Meatopia On-Fire is set to make its Glasgow comeback this summer, returning to SWG3 from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 June 2026 following a sell-out Scottish debut in 2025. The three-day, live-fire food festival, which attracted more than 6,000 guests last year, will once again showcase exclusive one-off dishes cooked entirely over sustainably sourced wood and charcoal, bringing together top chefs, restaurants and food concepts under one roof.
The first wave of chefs confirmed for 2026 includes a particularly strong Scottish contingent, with Gavin Fitzpatrick of West Side Tavern, John Molloy of Gōst, and Lloyd Morse of The Palmerston among the new names joining the bill. They will appear alongside a host of returning favourites from last year’s inaugural Glasgow edition, including Danny Carruthers (Sebb’s), Craig Neilson (Ox and Finch), Ashley Bennett and Tom Lane (Ka Pao), Nick Watkins (El Perro Negro), Dean Parker (Celentano’s), and Roberta Hall-McCarron (Ardfern). Also confirmed are teams from BABA, Corner Shop, Margo, Edinbane Lodge and The Winged Ox at Saint Luke’s, plus Dumbarton outfit The Big Taquero, whose Mexican street food stall was one of the breakout hits of the 2025 festival.
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Glasgow-based Ashley Bennett, Head Chef at Ka Pao, described last year’s event as “incredible” and said the team is “buzzing to be back”. He highlighted how the festival has quickly become “the biggest weekend of the year for foodies” in the city and praised the opportunity to cook alongside so many leading chefs on home turf. Bennett also welcomed the focus on local talent, noting that Glasgow can “often get overlooked”, and suggesting Meatopia’s decision to return – with a line-up led by Scottish chefs – underlines the strength of the city’s food scene.
Meatopia has been a fixture at London’s Tobacco Dock since 2013, but only made its Scottish debut in 2025 when it expanded to Glasgow. Creative Director Mat Kemp said the response from both chefs and the city “exceeded everything we hoped for”, making the decision to return to SWG3 in 2026 “a no-brainer”. He emphasised the festival’s commitment to bringing leading chefs from both the UK and overseas to its events, and described the research that goes into curating the line-up as an “incredible experience”.
Kemp added that this initial announcement “reflects what Meatopia is all about: chefs cooking one great dish over fire, using brilliant produce, and doing it properly”, with more names still to be revealed in the run-up to June. Beyond the food, guests can once again expect a full festival atmosphere, with a mix of drinks, live music and DJs planned across the three days at SWG3.
