Sussex is home to some amazing produce, whether that’s grapes for our many wines, fine cheeses, great beers, first class cuts of meat or seafood caught on our many beaches.
So, it’s no surprise that Sussex is also home to some amazing food and drink festivals. Here’s our round up of some of the best held across 2025:
Rye Bay Scallop Festival
February, Rye
A week long celebration for anyone who enjoys seafood. The event includes a large number of local restaurants, pubs and other venues offering special meals with (as you might expect) a number of them majoring on scallops.
The South Downs Food Festival
June, Stansted Park, West Sussex
Celebrating the rich diversity of fantastic Sussex producers and suppliers and promising a spectacular weekend of food, drink, and celebration. There will be a marketplace, where farmers, foragers, fermenters, and artisan makers showcase the best seasonal fruits, vegetables, and handcrafted delights. There will also be cookery demonstrations, live fire BBQ, kids activities, live music, craft cocktails, family friendly fun and high tea on the terrace.
Southwick’s Beer Festival
April, Southwick (TBC for 2026)
Discover a selection of cask and keg beers, as well as ciders, sourced from a range of local makers. Some of the brewers themselves will be there at the event to tell you all about their beers.
Pour Choices Wine Fair
April, Brighton
Brighton’s first & only natural wine fair celebrates sustainable & low-intervention winemaking, spotlighting passionate producers from across the UK. A unique opportunity to taste exceptional wines, meet winemakers, and delve into the world of natural wine.
Foodies Festival
May, Preston Park
AKA Gastro-Glastonbury this three-day event features live cooking demonstrations from TV celebrities such as MasterChef, Great British Bake Off and Great British Menu. There is also a Kids Cookery School and masterclasses in the Drinks Theatre include tutored champagne, beer, cider, cocktail and wine-tasting.
Beer & Cider by the Sea
May, Eastbourne
A three day event on the Western Lawns showcasing all things beer and cider, including cask ciders, craft beers from a KeyKeg bar and real ales. Members of CAMRA, which supports the event, will be on hand to guide visitors through the carefully selected beers, ciders and ales available. There are also gins, wines, prosecco and cocktails on offer plus tasty food stalls and pop-up retailers, all to the backdrop of a fantastic musical line up.
Taste of the Caribbean Food & Drink Festival
May – Crawley, July – Brighton and September – Haywards Heath (TBC for 2026)
A fantastic celebration of different cultures and amazing cuisines, at this festival you’ll find multiple street food traders selling hot food, desserts, take home produce, cultural crafts as well as non food products. And of course, there is live music, cooking demonstrations, eating competitions, funfair rides and activities for the children.
The Cheese and Chilli Festival
June, Chichester
Steyning & District Food & Drink Festival
September / October, Steyning
The Steyning Food and Drink Festival is four weeks of foodie events, offers and competitions showcasing local products, producers and eateries across the District including Bramber, Beeding, Ashurst, Edburton, Wiston and Small Dole.
Bluebell Railway Beer Festival
September, Uckfield
A unique event combining locomotives and beers, hosted from the running shed. You can hop on the train and journey to other stations to tick another great beer or cider off your list. The event is supported by the Sussex Branches of CAMRA and priority will be given to Sussex breweries, with ten special cask ales at the Horsted Keynes Station and likewise, ten different ones at East Grinstead Station.
The Great British Truffle Festival
Date and venue TBC
The Great British Truffle Festival is a unique celebration that brings together truffle enthusiasts from all walks of life, including novices, experts, dog lovers, foodies, and nature enthusiasts. The festival is dedicated to the exploration and appreciation of Britain’s unique truffle ecosystem, offering a wide range of activities from engaging talks, workshops and cooking demos to have-a-go truffle hound training with your dog – as well as, of course, The Truffle Hound Competition!
As soon as we get wind of other Sussex food and drink festivals, we’ll add it to this list so check in again. In the meantime, if you love a good festival, you may also be interested in:
