UK Food Festivals and Markets: The Late September to October 2026 Guide
Autumn is when the UK food calendar quietly gets busy again. The big summer festivals are done, but a fresh wave of autumn fayres, food festivals, and street food markets fills the gap between late September and half term. Most of them are smaller, easier to get into, and free. We have pulled together 17 verified events running from 20 September through 18 October 2026, from a 200-vendor halal food festival at London Stadium to a free harvest festival on the seafront at Weston-super-Mare.
Every event below links to its own page with dates, venue, and travel details on our UK food events calendar, so you can plan the next four weekends from one place.
How to Use This Guide
Food Marketplace tracks food festivals, street food markets, and food markets across the UK all year round. For this stretch of autumn:
- Browse every event on the full UK events calendar
- Find your nearest market with the interactive food market map
- Discover vendors and menus before you go via the Discover page, the vendor directory, and the menus directory
Traders you meet at an autumn fayre or food festival usually pitch at a regular market too. If you like what you taste, look them up on their local market page and go back.
Headline Events Worth Planning Around
World Halal Food Festival 2026 (26–27 September, London Stadium)
The UK's original halal food festival returns to London Stadium with 200+ vendors, chef demonstrations, and family activities across the weekend. If you are in London for one food event this September, this is the one to build a day around. View World Halal Food Festival dates and details, or check the official World Halal Food Festival website for tickets.
Bath Autumn Fayre (2–4 October, Bath)
A free market on Milsom Street in the heart of Bath, with 80+ traders, street food, a live DJ, and roaming entertainment across the whole opening weekend of October. Pair it with a wander through the food markets in Bath. View Bath Autumn Fayre dates and details.
Newport Food Festival 2026 (3 October, Newport)
Wales's showcase of local produce, artisan food, and culinary talent returns for another year, with the food markets in Newport close by if you want to make a full day of it. View Newport Food Festival dates and details.
Powderham Food Festival (3–4 October, Powderham, Devon)
A full weekend food festival on the Powderham Castle estate in Devon, now an annual fixture on the South West's autumn calendar. View Powderham Food Festival dates and details, or see the official Powderham Food Festival website for tickets.
Wells Food Festival (11 October, Wells, Somerset)
Over 200 stalls selling food, drink, street food, and English wine in the cathedral city of Wells, one of the bigger single-day food festivals in the South West this autumn. View Wells Food Festival dates and details, or see the official Wells Food Festival website for the full trader list.
Oxford Food & Drink Festival 2026 (9–18 October, Oxford)
A ten-day run of food and drink events across Oxford, closing out this stretch of the autumn calendar and bridging neatly into half term. Pair it with the food markets in Oxford. View Oxford Food & Drink Festival details.
Weekend One (20–21 September): Three Markets to Start Autumn
- Roots Market (Birmingham, Sun 20 Sept): reggae and dub on the Creative Hertz sound system alongside record stalls, street food, and workshops, family-friendly with a kids' corner.
- Leeds Briggate Monthly Artisan Market (Leeds, Sun 20 Sept): Little Bird Markets takes over Briggate in Leeds city centre once a month with handmade goods and food traders. Pair it with the rest of the food markets in Leeds.
- Scottish Wild Food Festival (near Glasgow, Sun 20 Sept): foraging, wild food demonstrations, and producers for anyone curious about what grows wild in Scotland.
Weekend Two (24–27 September): London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol
World Halal Food Festival (26–27 September)
The month's headline London event runs this weekend; see the full write-up above. View World Halal Food Festival details.
New Street Eats returns four times this week (24, 25, 26, and 27 September, Birmingham)
The West Midlands' easiest street food lunch runs on Thursday 24, Friday 25, Saturday 26, and Sunday 27 September in Birmingham city centre, no ticket needed.
eat:Weston (26 September, Weston-super-Mare)
A free festival of local food and drink in the Italian Gardens on the seafront: no tickets, just turn up. View eat:Weston details.
MCR ROCKS Family Festival 2026 (26 September, Salford)
Live tribute acts, food and bars, and a DJ battle, built as a family day out just outside Manchester. View MCR ROCKS Family Festival details, and explore the food markets in Manchester while you are in the area.
FŌDA Festival (26–27 September, Bristol)
A festival of food ideas across two Bristol venues, The Arnolfini and The Fish Tank at Salt and Malt, more about food culture and innovation than a straightforward market. View FŌDA Festival details, or browse the food markets in Bristol for the rest of the weekend.
Bridlington Food Festival, King Street Market (27 September, Bridlington)
Bridlington's popular monthly food festival returns to King Street Market on the Yorkshire coast. View Bridlington Food Festival details.
Midweek: Street Food Expo 2026 (29 September, London ExCeL)
Worth flagging separately because it is not a public day out: Street Food Expo is the UK's trade event for the food-to-go industry, aimed at street food operators and suppliers rather than visitors looking for lunch. If you run or are starting a street food business, it is worth the trip. View Street Food Expo 2026 details.
Weekend Three (2–4 October): The Busiest Weekend of the Run
Bath Autumn Fayre (2–4 October)
Bath's big free market opens Friday and runs the whole weekend; see the headline write-up above. View Bath Autumn Fayre dates and details.
Wakefield Vegan Festival 2026 (3 October, Wakefield)
World street food, ethical brands, and the vegan community for a day in Wakefield. Tickets are advance-only, so book ahead. View Wakefield Vegan Festival details.
