If you only go to one Christmas food event this year, make it the Festive Good Food Show: four days of celebrity chefs cooking live, tasting theatres and hundreds of producers selling Christmas food and gifts under one roof. It's at the NEC Birmingham from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November 2026, the same week Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market is in full swing. Here's how to plan the weekend.
Festive Good Food Show 2026: the essentials
| Dates | Thursday 26 - Sunday 29 November 2026 |
| Opening times | Thu-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm, Sun 9.30am-5pm |
| Where | NEC Birmingham, Halls 17-20 (B40 1NT) |
| Chefs announced | James Martin, Si King, Lisa Faulkner, Glynn Purnell, Jane's Patisserie, Nicky Laceby, Natasha Bhasin |
| Full details | Festive Good Food Show 2026 event page |
What's on at the show
The show is split between live stages and a large shopping floor:
- Big Kitchen and The Festive Kitchen: the main stages for celebrity chef demos.
- Christmas Challenge Stage: chefs cooking against the clock.
- Fabulous Food Finds Tasting Theatre: guided tastings of producers' products.
- Cheese Hub: exactly what it sounds like, and good for Christmas cheeseboard shopping.
- Masterclasses: hands-on cooking sessions (book ahead, they sell out).
- Kitchen Tales: live Q&As, plus book signings and meet-the-chef sessions.
Tips for getting the most out of the show
- Arrive at 9.30am opening. The shopping floor is quietest in the first hour, and the best producer stock goes early.
- Book masterclasses and stage seats in advance, especially for James Martin and the weekend sessions.
- Bring a cool bag for cheese, charcuterie and anything chilled. The Cheese Hub is a great place to build your Christmas cheeseboard.
- Do a lap before you buy. Many stalls offer tasting samples, so taste first and come back to buy.
- Thursday and Friday are calmer than the weekend if you can take a day off.
Make it a weekend: Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market
The NEC is next to Birmingham International station, about 10 minutes by train from Birmingham New Street. That makes it easy to spend the day at the show and the evening at the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market in Victoria Square. The market runs 5 November - 24 December 2026, 11am-9pm, so it's open well after the show closes. Expect German-style bratwurst, pretzels, mulled wine and gift stalls.
A simple weekend plan:
- Friday: Festive Good Food Show from opening, then train to New Street for dinner at the Frankfurt market.
- Saturday: Stratford-upon-Avon Christmas Markets (Sat 28 Nov, 12-8pm), about an hour from Birmingham.
- Sunday: a second, quieter morning at the show, or a slow brunch before heading home.
More Midlands Christmas events in 2026
Can't make the show weekend? These are coming up around Birmingham:
- Stourbridge Christmas Lights Switch-on: Sat 21 Nov
- Stratford-upon-Avon Christmas Markets: 28-29 Nov & 5-6 Dec
- Sutton Coldfield Christmas Market: 11-13 Dec
- Wolverhampton Christmas Shopping Market: 11-17 Dec, a full week
- Chatsworth light trail and Christmas Market: a bigger day trip into Derbyshire
Before you go, browse street food menus and discover dishes from market traders across the UK, or see the small-town Midlands Christmas markets guide.
More Christmas 2026 guides
- UK Christmas Events Calendar 2026 — week by week
- Best Christmas Light Trails in the UK 2026
- London Christmas Lights Switch-on Dates 2026
- Free Christmas Things to Do in the UK 2026
- The Ultimate Guide to 58 UK Christmas Markets for 2026
- 7 Small-Town UK Christmas Markets & Lights Switch-ons for 2026
Or browse every listing in one place: all UK Christmas markets and upcoming food & festive events.
