Bolton Food and Drink Festival brings free family fun
Bolton town centre will host four days of food, live entertainment and family activities from Friday 28 August to Monday 31 August. Most of the Bolton Food and Drink Festival is free to attend, although tickets are required for some special events and celebrity cooking demonstrations.
The programme is aimed at the general public and families, with hundreds of food and drink traders spread across the town centre. Bolton Council says the festival, now in its 21st year, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors over the bank holiday weekend.
Hundreds of traders take over Bolton town centre
Visitors will be able to choose from international street food, artisan produce, sweet treats and locally made favourites. The range of stalls makes food the centrepiece of the festival, but the programme extends well beyond the traders.
Regional chefs from across the North West will give free demonstrations during the weekend. Separate ticketed sessions will feature James Martin, Marco Pierre White and Nisha Katona, with limited spaces still available when Bolton Council published its event preview.
James Martin is scheduled to appear on Saturday. Marco Pierre White and Nisha Katona are both due to give demonstrations on Monday. Tickets for these celebrity cooking sessions can be booked online through the festival website.
Liberty X and The Real Thing lead the music programme
Free live music and entertainment will run throughout the festival, with Liberty X and The Real Thing named as headline acts. The council has not provided individual performance times in the supplied announcement.
The combination of live music, cooking demonstrations and town-centre food stalls gives visitors several ways to experience the event without paying for a ticket. Charges apply only to certain special events, so anyone interested in a celebrity chef session should check availability before travelling.
Circus workshops, art sessions and a giant sandpit
Families will find free activities and interactive experiences across the festival site. The confirmed programme includes circus skills workshops, bubble performances, giant doodle walls, creative art sessions and a giant sandpit.
The scale of the programme follows a record of substantial attendance. Bolton Council reports that more than half a million people visited the festival in 2025, generating millions of pounds for the local economy while supporting local businesses and traders.
Readers considering other free family events can also explore the programme at Leicester’s Riverside Festival.
Booking details and information still to check
No daily opening times, transport instructions or accessibility arrangements were included in the council announcement. Visitors who need those details should check the festival website for the latest programme and practical updates.
General entry and most activities do not require payment. The main booking decision concerns the limited celebrity cooking demonstrations, for which tickets remain available online subject to capacity.
Source: Bolton Council News
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Event dates, location, admission details and named performers were checked against information published by Bolton Council.
- Confirmed the festival runs from 28 to 31 August 2026.
- Confirmed the event is held throughout Bolton town centre.
- Confirmed that most activities are free while some special events require tickets.
- Checked the named chefs, music headliners and family activities against the published prog...
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- 2026-08-18 15:25
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