Kent Biodiversity & Regenerative Food Festival (3 October, Sevenoaks)
A new addition to the calendar this October, celebrating local nature and regenerative food producers in the Vine Gardens at Sevenoaks. View Kent Biodiversity & Regenerative Food Festival details.
MNB Autumn Craft Market (3 October, Edinburgh)
An autumn and Halloween-themed craft market at Out of the Blue and Drill Hall Arts Cafe, food traders alongside makers. View MNB Autumn Craft Market details, and see the rest of the food markets in Edinburgh.
Newport Food Festival and Powderham Food Festival (3–4 October)
Wales and Devon's big autumn food festivals both run this weekend; see the headline write-ups above.
London Iconic Market Food Tours for Singles (2, 3, and 4 October, London Bridge)
A social food tour through one of London's oldest food destinations, built specifically for singles, starting at Southwark Cathedral. Runs again on 9 and 10 October. See the 2 October, 3 October, and 4 October dates.
Weekend Four (9–18 October): Oxford, Wells, and the Final Stretch to Half Term
Oxford Food & Drink Festival (9–18 October)
Ten days of food and drink events across Oxford; see the headline write-up above. View Oxford Food & Drink Festival details.
Wells Food Festival (11 October)
Over 200 stalls in the cathedral city of Wells; see the headline write-up above. View Wells Food Festival details.
FOODfest 2026, Barnstaple Pannier Market (18 October)
Free entry celebration of local food at the historic Barnstaple Pannier Market in Devon, closing out this run of events right at the door of the October half term. View FOODfest Barnstaple details.
Free to Walk Into: No Ticket Needed
The autumn calendar is generous with free events this year. These need nothing but an appetite:
- eat:Weston (26 September, Weston-super-Mare): a free festival of local food and drink, no tickets.
- New Street Eats (24–27 September, Birmingham city centre): walk-in street food, no ticket required.
- Bath Autumn Fayre (2–4 October, Bath): a free market with 80+ traders on Milsom Street.
- Roots Market and Leeds Briggate Monthly Artisan Market (20 September, Birmingham and Leeds): outdoor street markets, walk in any time during opening hours.
- FOODfest 2026, Barnstaple Pannier Market (18 October): explicitly free entry.
You can find hundreds more regular markets, including street food markets and food markets in London, on the main UK markets directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What food festivals are on in the UK this autumn 2026?
Between late September and mid-October 2026, verified events include the World Halal Food Festival at London Stadium (26–27 September), Bath Autumn Fayre (2–4 October), Newport Food Festival and Powderham Food Festival (3–4 October), Wells Food Festival (11 October), and the Oxford Food & Drink Festival (9–18 October), alongside weekly street food and artisan markets in Birmingham, Leeds, and Edinburgh. The full list is on the Food Marketplace events calendar.
Which of these events are free to enter?
eat:Weston, New Street Eats in Birmingham, Bath Autumn Fayre, Roots Market, the Leeds Briggate Monthly Artisan Market, and FOODfest at Barnstaple Pannier Market are all free to walk into. You pay only for what you eat and drink.
What is the biggest food festival running this autumn?
By vendor count, the World Halal Food Festival at London Stadium is the largest single event in this run, with 200+ vendors across the weekend of 26–27 September. Wells Food Festival, with over 200 stalls on 11 October, is close behind.
Is there a food festival near me this weekend?
Use the Food Marketplace events calendar at foodmarketplace.co.uk/events, which lists verified UK food festivals, street food events, and markets with dates, times, and venues. You can also browse the interactive map to see what's closest to you.
Are any of these events good for families?
Yes. Roots Market in Birmingham has a dedicated kids' corner, the MCR ROCKS Family Festival in Salford is built around family entertainment, and Bath Autumn Fayre and the Newport and Powderham food festivals are all easy weekend-day-out events for families.
Is Street Food Expo open to the public?
No. Street Food Expo at London ExCeL on 29 September is a trade-only event for the street food and food-to-go industry, aimed at operators and suppliers rather than visitors looking for a day out.
Do I need to book tickets in advance?
Wakefield Vegan Festival is advance-ticket-only, so book ahead if you want to go. The free markets and street food events need no booking at all; just turn up during opening hours.
Key Takeaways
- 17 verified events run from 20 September to 18 October 2026, bridging the gap between the summer festival season and half term.
- The weekend of 2–4 October is the busiest, with Bath, Wakefield, Sevenoaks, Edinburgh, Newport, and Powderham all in action at once.
- Several events are free, including eat:Weston, New Street Eats, Bath Autumn Fayre, and FOODfest Barnstaple.
- Street Food Expo is trade-only: check before you plan a day out around it.
Plan Your Autumn with Food Marketplace
Here is how to keep on top of the next four weekends:
- Full events calendar: foodmarketplace.co.uk/events
- Find markets near you: foodmarketplace.co.uk/markets
- See everything on the map: foodmarketplace.co.uk/map
- Discover vendors and menus: foodmarketplace.co.uk/discover
- Browse dishes from local traders: foodmarketplace.co.uk/menus
Been to one of these events? Leave a review on the market or vendor page so other food lovers know where to go next, and keep an eye on the calendar as half term and Christmas market listings start landing through November.
