Yes, you read that right. It’s not just London’s largest chicken wing festival. Not just the UK’s largest chicken wing festival. Wing Fest is the world’s largest chicken wing festival, and on the 25th, 26th and 27th July 2025, it’s back, and it’s bigger than ever. Here’s everything you need to know.
It all began with a chicken farmer with a dream. Richard Thacker, who hails from a family of chicken farmers, began Wing Fest over 10 years ago.
Half a million wings. Over the course of three days, 500,000 crispy wings are going to be served up to a poultry-hungry public at the London Stadium in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford.
Who’s slinging wings? Over 45 traders, restaurants and BBQs, meaning it’s likely your favourites will be there, as well as a host of new faces you’ve not yet tried. Look out for wings from the likes of Mexican Seoul, Bone Daddies, Fowl, Wingmans, Gurt Wings, and many (many) more.
Tickets start from £30, or you can get ‘early bird’ entry (kicking things off an hour earlier) for £35.**
Once you’re through the door, wings cost… £1.50. What a time to be alive.
There are eating competitions…and you can join them. Fancy yourself as a possible future Hot Ones guest? Then you might wish to try your luck at the Lava Wing Challenge, in which increasingly wings doused in increasingly Scoville-busting sauces are served up until you can take no more (yes, milk is on hand to make it all slightly more bearable). Alternatively, there’s the Flying Goose Wing Eating Competition, in which speed is of the essence, and you’ll compete against other festival goers in order to see who can eat the most wings in the fastest time. Spots in these contests are highly coveted, and most people sign up in advance – however, should you be hit with a rush of adrenaline on the day, signing up there and then to compete isn’t entirely unknown!
The wings will be judged. By an official panel of judges (last year’s included chefs Judy Joo and Andy Beynon, and rapper Professor Green). And by you. All you have to do is try as many wings as humanly possible and vote via a QR code on your phone. It’s a hard life.
It’s more than just wings. Sure, they’re the main event, but there’s a halo of wing-adjacent activity to be had. What sort of thing? Well, there are three stages, all offering up an eclectic mix of live music, there’s axe throwing, there are bourbon masterclasses, and there are fairground games – in short, exactly what you might expect, and indeed hope for, when attending the world’s largest chicken wing festival.
Yes, there’s merch. You’ll find yourself with a Wing Fest trucker cap as part of your ticket, but more is available. Think tees, think sweatshirts, think Wing Fest BBQ spice mix.
If and when it all gets a bit too much… you’re allowed to bring your own fold up chair.
Oh, and finally… jut to be clear, it’s the world’s largest festival devoted to chicken wings, and not a wing festival devoted to the world’s largest chicken (as magnificent as that would undoubtedly be).
NOTE: Wing Fest 2025 takes place 25-27 July. Tickets start at £30**. Buy tickets here.
**Although, there might also be some £25 Nudge Member exclusive tickets kicking about sometime soon…Just saying. Not a Nudge Member? Sign up here.
