World Food Championships Announces First Wave of 2025 Qualifying Events & Registration Dates

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Posted Feb 27, 2025

Indianapolis, IN (February 27, 2025) – The road to the 2025 World Food Championships (WFC) has officially begun as WFC announced today the first wave of confirmed qualifying events that will award competitors a coveted Golden Ticket to compete in the world’s largest Food Sport event this October in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This diverse lineup of competitions across the United States and internationally will give talented chefs, home cooks, and food sport enthusiasts the opportunity to secure their spot at WFC 2025, where they will battle it out for culinary recognition and a share of the event’s $450,000 prize purse.

Confirmed 2025 WFC Qualifiers (with projected dates and Golden Ticket categories in competition):

International Qualifiers

• Meatstock Australia, Toowoomba – March 7-8, 2025 (Live Fire)
• Meatstock Australia, Bendigo – March 14-15, 2025 (Live Fire)
• WFC Burger France, Gassin – May 3-5, 2025 (Burger)
• Meatstock Australia, Sydney – May 9-11, 2025 (Live Fire)
• Meatstock Brazil – June 29-30, 2025 (Live Fire)
• Japan Burger Championship, Tokyo – June 13-15, 2025 (Burger)
• Intercontinental Croix Valley Cookoff, Meppel, Netherlands – June 14, 2025 (Live Fire)
• British Live Fire Cooking Championship, Ludlow – September 12-14, 2025 (Live Fire)
• World Food Championships MENA (Middle East North Africa) – Date TBD (multiple categories)

Preferred Qualifiers – United States

• Gulf Coast Beer and Bacon Festival, Gulfport, MS – March 1, 2025 (Bacon and Live Fire)
• ACF Greater Indianapolis President’s Gala Small Bite Challenge, Carmel, IN – March 1, 2025 (TBD)
• Taste of Lake Murray, Columbia, SC – March 27, 2025 (Chef, Sandwich, and Seafood)
• ACF Graeter Indianapolis April Fools Mystery Basket Competition, Indianapolis, IN – April 5, 2025 (Live Fire)
• BBQ Pit Stop Steak Championship, American Fork, UT - April 12, 2025 (Live Fire) 
• Nashville Scene’s Iron Fork Chef Competition (Music City Food & Wine Festival), Nashville, TN – April 26, 
2025 (Chef))
• Lancaster BBQ Supply Spring Steak Cookoff, Lancaster, PA – April 26, 2025 (Live Fire)
• Arkansas Pie Festival, Cherokee Village, AR – April 26, 2025 (Dessert)
• Miracle League Burger, Little Rock, AR – April 27, 2025 (Burger)
• Roanoke Round-Up, Roanoke, TX – May 3, 2025 (Live Fire)
• Get Wild with Wild Rice Recipe Contest, Online US – May 9-June 9, 2025 (Burger)
• SmokeSlam BBQ Festival, Memphis, TN – May 15-17, 2025 (Bacon, Burger, BBQ, Seafood, and Dessert)
• Intercontinental Croix Valley Cookoff, Hudson, WI – June 14, 2025 (Live Fire)
• Car-B-Que Steak Cookoff, Folkston, GA – June 21, 2025 (Live Fire)
• Hard Truth Live Fire Challenge, Nashville, Indiana – June 28, 2025 (Live Fire)
• River City Steak Challenge, Mason City, IA – July 4, 2025 (Live Fire)
• Nashville Scene’s Burger Week, Nashville, TN – July 7-13, 2025 (Burger)
• Curly Que Classic, Oahu, HI – July 25-26, 2025 (BBQ, Dessert, Seafood, and Noodle)
• Holy Cross Wine & Cheese Festival, Indianapolis, IN – July 26, 2025 (TBD)
• The Wedding Foodies Plot Twist Competition, Indianapolis, IN – August 2, 2025 (Chef)
• Taste of Tennessee Big Beef Showdown, Lebanon, TN – August 16, 2025 (Burger, Live Fire, Bacon, and Dessert)
• Big Kahuna Wing Festival, Knoxville, TN – August 31, 2025 (TBD)
• Perfect Bite Championships, Indianapolis, IN – September 21, 2025 (Burger, Vegetarian, and Noodle)
• Famous Dave’s All-Star BBQ Series, multiple locations – May 3-August 23, 2025 (BBQ) – full details with 
specific locations and dates will be announced soon.

Regional Qualifiers

• Restaurant Association of Maryland – Dates TBD - Event plans being finalized in the Baltimore and Maryland beach 
areas of the state (Chef, Seafood, and Sandwich)
• Show Me Series – Dates TBD – Qualifiers being scheduled in Missouri (St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield) 
and Illinois (Chicago) (TBD)

More Opportunities to Qualify Coming Soon
More 2025 US-based and international qualifying events are being confirmed and will be announced in the coming months. These additional qualifiers will be revealed throughout the year, and both fans and competitors are encouraged to check www.worldfoodchampionships.com/qualifying-events frequently for the latest updates. Competitors looking to enter one of these premier food competitions should check each event’s official website for entry details and eligibility requirements.

“Every year, we see an incredible lineup of culinary talent emerge from our qualifier events,” said Mike McCloud, Founder of World Food Championships. “This first round of qualifiers already showcases a broad range of cooking styles and food sport disciplines. We’re excited to watch competitors earn their spot for the 2025 World Food Championships, and we can’t wait to welcome them to Indianapolis this fall.”

Early Registration Period Opens March 3
Additionally, WFC will be opening an early registration window for competitors who are already qualified for this year’s event. Those qualifications include anyone who scored in the Top Ten for their respective category this past November at WFC2024 and anyone who has won a qualifying event that has occurred prior to the opening of “Early Bird” registration. This preliminary period will open on March 3, 2025, and end on March 9, 2025. Registration fees for anyone qualified to register through “Early Bird” are $500 per team. Regular registration fees are $1,000 per team. Registration for teams who earn their qualification through any of this year’s scheduled events will open on March 10, 2025.

To stay up to date on all things related to the World Food Championships visit worldfoodchampionships.com or follow World Food Championships on Facebook and Instagram (@WorldFoodChampionships), Twitter (X) (@WorldFoodChamp), and LinkedIn (@WorldFoodChampionshipsHoldings).

About World Food Championships
The World Food Championships (WFC) is the premier food sport competition globally. This multi-day, live culinary event showcases some of the world's best cooks competing for food, fame, and fortune across multiple categories. Each year, thousands of teams vie for a coveted Golden Ticket at official qualifiers to earn their spot at WFC. Since its debut in 2012, the event has attracted participants from nearly 40 countries and every state in the U.S. The 2025 World Food Championships will take place October 16-19 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion, located at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center in Indianapolis. For more information, visit WorldFoodChampionships.com.

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World Food Championships Announces First Wave of 2025 Qualifying Events & Registration Dates

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