Bolton Food and Drink Festival packs in four days of free family fun
Hundreds of food and drink traders, live performers and hands-on family activities are due to fill Bolton town centre over the August bank holiday weekend.
The 21st Bolton Food and Drink Festival runs from Friday 28 August to Monday 31 August. Most activities are free, although some special events require tickets. The programme is aimed at families, food enthusiasts and anyone looking for live entertainment in the town centre.
Bolton Council published the confirmed festival preview on 14 August, exactly two weeks before opening day. It expects hundreds of thousands of visitors across the four-day event, following attendance of more than half a million in 2025.
Three celebrity chefs lead the cooking programme
James Martin, Marco Pierre White and Nisha Katona headline the celebrity demonstration schedule. Martin is due to appear on Saturday, while White and Katona are both scheduled for Monday.
Spaces for these demonstrations are limited and tickets can be booked online through the festival website. The council has not stated the ticket prices in its announcement.
Visitors who do not book a celebrity session will still be able to watch free demonstrations by regional chefs. These sessions will showcase culinary talent from across North West England alongside the festival’s wider selection of traders.
Food choices are set to range from international street food and artisan produce to sweet treats and locally made favourites. That mix gives visitors the option of browsing the town-centre stalls without committing to one of the ticketed events.
Liberty X and The Real Thing join the free music line-up
Free live music and entertainment will run throughout the weekend, with Liberty X and The Real Thing named as headline acts. The supplied programme does not specify which days or times they will perform.
Families will also find circus-skills workshops, bubble performances, creative art sessions and giant doodle walls around the festival site. A giant sandpit and other interactive experiences are included among the free activities.
The combination of open town-centre entertainment and limited-capacity chef demonstrations means the main planning decision is whether to reserve a ticketed session or concentrate on the free programme. Our Bolton festival planning guide provides another look at the food stalls, crafts and family activities announced for the weekend.
Details to check before travelling into Bolton
The festival will be spread throughout Bolton town centre, but the council announcement does not provide daily opening or closing times, detailed transport guidance or accessibility information. Those details should be checked through the latest official festival announcements before travelling.
Visitors hoping to see James Martin, Marco Pierre White or Nisha Katona should check remaining ticket availability online. Everyone else can plan around the confirmed dates and free programme while waiting for the organisers to publish any further scheduling details.
Source: Bolton Council News
Context & actions About this article
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Event dates, location, free activities and ticket requirements were checked against Bolton Council's published festival preview.
- Confirmed the festival runs from 28 to 31 August 2026.
- Confirmed the venue as Bolton town centre.
- Distinguished free activities from special events requiring tickets.
- Preserved the absence of confirmed opening times, transport guidance and accessibility det...
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- Bolton Council News
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- 2026-08-18 15:29
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