The South West Sardine Festival Comes To Brixham Harbour

With Matt Tebbutt, Mark Hix, Nieves Barragán Mohacho and more behind the grill, Britain's most exciting free food festival is almost here.

With one week to go, the South West Sardine Festival is gearing up to take over Brixham Harbour on Sunday 9th August — and the buzz is already building.

The festival, free to attend and open from 12pm until 9pm, is built around one fish: the British sardine, at the height of its season. Pre-sale plates have already sold out, but entry remains free and sardine tokens are available to purchase on the day at the bars and merchandise tent. A plate of sardines grilled over charcoal, served with bread and salad, is £12.

Behind the grills is a lineup of some of Britain’s best chefs including Saturday Kitchen's Matt Tebbutt, Mark Hix, Sabor's Nieves Barragán Mohacho, River Cottage's Steven Lamb and Sam White of Fortnum & Mason's 45 Jermyn Street are all making the journey to Brixham specifically for the occasion, joining South West regulars Mitch and Ben Tonks, Jane Baxter, Luca Berardino and more. Between them, they represent some of the most respected names in British food, and they're all here for one small, overlooked fish.

"There's nowhere I'd rather be in August than stood by a grill on Brixham quayside with a sardine in one hand and a cold drink in the other," said Mitch Tonks, co-founder of the South West Sardine Festival . "This festival is everything I love about the South West: incredible fish, a brilliant atmosphere, and a chance to bring people together around something that really matters."

Beyond the plates, the day includes live music from afternoon into evening, street performers, a visit from a mermaid, and the Sardine Sessions — a series of short, sharp talks bringing together chefs, fishermen and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for an honest conversation about the full journey from sea to grill. Celebrations begin the evening before, with fireworks over Brixham Harbour at 9.30pm on Saturday 8th August.

The South West Sardine Festival is as fleeting as the fish it celebrates. Sardines are a seasonal catch, here at their brilliant best for just a short window each summer. In a world that rarely stops, this is a deliberate invitation to do just that: to pull up a chair on Brixham quayside, eat something exceptional, and savour a moment that won't come around again until next year.

"There's something really special about building a whole celebration around a fish that's only at its peak for a matter of weeks," says festival organiser Andree Vacchelli. "That's what makes it feel so alive. You're not just eating a sardine, you're marking a moment in the season, and in the year. That's what this festival is about, and that's exactly the spirit we want people to feel when they arrive in Brixham."

Now in its second year, the festival is a collaboration between Rockfish, Sound Seafood and the community of Brixham, with support from Brixham BID, Swisco, Brixham Trawler Agents and the MSC.

Entry is free. Sardine tokens are available to purchase on the day at the bars and merchandise tent.

Sunday 9th August 2026 | Brixham Harbour | 12pm–9pm

For press enquiries, interviews or photography, contact Poppy Doble: poppy.doble@therockfish.co.uk