Why Southport’s Food Festival is a Must-Visit Yearly Event

Southport Food and Drink Festival: Worth More Than One Visit.

The sun shone. The smell of street food drifted across Victoria Park. And before long, most people seemed to be doing exactly the same thing.

Walking around once.

Then twice.

Then a third time.

Because deciding what to eat was arguably the hardest part of the day.

Stalls stretched as far as the eye could see, offering everything from loaded street food and sweet treats to local produce, artisan drinks and flavours from around the world. Whatever your family enjoys eating, there was something to tempt them.

What makes the Southport Food and Drink Festival work so well isn’t just the food. It’s the variety.

The Southport food and drink festival, Friday 29th, Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May 2026.

Children can find something familiar. Food lovers can try something new. Shoppers can browse local makers and craft stalls. Those simply looking for a day out can soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the sunshine.

It’s one of the few events where every member of the family arrives looking for something different and usually leaves happy.

I spent some time chatting with vendors including JT Akshaya, Tik- Taco, the team from Elite Events at the drinks tents and the ever-popular Cake Corner. What quickly became clear was the amount of work, preparation and passion sitting behind every stall.

The festival may feel effortless when you’re wandering around with a drink in hand, but behind every counter is a local business hoping to create an experience people remember.

And that’s what Southport increasingly does well.

Events.

Not just putting them on, but creating reasons for people to spend time here.

This year Southport has seen new events as part of the Southport Elegantly Eccentric programme, but the Food and Drink Festival is part of the regular programming and feels like another reminder that Southport is growing into a town that understands its strengths. We know how to welcome people. We know how to host. We know how to create places where people want to stay a little longer.

With free entry, live entertainment, craft stalls, children’s activities and enough food choices to warrant multiple visits, this isn’t really a one-day event.

It’s the sort of festival you could return to all weekend and have a completely different experience each time.

And perhaps that’s the biggest compliment you can give it.

One lap around Victoria Park simply isn’t enough.

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