UK festival you’ve never heard of that’s ‘bigger than Glastonbury’
The festival has been running for over 20 years and attracts over 500,000 people every year (Image: SolStock via Getty Images)
A Greater Manchester culinary event has secured a prestigious national accolade, placing it amongst Britain’s finest. Bolton Food and Drink Festival has been operating since 2005.
Its growth over the years has been so remarkable that it now draws larger crowds than Glastonbury Festival – welcoming approximately 500,000 visitors to the borough annually. Held during the late August Bank Holiday weekend, last year’s four-day extravaganza marked its 20th anniversary and hosted over 180 food stalls and independent traders. Celebrity chefs including Marco Pierre White, Michael Caines, Kwoklyn Wan, and festival regular James Martin also made appearances, reports Manchester Evening News.
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The festival attracts more people than Glastonbury festival – attended by around 500,000 people each year (Image: Jason Roberts /Manchester Evening News)
In fact, Martin returned to the festival for his 15th consecutive year, having previously described it as amongst his favourite annual engagements.
He said ahead of last year’s festival: “I have been involved in this a long, long time and I’ve seen it morph and grow from what it was to what it is and it’s a privilege to be a part of it.”
The Bolton event has now added another honour to its collection with a triumph at the recent NABMA Great British Market Awards 2026, staged annually to celebrate outstanding markets and events nationwide. The ceremony was held in Birmingham last Thursday (February 5).
Claiming the Best Large Speciality Market accolade, the Bolton Food and Drink Festival received recognition from David Catterall, Chief Executive of NAMBA, for ‘setting a national benchmark for scale, quality and social value’.
He further commended the occasion for being ‘regarded as one of the leading food and drink festivals in the UK and internationally’.
James Martin at Bolton Food and Drink Festival (Image: Photography by Luke)
Responding to the achievement, the festival announced on social media: “We are delighted to announce that Bolton Food and Drink Festival (boltonfoodfest) has been named ‘Best Large Speciality Market’ at the NABMA Great British Market Awards 2026.
“We just want to say a massive thank you to all the traders and visitors that make our festival so special every single year and we can’t wait to do it all over again this August!”
Cllr Nadeem Ayub, the Executive Cabinet Member for Culture at Bolton Council, added: “We are thrilled to receive this national recognition for Bolton Food and Drink Festival.
“The event continues to grow each year and is very much a highlight of the year for traders and visitors alike.
“The success is down to the markets and events team, sponsors, traders and of course visitors who make this event so special.
“Bolton is proud of its reputation as a vibrant and welcoming host for nationally acclaimed events and we look forward to coming back bigger and better than ever this August.”
Additional accolades at the Great British Market Awards 2026 went to Barnsley Market for Best Large Indoor Market, Leek Butter and Trestle Market for Best Small Indoor Market, and Bradford Darley Street Market for Best Food Market.
This year’s Bolton Food and Drink Festival is scheduled to run from August 28 to 31.
