The 7 Best Food Festivals In Europe 2020

A festival is a simple concept of bringing people together to have a good time. There are tens of thousands of them around the world, but our faves are those that are focused on food, rather than music. With those greedy thoughts in mind, we have the best food festivals in Europe for 2020.

From truffle festivals in Italy to barbecue bonanza and all things meat in London, these are tastiest events ever. Get ready for a serious feast…

The 7 Best Food Festivals In Europe 2020, How do these rankings work?

1. Meatopia – London, UK

Founded in the US by the late great Josh Ozersky and brought to the UK by chef Richard H Turner, Meatopia is a festival of high quality, ethically sourced meat.

Everything is cooked with either wood or charcoal by some of the world’s leading chefs. Add in some great beers and cocktails and there are few better places to spend time with friends. Sitting by the fire eating and drinking has always been one of life’s great pleasures, but this takes things to a whole new level. Outstanding.

2. Oktoberfest — Munich, Germany

Drink beer by the litre and eat traditional Bavarian food such as giant pretzels at this world-famous festival which brings more than six million people to the southern German city. Oktoberfest fans have 16 days to enjoy the world’s largest folk festival. It kicks off when the Mayor of Munich, exclaims “O’zapft is!” (“The barrel is tapped!”)

The 17 beer tents seat 120,000 people in total and serve beers produced specially for the Oktoberfest by Munich’s six major breweries. There’s also traditional Bavarian folk music and dancing, as well as amusement rides. It’s no wonder it’s now in its 186th year.

3. Alba White Truffle Fair – Piedmont, Italy

If you are a foodie and want to experience what many consider to be one of the world’s great (and most expensive!) delicacies then this is the place to do it.

People come to see demonstrations, to trade white truffles and mostly to eat dishes created by master chefs and street traders. The old town is the perfect backdrop for this glorious celebration of all things white truffle. This is definitely one of the best food festivals in Europe.

4. Taste of Amsterdam – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Each year, Taste of Amsterdam takes over Amstelpark for four days of eating, drinking and entertainment. The park will become a Mecca for food lovers once again in June 2020.

Top chefs from leading restaurants in Amsterdam serve starter-sized plates of some of their signature dishes for visitors to sample, and there’s plenty of fun foodie workshops. Think: wine tastings, live cook-offs and a DIY Bloody Mary bar.

5. Notting Hill Carnival – London, UK

Notting Hill Carnival is one of the world’s largest street carnivals, that has a Caribbean spirit at its heart.

Celebrations include costume-clad Caribbeans dancing to traditional reggae, meringue, calypso, rumba, and zouk music, and street vendors selling foods like seasoned jerk chicken, callaloo, and traditional goat stew. The food here is a real highlight and is the main attraction for many people.

6. National Spanish Cheese Festival – Trujillo, Spain

Cheese lover? This one’s for you. There’s more than 300 types of cheese to taste at this yearly cheese festival in Trujillo.

Hundreds of stands fill the area, with delicious local and national cheeses to sample. Many local cheese makers and farmers, who use milk from their goats or sheep, have developed and mature their own cheeses. There are also wine and beer stalls to wash it down with! The festival welcomes a guest nation each year to showcase their country’s cheese, previously Portugal, France, Italy, and Holland.

7. Gelato Festival – Florence, Italy

This delicious ice cream festival will allow you to dive into the world of ice cream between tastings, themed initiatives and educational workshops set up inside the three large food trucks, including the “Buontalenti” which is the largest mobile ice cream production laboratory in the world.

There’s unique and creative gelato flavours from the world’s top ice cream parlours.