← All events
food-drink · Friday 14 August 2026 · Various 
Feast of Fire BBQ Festival
At Smokin Soul HQ · Wexford, Co. Wexford
At Smokin Soul HQ · Wexford, Co. Wexford
If you take live fire cooking seriously - or you want to - the Feast of Fire weekend at Smokin Soul HQ in Co. Wexford is one of the most focussed food events on the Irish calendar. This is not a general food festival with a BBQ stand in the corner. It is three days built entirely around open fire cooking, run by the people who manufacture and teach it for a living. Capacity is capped at 175 people, so it stays intimate.
Smokin Soul was founded by Pat Conway and Jim O’Brien at their base in Cloonagh, Gusserane, and has been running BBQ courses and manufacturing open fire equipment since 2016. The Feast of Fire made its debut in 2025 and returns in expanded form for 2026.
Over the Friday to Sunday, there are continuous chef demonstrations from a lineup of invited cooks - names to be announced closer to the date - with meals served after each session. Attendees get hands-on time with live fire techniques as well as watching the professionals work. There are no tiered tickets; everyone gets the same access to every demo, every dish, and every session. Saturday evening brings live music on site. Camping - tent or camper van - is included in the ticket price, so it is practical to stay the full three days.
Smokin Soul HQ is at Cloonagh, Gusserane, in south Co. Wexford - roughly between New Ross and Wexford town. By road from Dublin, the M11 and N11 are the direct route south, about two hours. From Cork, the N25 runs east through Waterford, roughly 90 minutes. Bus Eireann serves Wexford town but Gusserane requires a car or taxi from there. If you are camping, arriving Friday evening makes sense.
Bannow Bay and the Hook Peninsula are both close to Gusserane if you want to explore around the festival. There is more to see in Wexford and across Co. Wexford.
Heading to Smokin Soul HQ in Wexford? Wexford has plenty more to see. Read the Wexford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.