Christchurch Food Festival is returning to Dorset this bank holiday weekend, bringing three days of free food, drink and entertainment to Christchurch Quay and the Quomps from Saturday, May 23 to Monday, May 25.
The festival, which has been running for more than 25 years, will spread across the waterfront site with street food traders, artisan producers, live cookery demonstrations and family attractions. Visitors will also find stalls from local breweries, distilleries and food makers, alongside culinary entertainment, live music and other activities designed to keep the crowds moving between the quay and the Quomps.
Festival organisers said the event has always been about celebrating the region’s food and drink while creating something the whole community can enjoy. They said they were delighted to bring it back for another bank holiday weekend and to welcome visitors to enjoy great food, entertainment and a atmosphere by the water. They also said the fact that it is free to attend makes it accessible for everyone.
That free entry is part of what has helped the festival endure for so long. Christchurch Food Festival is organised in partnership with Dorset Food & Drink and Hampshire Fare, giving local producers a large public stage at a time when regional food and drink events are increasingly part of how smaller makers reach new customers.
The line-up this year is built to pull in more than just food fans. Live music will include All About Abba, Cash Converted and The Emma Hardy Band, while James Golding returns to host the cookery demos and will be joined by a line-up of celebrated chef friends. The result is a festival that mixes a market, a stage and a kitchen into one open-air weekend.
What makes this year matter is not only the scale of the programme, but the fact that it remains free after more than a quarter-century of operation. For Christchurch, that keeps the festival squarely in public view: a local event on a busy bank holiday, open to families, visitors and anyone drawn to the water, the music and the food.
The festival opens on Saturday and runs through Monday. For organisers and traders alike, the test is straightforward: whether the long-running Dorset gathering can again turn a free weekend by the quay into a crowd-pleasing showcase for the region’s food and drink economy.
