For as many years as we live, we embody an array of experiments. We are what we see, hear, feel, smell and taste. Thereby, our given average of 80 years is the holistic experience of constantly gaining new sensations. One of them is the charm of appetizing food or the world’s most noble beverage, wine. It’s showstocking how tastes, smells and textures are the kind of senses that can bond people, and transform their time together into something more memorable by a long shot. Speaking of which, one thing you should definitely add to your food-related activities is combining them with travel and leisure. Tourism in all its shapes and forms is a colossal part of our “gastronomical journey” and we should learn to appreciate it on a greater scale.
Rates and figures
Global tourism bounced back strongly in 2023, as international tourist arrivals more than doubled compared to the previous two years. The recent reopening of China further fueled optimism in the tourism sector as Asia lagged behind other regions in the recovery from the COVID-19 shock.
According to UNWTO estimates, international tourist arrivals could reach 80 to 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels this year, depending on how quickly travel recovers across Asia. In the first half of 2023, there were 1 193 million nights spent in tourist accommodations across Europe, marking an increase of nearly 11 million compared to the same period in 2019.
How food festivals positively affect your life or your business
I believe it should be quite obvious by now that a decent ratio of these estimations belongs to the sphere of food-themed festivals and their subbranches since the group of people who attend such events annually is wider than you’d imagine. And there’s a good reason behind their success. Food festivals have this tendency, an unwritten rule to make people feel included, represented and relevant. This is vastly due to the cultural and ethnic diversity of the event, including the cuisines of indigenous or isolated societies that don’t exactly get the chance to feel cherished as often as any other community.
Moreover, food festivals are a perfectly suitable date idea for couples, a means to spend quality time for families and will also serve as prosperous business destinations for restaurant owners.
As for businesses, including restaurants and cafes, there is a basis of reasons why food festivals are advantageous to their work.
- The potential to reach new customers – it’s sort of like opening a pop-up restaurant, but one that pops up smack dab in the middle of a crowd!
- Festivals also allow you to connect with customers who have already been to your restaurant. They might know your food, but working events like this put a face to your brand.
- The opportunity to try out new items along with go-to favorites. If the new items are a hit, it can be a sign they’re ready to put on your menu.
- Food festivals create networking opportunities among other local companies. Some might be restaurants, some bakeries and chocolatiers, and some might be non-food vendors.
Let’s get down to business!
Your list of food and wine festivals in Europe in 2024
With these top 20 listed food and wine festivals in Europe scheduled for 2024, you will discover the greatest of opportunities to add another experiment to your array, disclose something new to your taste and just merely have a fabulous time with friends or family.
Grune Woche 2024
International Trade Fair for Food, Agriculture and Horticulture
📅 19 January – 28 January 2024
Messe Berlin | Berlin | Germany
- To be exhibited: organic foods and bio-energy, fish, meat, wine and beer
- 2023 year visitors: 300000, exhibitors: 1400
- Links: official website and tickets
- Sightseeing: The Pergamon Museum is a three-wing complex. The museum houses three of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s collections: the Antikensammlung, Vorderasiatisches Museum, and the Museum für Islamische Kunst.
FFCR 2024 – Fastfood & Cafe & Restaurant Expo
📅 31 January – 1 February 2024
KISTAMÄSSAN | Stockholm | Sweden
- To be exhibited: foodstuffs, beverages, baking
- Links: official website and tickets
- Sightseeing: Skansen is the world’s first open-air museum, founded in 1891. Here you can stroll through five centuries of Swedish history, from north to south, with a real sense of the past all around the historical buildings and dwellings, peopled by characters in period dress.
Wine Expo Poland 2024
📅 2 February – 3 February 2024
Exhibition Center Dom Towarowy Bracia Jablkowskich | Warsaw | Poland
- To be exhibited: Wine, Enology, Spirits, Machinery, Packaging
- Links: official website
- Sightseeing: The Royal Łazienki was King Stanisław August’s summer residence, in which classicist architecture is harmoniously blended with its natural surroundings featuring fabulous gardens.
INTERGASTRA 2024 – Trade fair for hotel & gastronomy business
📅 3 February – 7 February 2024
Messe Stuttgart | Stuttgart | Germany
- To be exhibited: food products, deep-frozen products, regional specialties and international delicatessen
- 2020 year visitors: 100000, exhibitors: 1497
- Links: official website and tickets
- Sightseeing: Landesmuseum Württemberg museum’s collections cover archaeology, art history and cultural history, taking you on a tour through Wurttemberg’s past.
VINEXPO Paris 2024
📅 12 February – 14 February 2024
Porte de Versailles | Paris | France
- To be exhibited: a variety of wines and spirits
- Links: official website and visitor’s badge.
- Number of 2023 visitor’s: 36 334, exhibitors: 3387
- Sightseeing: The Montmartre landmark, a 19th-century basilica built by the French government following the Franco-Prussian War features a large medieval dome that provides excellent views of the city.
