World’s biggest chicken wing festival is coming to Manchester next month

The ultimate chicken wing showdown, Wing Fest, is coming to Manchester next month.

Paying homage to one of the world’s favourite messy dishes, Wing Fest is heading to the Love Factory on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th August 2023.

The festival will champion independents from across the UK, who will display their culinary talents and compete against each other over a whopping 100,000 drums and flats. 

All participating chicken wing traders want to be awarded the accolade of ‘Best Buffalo Wing’, ‘Best Wild Wing’, and the ‘Best BBQ Wing’ — a brand-new category for 2023.

Manchester Wing Fest will also introduce a new and improved format, inspired by the classic beer festival. This year will be divided into sessions with reduced capacity, starting with Saturday afternoon, followed by an evening session, and finishing with a bang on Sunday afternoon. 

This means less time waiting and more wings, so visitors can enjoy a more seamless festival experience. 

Wing lovers can expect profound poultry eating, music thumping, axe throwing, beer and bourbon drinking of epic proportion. There will be a seriously saucy line-up for 2023, with returning champs Eat The Bird and local favourites Yard & Coop. 

For those wanting wings from further afield, Poor Boys will be showcasing flavours from the big smoke, alongside Birmingham wing slingers, Filthy Wings. 

All traders will be competing to win your vote and guarantee their spot in the ‘Hall of Flame’, and chicken wing fans will have the opportunity to cast their votes across each of the three categories.

Wing Fest’s legendary competitions will be held on both days, and it’s set to get seriously heated with the deadly Lava Wing Challenge. Hosted by Clifton Chilli Club, this is the UK’s hottest wing challenge, renowned for the carnage it causes and strictly for the brave.

Competitors who are hungry enough can compete against each other to see who can eat the most chicken wings in the fastest time — easily the messiest spectacle across the two days.  

For those wishing to wash their saucy wings down with something equally as delicious, there will be plenty of beer from Tiny Rebel, some of the best bourbon around from Horse With No Name, and whiskey from Jameson Black Barrel. 

Entertainment includes axe throwing, beer puppeteers, chicken pinatas, doughnut eating challenges, as well as live music — all best enjoyed with a plate of very tasty chicken wings.

Manchester Wing Fest tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by clicking HERE.

Tickets are priced at £21 and under 12s go free.

The three slots available for this wingtastic event are Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening (over 18s only), and Sunday afternoon, (August 12th and 13th).

Tickets include a Wing Fest signature trucker hat, axe throwing, all entertainment, competitions, and live music.