Meat Up Festival 2026: The North's First Field-to-Flame Festival Comes to Cheshire

Something new arrives in Cheshire this August. It smells like woodsmoke, sounds like Craig Charles on a late summer evening, and tastes like everything real food should be.

Meat Up Festival takes place at Ashley Showground, Altrincham, on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August 2026, the first field-to-flame festival of its kind in the North. Live-fire cooking, British farming, craft butchery, live music and proper festival energy, all in one place, all in one weekend.

Festival organiser and local BBQ enthusiast Steve Crowe describes it this way: "Meat Up is more than a food event. It's a cultural outdoor experience, bringing people together around fire, field and music. For the first time in the North, visitors can expect two days of high-energy atmosphere, flame-cooked food, countryside skills and unforgettable shared moments rooted in real fire and real connection."

Fire, Craft and Community

The Fire Stage is where it all begins. Some of the UK's finest live-fire chefs and pitmasters cook over open flame throughout the weekend, with a line-up that includes Levi Roots, Genevieve Taylor and Adam Purnell, alongside a full roster of names who know their way around a fire pit. Expect technique, theatre and the kind of cooking that makes you reassess everything you thought you knew about outdoor food.

The Butchery Stage hosts expert demonstrations in meat preparation and traditional butchery, while the Farm and Field stage brings together farmers, countryside practitioners and food producers to tell the whole story behind what ends up on the plate, from the animal to the cut to the flame.

A curated selection of food traders brings flame-cooked dishes to graze on throughout the day, alongside a Farmers' Market celebrating local produce and field-to-fork transparency. The Thatchers Cider Party brings cider and late-summer festival atmosphere to round out the social side of the weekend.

The Music

As the fire glows and the evening settles in, the music gets properly underway. Craig Charles headlines the weekend, joined by Ben Ottewell (Gomez), Mark Radcliffe, Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets), Bluetones Acoustic and rising artist Harleymoon Kemp. A local talent and DJ stage showcases the best of homegrown acts from across the region.

You couldn’t ask for a better line-up.

Families Welcome

And it’s not just about food and music. Enjoy a free all‑inclusive fun fair, soar 50m above the showground on hot air balloon rides or sit back and relax at the outdoor cinema.

Families are fully included too, with a dedicated Kids’ Zone featuring an interactive petting zoo, obstacle course, sheepdog trials and dog show, story-telling and arts & crafts in the teepee and lots more countryside‑inspired fun to keep the youngsters entertained all day.

Why not make a weekend of it with on‑site camping, complete with a communal BBQ area and campfire for when the flames settle and the stories start.

Tickets

The arena opens at 10:30am and runs until 11pm each day. Under-12s get in free but require a ticket. All under-16s must be accompanied by an adult.

The early-release tickets have already sold out across all categories, so if you are thinking about going, do not leave it too long.

Weekend tickets (Saturday and Sunday)

Adult weekend ticket: £69.50

Youth (13–15 yrs) weekend ticket: £34.50

Under-12s: free

Young Farmer / Student / Blue Light Card: £62.00

Ultimate adult weekend ticket (early entry, priority parking, priority camping and exclusive Meat Up tee): £120.00

Day tickets (Saturday 1 August or Sunday 2 August)

Adult day ticket: £35.50

Youth (13–15 yrs) day ticket: £18.00

Under-12s: free

Young Farmer / Student / Blue Light Card: £31.00

Make a Weekend of It: Stay and Explore the Area

Ashley Showground sits in a corner of Cheshire with a lot going for it. Here is what to discover nearby.

Things to Do

Dunham Massey (National Trust) is just a short drive away. Three hundred acres of deer park, a Georgian house, all-season gardens and a working water-powered mill sit in the stretch of Cheshire countryside between Altrincham and Knutsford. Fallow deer wander through the parkland, the formal gardens are at their best in August, and the Stables Restaurant is a good spot for lunch. Dogs on leads are welcome throughout the park and gardens.

Tatton Park, near Knutsford, is one of England's most complete historic estates. Over 1,000 acres of parkland with free-roaming deer, 50 acres of award-winning gardens including a Japanese Garden, an 18th-century Mansion, a working rare breed Farm with its own field-to-fork story, and a full programme of events throughout the summer. Tatton's farm and Meat Up's ethos are a natural fit, so it is worth pairing the two if you are in the area for the weekend. The Stables Restaurant and Housekeeper's Store are worth a look before you leave. Booking ahead is recommended at weekends and school holidays.

Altrincham town centre is just a few minutes from the showground. Altrincham Market and Market House has become one of the most talked-about food destinations in the North West, bringing together independent traders, artisan producers, wine, craft beer and fresh produce across its outdoor and indoor spaces. Open Tuesday to Sunday, it is a good way to spend a Saturday morning before the gates open.

Knutsford is a 15-minute drive and one of Cheshire's most enjoyable towns for a wander. King Street has independent boutiques, cafes and restaurants worth exploring. Tatton Park sits right on the edge of town, and the Knutsford Market Hall is worth a stop for local produce. A very good evening food and drink scene too.

Where to Eat

Linden Stores, Knutsford, is a relaxed, neighbourhood restaurant with a serious approach to seasonal food and wine. The kind of place that rewards booking in advance. Worth it for a Friday or Saturday night around the festival.

Li-ly by Aiden Byrne, Knutsford, serves six and nine-course tasting menus from a Grade II listed building on King Street, with Aiden and his wife Sarah talking guests through each course as it arrives. One of Cheshire's standout dining experiences for a special occasion.

The Rose and Crown, Knutsford, is a 350-year-old coaching inn on King Street with a menu that goes well beyond pub food. The Barnsley chop has a loyal following, and the welcome is reliably warm. One of those places that does not need to shout about itself.

Altrincham's food and bar scene along Stamford New Road and the surrounding streets has grown considerably in recent years, with everything from modern British to international small plates available well into the evening.

Where to Stay

Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, near Knutsford, opens on 10 July 2026, just three weeks before the festival. The former Mere Golf Resort has been through a £125 million transformation and relaunches under the Fairmont banner with 116 rooms and suites set within 157 acres of Cheshire parkland on the edge of The Mere Lake. Gordon Ramsay at The Mere opens alongside it, bringing refined British cooking and lakeside terrace dining to what is one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in the North West in years. There is also a Championship golf course and a full spa. The festival weekend falls right in the hotel's opening month, which makes it a particularly good time to visit.

Champneys Mottram Hall, Prestbury, is an 18th-century country house hotel set in 270 acres with an 18-hole championship golf course and the only Champneys spa in the North of England. A short drive from the festival site and a solid choice for anyone who wants to make a proper weekend of it.

Cottons Hotel and Spa, Knutsford, is a four-star hotel a mile from the town centre with Tatton Park on its doorstep. The spa has a 13m pool, sauna, steam room and treatment rooms, and the outdoor hot tub is a welcome end to a festival day. Well placed for both the showground and a morning at Tatton Park.

Getting There

Ashley Showground is just minutes from the M56, 10 minutes from Altrincham train station and under 30 minutes from Manchester city centre.

Camping is available from Friday 31st July for those who want to make a full weekend of it, with options for tents and live-in vehicles.

Parking is not included in day or weekend tickets and can be pre-booked or bought on the gate. Camping requires a separate ticket. Tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred or resold via the official ticket provider.

Book now at meatupfestival.com.

Meat Up Festival is proud to support The Farming Community Network and The Burnt Chef Project, raising awareness of mental health challenges within farming and hospitality.