Olio Capitale 2024 – Top Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil Expo
📅 8 March – 10 March 2024
Trieste Convention Center | Trieste | Italy
- To be exhibited: extra virgin olive oils, olives
- Links: official website
- Sightseeing: The Miramare Castle and Park were commissioned by Archduke Maximilian of Hapsburg who decided — around 1855 — to build a residence worthy of his name and rank outside of Trieste, looking out to the sea and surrounded by a wide garden.
FOOD EXPO Greece 2024
📅 9 March – 11 March 2024
Metropolitan Expo | Athens | Greece
- To be exhibited: alcoholic beverages, canned food, ready meals, confectionery, baked & pastry goods
- 2022 year visitors: 28600, exhibitors: 1200
- Links: official website and stand booking
- Sightseeing: The Parthenon is a unit of the majestic ruins of an ancient Greek building, known for its dignified white marble columns and perfect sense of proportion.
Germany ProWein 2024
📅 10 March – 12 March 2024
Messe Düsseldorf | Düsseldorf | Germany
- For 30 years, ProWein has been the only international trade fair for wines and spirits to cover the entire world market in depth. Accordingly, in addition to the exhibitors, the visitors who come to ProWein every year in search of new vintages, the latest trends in the wine and spirits sector and new product highlights for consumers are also international.
- You can get your tickets to the event online or just simply look at the website.
- If you end up in Düsseldorf, you might as well take some time off to check the beauties. No street reflects the city’s well-to-do reputation more than the wide array of upscale stores and restaurants on Knigstrasse.
Tavola 2024 – Premium Food & Drinks Trade Fair
📅 17 March – 19 March 2024
Kortrijk Xpo | Kortrijk | Belgium
- To be exhibited: allergen and gluten-free foods, organic foods, sustainable foods, halal and kosher foods, private brands, regional products and local products
- Links: official website and registration
- Sightseeing: Brewery Omer Vander Ghinste is a family-owned brewery in the heart of Flanders that brews authentic quality beers since 1892. Guided tours are possible by appointment.
IFE 2024 – International Food & Drink Event
📅 25 March – 27 March 2024
ExCeL London | London | UK
- To be exhibited: bakery, snacks, confectionery, beverage, chilled & frozen food, healthy food, vegan & plant-based, specialty food
- 2023 year visitors: 27000, exhibitors: 1350
- Links: official website and registration
- Sightseeing: Westminster Abbey was initially built by Henry III in 1245 and it is one of the most important Gothic buildings in England.
Proava Show 2024 Valencia
Experience the Proava Show at Turia Gardens from April 4th to 8th, located between the Puente de la Exposición and Puente de las Flores.
📅 04 April – 08 April 2024
Turia Garden Section IX – Paseo de la Ciutadella Valencia
- Taste the finest wines, cheeses, sausages, beers, and sweets from the Valencian Community.
- Discover a wide variety of quality products that showcase the rich culinary heritage of the Valencian region.
- Engage with professionals and experts passionate about gastronomy, offering insights and experiences with local delights like wines, oils, cheeses, and more.
- Perfect for everyone, including casual visitors, hospitality professionals, tasters, sommeliers, and winemakers.
- Experience Mediterranean flavors through tastings, show cooking, concerts, presentations, exhibitors, and the famous tunnel of senses.
- Daily admission €10/person. Includes wine glass, 2 tastings and attendance control wristband.
ENOLITECH 2024
International Exhibition on Technological Supply Chain of Wine-growing, Olive-growing and Beverages
📅 14 April – 17 April 2024
Veronafiere | Verona | Italy
- To be exhibited: vineyard and olive grove nurseries, growing systems and materials, Harvesting and processing machinery and equipment.
- Links: official website and entry conditions
- Sightseeing: It’s no wonder that Piazza delle Erbe is one of the most historic and picturesque squares in Italy: in antiquity, it served as a Roman forum; today, it contains many historic buildings, sculptures with a popular and colorful market overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables.
VINITALY 2024 – International Wine & Spirits Exhibition
📅 14 April – 17 April 2024
Veronafiere | Verona | Italy
- To be exhibited: Italian DOCG / DOC / IGT Wines, international wines, spirits and grappas
- 2023 year visitors: 93000
- Links: official website
- Sightseeing: Arena di Verona is one of the best conserved Roman amphitheaters, whose seating area is made up of 44 levels and can hold up to 22,000 spectators.
WORLDFOOD Poland 2024
📅 16 April – 18 April 2024
EXPO XXI Warsaw | Warsaw | Poland
- To be exhibited: food, wine, spirits, EcoFood, nutraceuticals
- 2023 year visitors: 5000, exhibitors: 300
- Links: official website and registration
- Sightseeing: The Old Town is a whole neighborhood of cobblestone Gothic streets and alleyways, baroque palaces, numerous churches and tiered burghers’ houses were masterfully reconstructed to reflect the atmosphere of bygone days.
