Swindon Cheese & Chilli Festival
24th & 25th June 2023
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm
We are delighted to announce that the amazing Cheese and Chilli Festival is back in Swindon for 2023. The event is now in it’s 5th year! The event in 2023 will bring an amazing array of tastes, colours and experiences to town and is a ‘must go to event’. Come rain or shine, the event will be fantastic!
Thank you to our 2022 sponsors shown here:
If you'd like to partner us at the 2023 event, please contact us.
Main Attractions
Xtreme Falconry
Flying Display
Join Xtreme Falconry for impressive flying displays taking place at The Chilli and Cheese festival.
Xtreme Falconry’s Bird of Prey displays are run by experienced and professional falconers with a passion for the birds that will thrill the audience.
The birds are flown to demonstrate their outstanding natural abilities during which time the audience will observe the awesome power of the Eagles, cute and cuddly owls, and falcons swooping past at 150mph.
Cooking Theatre
Chilli Olly & Chilli Dave Presents
A number of cooking demonstrations or talks will be offered by professionals from the cheese and chilli industry. Many sessions will be hosted by the famous Chilli Olly but we will also have many guest speakers. See the schedule for further details. The Demonstration Theatre will also host the popular Hot Food Challenge, Ready Steady Cook interactive cooking session plus many more.
Chilli Eating Competition
The Chilli Eating Competition takes place each day at around 4pm. It’s quite a sight to see grown adults struggle to eat tiny fruits and hilarious to see the consequences! The winner of the competition is the person who can stay in the game the longest! If you are mad enough for the challenge, please contact us.
Live Music
A festival is not a festival without some live music! To keep us entertained, we have a number of bands playing for us throughout the weekend. The bands will be celebrated musicians from around the region playing anything from from jazz to rock. See the schedule for further information.
Verses Food Challenge
The Verses Food Challenge is a crazy 30 minutes of watching people try and devour a HOT meal prepared lovingly by our resident chefs Chilli Olly and Chilli Dave. The winner is the person who can finish theirs first! If you are mad enough for the challenge, please contact us.
Walkabout Wendy
Wendy Sax – Wendy’s versatility enables her to play in many different musical styles including jazz, blues, pop, soul, Ibiza chillout, and contemporary smooth jazz and groove, making her popular and in demand and we get to enjoy her music all day.
Children's Entertainment
We have number of FREE activities available for the kids. We have Punch & Judy, Magic Shows, Treasure Hunts, Balloon Modelling, Giant Bubble Parties, Meet Kerry the Koala Crazy Golf, stilt walkers, walkabout musicians and Circus Skills available. There are paid for activities also such as mini fun fair rides, axe throwing, face painting, inflatables etc.
Punch & Judy
“A Classic Whodunit”
Punch & Judy is a classic show which the kids love. It’s also a time to have 30 minutes or so to grab a drink etc and relax as we’ll take the strain. The show is a fun and interactive play which we all know and love.
Meet Kerry The Koala
We have our very own mascot, Kerry The Koala! She’s 3m tall and filled with air and very friendly? We’d love you to come and meet her!
Taste Tent
At each event we have a tailored selection of sauces from various traders around the site and we ask you to judge which ones you prefer. When entering the event, you are given a ballot slip to be used in this area. Your vote counts!
Crazy Golf
Another FREE activity, why not test yourself against our very own Cheese & Chilli Crazy Golf Course. Par 27! Large and small putters available plus multicoloured balls so no cheating.
Cheese
We have an amazing array of cheese on offer. We select a variation of cheese to be present at the event which means we don’t have lots of stalls selling the same varieties but a hand picked selection just for you.
Chilli
An array of lovely chilli available for you to sample and purchase. We are very lucky to be supported by some of the uk’s leading growers, makers and manufacturers of chilli related products. It’s a chance to come and try something new and learn something about these fantastic products.
Good Times
If the activities on offer aren’t your thing, you can just come and have a good time with your friends or family. Let the good times roll!
Story Teller
Storytelling is one of our oldest forms of communication and artistic expression. From the very beginning stories have been told, adapted and shared. Through the ages storytellers have engaged audiences with sagas, legends, fairy tales, epics and anecdotes. So from Great Uncle Ned’s sharpened thigh bone to the present day there will be a place for those that like to spin a yarn and those that love to listen.
Bubble Party
A moment for the kids to go crazy and chase all the bubbles! We have giant and little bubbles to make. We even let the kids have a go at making some themselves.
Georgie Rose
Georgie Rose is a West End experienced little lady with a powerful voice.
From the age of 10 she has been treading the boards as a professional performer. She has been Jemima in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang first Uk tour and Louise in Sunday in The Park With George.
Her repertoire covers a range of songs from the eighties to present day. We can’t wait to see her performance.
Fun Fair Rides
Steven Hill Amusements will be supplying us with some rides. Here are some example images of rides they have available but it is not yet confirmed which rides will be present.
Beer
Trade Stalls
Street Theatre
and much more...
What's On
Location, Information, Tickets and Travel
Lydiard Park, Lydiard Tregoze, Swindon, SN5 3PA (for SAT NAV please follow SN5 3NY as this takes you to the Hook Street entrance which is where the event is being held).
What 3 Words (twist.kilts.lifestyle)
For the easiest access, please leave the M4 at Junction 16, onto the A3102 and then turn left onto the B4534 and then at the roundabout, turn left onto Hook Street where you will find the entrance on the right hand side. Temporary signage will be visible as well as the standard brown signage directing guests to Lydiard Park.
Please also see our Location Map below OR DIRECTIONS HERE.
Discount Vouchers
Don’t forget to collect your discount vouchers on the door along with your programme. The vouchers are worth approximately £20 so you can get the cost of your entry back when you buy your goodies. The vouchers are available to spend whilst at the event and some are available to spend online from selected traders.
Dogs
Dogs are very welcome at the show, all we asks is that they are kept on leads and you pick up any waste.
Parking
There is plenty of parking available at the Park. Please note, the council operates a pay and display car parking scheme at the park, £2.10 for 2 hours and £4.40 for the whole day.
Alternatively, there are drop off points within the park. The closest drop off point is via the Hook Street entrance. Drive up to the cafe car park and you can turn the vehicle around in this area. DIRECTIONS TO THE CAR PARK IS HERE.
Public Transport
Swindon Rail Station and then a bus (Number 1 or 1a) – ask for Lydiard Park. Taxis are usually available at the Rail Station as an alternative.
On Foot
Lydiard Park has many different accessible paths coming into and around the site. Why not save the planet and walk in? You can find some examples of the routes CLICK HERE
Recycling
We are committed to making the Festival more environmentally friendly and we encourage you to do the same. Help us to keep the site tidy and leave no trace. Please bring and use your own water bottles. Try to conserve water on non-essential use. Do not bring glass; no glass bottles are allowed on site. We will also be offering visitors the opportunity to purchase a sustainable reusable cup instead of using single use plastic containers at the bar. We are actively exploring other ways that we can help reduce our carbon footprint. Together we can make a difference.
Top 5 things you can do to help:
1. Recycle, recycle recycle!!
2. Keep tidy. Please don’t leave rubbish or equipment
3. Bring your own water bottle and refill onsite
4. Car share
5. Use public transport or as sustainable as possible transport, particularly if local
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