Throw in some expert music curation, including sets from MJ Cole and Children of Zeus, and this should be a vintage party...
Manchester’s Finest’s fire cooking festival is back this summer, and this time it’s heading for the rooftop of Depot Mayfield. Live From The Grill returns for its biggest edition yet, bringing together some of the country’s most exciting chefs, restaurants and barbecue specialists for two days dedicated to cooking over fire.
Across Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026, the festival will see Michelin-starred restaurants cooking alongside neighbourhood favourites, Argentine Asado experts, Texas pitmasters, Caribbean barbecue legends and Greek grill masters, all serving up dishes designed to be eaten straight from the fire.
Early bird tickets sold out in less than 24 hours, and now we’re onto First Release – £15.
Expect award-winning Argentine live-fire cooking from 1415 Asado, low-and-slow barbecue from third-generation Texan pitmaster Pappy’s Texas BBQ, Michelin-starred dishes from Nottingham’s Alchemilla, and one of Manchester’s most fire-obsessed kitchens, Stow, serving an inflation-busting £5 cheeseburger alongside larger plates.
Joining them are Stalybridge dons Café Continental – arguably the hottest restaurant opening outside the city centre in years – with flame-grilled chicken thighs and giant wild Atlantic tiger prawns, Kallos bringing charcoal-grilled lamb souvlaki and a taste of Greek bistro culture, Knight’s BBQ serving Caribbean heritage recipes from Hulme, plus Maray, Winsome, Blacklock and Big Tray BBQ. Every trader will offer both a £5 dish and a £15 dish, making it just as easy to graze your way around the festival as it is to settle into one standout plate.
The weekend is split across four sessions, each with its own soundtrack curated by some of Manchester’s best-loved music curators. Habitat takes over Saturday daytime with UK garage legend MJ Cole headlining, before NQ dons renae step in for Saturday evening with Ruf Dug leading a line-up of DJs from the venue’s extended circle. Sunday belongs to Band on the Wall, with Children of Zeus headlining both the daytime and evening sessions.
Alongside the food and music, there’ll also be a series of limited-edition merchandise collaborations created exclusively for the weekend, pairing local clothing brands with restaurants from the lineup. Expect collaborations like Clints x Café Continental and Bound x Stow, alongside exclusive drops from Permanent Orbit and Hikerdelic inspired by the food, people and culture behind the festival.
We’re madly excited about this one… we hope you are too.
…………………………….
Live From The Grill 2026
When: Saturday 29 + Sunday 30 August 2026
Where: Rooftop of Depot Mayfield, The Platform, Travis Street Manchester M1 2QF
Cost: First release – £15 (Early Bird sold out)
Tags:
BBQ Live music