Seafood Expo Global 2024
📅 23 April – 25 April 2024
Fira Barcelona Gran Via | Barcelona | Spain
- To be exhibited: fresh fish and seafood, frozen fish, value-added seafood
- 2023 year visitors: 34000, exhibitors: 2078
- Links: official website
- Sightseeing: Basilica de la Sagrada Familia is a church devoted to the Holy Family. One of Antoni Gaudi’s most famous works, the church is perhaps best known for still being under construction since 1882—with works funded purely by donations. See how to plan your self-guided tour in Barcelona here.
Fira Del Vi 2024
📅 3 May – 5 May 2024
Falset Town Hall | Falset | Spain
- To be exhibited: crafted, 29th sample of DOQ Priorat and DO Montsant wines and a taste of the local cuisine
- Links: official website
- Sightseeing: The highest western vineyards held an autonomous DO, Montsant, surrounding the Priorat AOC.
London Wine Fair 2024
📅 20 May – 22 May 2024
Olympia London | London | UK
- Over 10,000 drinks industry professionals attended the UK’s biggest live and digital drinks trade event in 2023. This progressive fair was rich with inspirational content, featured outstanding wines to taste from around the world and had an abundance of networking opportunities taking place in person and on the Fair’s intuitive digital platform. Expect a similar experience and prepare your stomach for an unforgettable night day off.
- Visit the official website for additional information and register your interest.
- Explore London by night, when crowds are at a minimum, and discover the city’s dark history on an evening ghost tour that includes a Thames River cruise. See a different side to the city, as you explore dimly lit parks while listening to little-known legends from your guide. Then, get unobstructed views of London’s illuminated landmarks on an evening Thames River cruise.
Smaka Pa Stockholm 2024
📅 3 June – 9 June 2024
Kungsträdgården | Stockholm | Sweden
- To be exhibited: vegan meals, alcoholic beverages
- Links: official website and instagram
- Sightseeing: The Vasa ship capsized and sank in Stockholm 1628. After 333 years on the seabed the mighty warship was salvaged and the voyage could continue. Today Vasa is the world’s only preserved 17th century ship.
Yerevan Wine Days 2024
📅 7 June – 9 June 2024
Spendiaryan-Zoryan Streets Intersection | Yerevan | Armenia
- To be exhibited: the best of Armenian wines with appetizers
- Wine classes, gastronomic showcases, and audio theater experiences are showcased.
- A series of presentations titled “The Genetic Code of Wine” will occur 5-7 times daily, conducted in Armenian, English, and Russian.
- The Wine and Gastro Show zone serves as the venue for these engaging events and activities.
- Link: the official website and participant’s package
- Sightseeing: The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary art to Armenia and presenting the best of Armenian culture to the world.
Winexpo Georgia
📅 7 – 9 June 2024
Expo Georgia Exhibition Center | Tbilisi | Georgia (Country)
Exclusive International Wine and Spirits Fair in Georgia
- The sole event of its kind in Georgia showcasing the complete spectrum of the wine industry, along with associated products and services.
- Provides a distinctive opportunity for producers and exporters to establish a foothold in a burgeoning market brimming with business prospects.
- A one-of-a-kind platform for networking, showcasing offerings, and exploring potential collaborations within the industry.
- Official website: winexpo.ge
IMBIBE LIVE 2024
📅 1 July – 2 July 2024
Olympia London | London | UK
- To be exhibited: spirits, wine, champagne, sparkling wine, carbonated drinks, bar snacks, beer, craft beer, cider
- 2023 year visitors: 5413, exhibitors: 200
- Links: official website and interest registration
- Sightseeing: An iconic London landmark and one of Britain’s best loved historic sites, Tower Bridge is open to the public 363 days a year.
Grape Festival 2024
📅 9-10 August 2024
Letisko Trenčín | Slovakia
Grape Festival is an open-air summer music festival in Slovakia. The current venue is Trenčín Airport. The festival features alternative music, rock, pop, dance music, world music, house, techno, drum and bass, hip hop. The 13th edition of the multi-genre Grape festival will take place from 9. – 10. August 2024 at the Trenčín Airport.
Official website: grapefestival.sk/en
Budapest Wine Festival 2024
📅 12 – 15 September 2024
Buda Castle | Budapest | Hungary
- Iconic Venue: The historic symbol of Budapest, distinguished by its unique dome and towering presence atop Buda Castle Hill, forms an integral part of the Danube riverside skyline.
- Budapest Wine Festival Hosted for the 32nd consecutive year, it stands as one of the most esteemed wine festivals annually.
- Prestigious Setting: The stunning locale and remarkable surroundings necessitate a dignified welcome for our guests each year.
- Official website: aborfesztival.hu
SIAL Paris 2024
📅 19 October – 23 October 2024
Paris Nord Villepinte | Paris | France
- To be exhibited: ready meals & food to go, frozen products, dairy products, seafood, beverages
- 2018 year visitors: 310000, exhibitors: 7200（including 6264 foreign exhibitors）
- Links: official website and participation badge
Sightseeing: The Sainte-Chapelle is the finest royal chapel to be built in France and features a truly exceptional collection of stained-glass windows.
