Worthing Food & Drink Festival returns for 2026 - 'this year is going to be one of our best yet'
The Worthing Food & Drink Festival is set to return to Steyne Gardens next weekend and could be ‘one of our best yet’, according to the organisers.
The free annual event ‘celebrates Worthing’s thriving food and drinks scene’, attracting thousands of people each year.
This year, visitors can expect food from around the world, a bigger entertainment programme and more activities for families to enjoy, according to organisers Worthing Town Centre BID.
The 2026 trader line-up includes a ‘huge variety’ of food – from Thai, Indian, Mexican and Japanese to Greek, African and Venezuelan dishes, alongside festival favourites including burgers, BBQ, pulled pork, pizza, bratwurst, wings, loaded fries, poutine, mac and cheese and dumplings.
There are plenty of sweet options too, including Portuguese tarts, Dutch pancakes, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, fudge, ice cream and Italian gelato.
Hannah Manzaroli, Worthing Town Centre BID manager, said: “The Food & Drink Festival is one of the highlights of our year and I think this year is going to be one of our best yet.
"What I love about it is the mix. We have lots of familiar faces that people come back for every year, some really exciting new traders and food from all over the world.
“It’s also really important to us that the festival showcases Worthing itself. Having businesses like Beer No Evil, Saltio, Jonny’s, Five Dots, The Old Bike Store, Rose & Crown, G-Lite and Worthing Gin and Rum involved means we’re not just giving people a great weekend, we’re introducing them to businesses they can come back and support in the town all year round.”
New for 2026, there will be live music and entertainment on the main stage throughout the weekend, with performances from Honey Bee, Mica Allen, Chris Keats, Rock Choir, Anne Whiteside, Emma Olsen and Repeat Offenders.
The ‘ever-popular’ Chilli Eating Contest is also back at 4pm on Saturday, followed by Dave Hunt’s Pub Quiz at 6pm.
Jenevieve French, Events & Marketing at Worthing Town Centre BID, added: “We really wanted to build on what people already love about the Food & Drink Festival and make it somewhere you want to stay for the whole day.
"This year the main stage will have live music for the first time, alongside some of the things people always look forward to, like the Chilli Eating Contest.
“There’s such a lovely atmosphere in Steyne Gardens during the festival and adding live music, roaming entertainment and more for children will hopefully make it feel like a proper weekend celebration. There really is something happening wherever you look.”
Families can enjoy a bouncy castle, face painting and a caricature artist, in addition to a treasure hunt around the festival.
Free drinking water and suncream will be available, as well as ear defenders for children who may find the busy festival environment overwhelming.
The Worthing Food & Drink Festival takes place from 10am to 7pm on Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13.