with certain myths about dragons. The festival caters to everyone’s choices and offers a wide range of glutinous rice dumplings – savory, vegetarian, and even sweet dumplings. Other than traditional Zhongzi dumplings, they also offer tasty rice pancakes.

6. La Tomatina Spain

Who said food festivals are only for eating, Spain is coming in hot with their food fight festival called La Tomatina. It is one of the most popular festivals not only in Spain but the whole world. It is celebrated each year on the last Wednesday of August, in the town of Buñol near Valencia in Spain. This festival deemed the world’s biggest food fight is also a tourist attraction. People gather on the streets and throw over-ripe tomatoes at each other.

7. Oktoberfest Germany

It is time for all the beer lovers to flock to Munich, Germany. It is a two-week-long festival that endson the first Sunday of October. They have a variety of brews to choose from and gallons of beer are consumed every day during this fest. Even if you’re not much of a beer lover, Oktoberfest also has various culinary delights like roast chicken, pretzels, and sausages. No wonder it is one of the most popular foodand drink festivals.

8. Vegetarian Festival Thailand

You say food festivals are only for meat lovers? Thailand says you’re wrong. It is one of the most prominent festivals in Phuket, Thailand. The nine-day celebration from 24 September to 3 October offers a wide range of vegan foods that makes even non-vegetarians fall in love with them. This fest also represents the Chinese belief that abstinence from the meat will bring them mental peace. As a way to honor God, the community turns vegan for nine days and enjoys dishes made of vegetables, soybean, fruits, and other vegan products.

9. Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

This food festival is a fan favorite that takes your taste buds on a 10-day adventure. MFWF takes place in Victoria, serving you the best culinary creations of Australia and some handpicked award-winning wines. Serving scrumptious lunches and dinners, it’s a delight for food and wine lovers. From 12-31 March, people flood the restaurants and cafes in Victoria every year. No doubt it is one of the most popular festivals in the country.

10. Bugfest North Carolina

Only tribal people included bugs in their diet, right? Well, now it has surely reached the urban areas, thanks to Bugfest. Over 40,000 visitors attend Bugfest and explore its activities, exhibits, and crafts. This fest is dedicated to learning more about the world of bugs, which apparently you can also do by tasting them. Brave enough to try the creepy crawlers? The local chefs have no hesitation in preparing them for you. After all, they are loaded with protein.