World Food Championships returns to Indianapolis in October

The World Food Championships (WFC) announced Wednesday that it is returning to Indianapolis at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center and will move the 2025 Main Event into October. Scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 16 to Sunday, Oct. 19, WFC will once again be held at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion as it celebrates its 13th annual tournament.

The 2024 championship included over 300 teams, 1,200 chefs, and competitors from more than 35 states and 30 unique participating countries. The teams were competing for over $450,000 in prize money and championship status across a variety of everyday cooking categories that included Bacon, Barbecue, Burger, Chef, Dessert, Live Fire, Noodle, Rice, Sandwich, Seafood, Soup, and Vegetarian.

Since its debut in 2012, WFC has amassed a tremendous worldwide following, providing a one-of-a-kind culinary experience at its events, as well as numerous live and made-for-TV shows. In addition to popularizing competitive cooking, the WFC platform has had an undeniable impact on the food industry, facilitating the creation of more than 10,000 new dishes and supporting communities via partnerships with various local non-profits, charities, and food banks throughout the United States. In short, the WFC platform has given birth to “Food Sport” and “Food Champs” from all backgrounds by providing a level playing field, a fair judging system, innovative culinary programming, ambassador opportunities, TV visibility and a process that allows talented culinary teams to compete in ways never seen.

“After the success of our championship event in 2024, we are excited to make our return to Indianapolis this year,” WFC CEO Mike Eaton said. “Beyond that, we are looking forward to adding a number of additional programming elements to this year’s event that promises to make the experience even more consumer-friendly, entertaining, and delicious for both our competitors and fans of Food Sport.”

“We are extremely proud to partner with the team at World Food Championships to bring this unique and one-of-a-kind event back to our market, which is truly becoming a destination for events of all kinds,” added Cindy Hoye, Executive Director of the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center. “The Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion is the perfect facility to invite Hoosiers and a global audience to explore and experience culinary excellence. We are grateful to the leadership team at the World Food Championships for their commitment to the State of Indiana.”

WFC will make additional announcements in the coming weeks regarding modifications to its tournament model, and unique features that promise to enhance the consumer experience and competition. Global qualification events have already begun; for additional details and to stay up to date on all things related to WFC visit worldfoodchampionships.com.