BBQ WEEK 2026: Partly Cloudy
From September 5th to 7th, 2026, MOTORWORLD Köln-Rheinland once again transformed into the stage for the international BBQ scene. Under the leadership of FIRE&FOOD, for three days everything revolved around a diverse grilling and BBQ experience, with a special focus on the art of plancha and fire plate grilling. For the first time, all three event days were aimed equally at end consumers and trade visitors, which fostered a personal exchange between exhibitors, grilling professionals, specialist retailers, food providers, and interested BBQ fans.
What remains when everything revolves around good food and a passion for barbecue for a short, intense period? Above all, one thing: the good feeling of being part of a large community. But where there is a lot of light, there is also shadow, and so the busy crowds on Saturday were followed by a much quieter Sunday. On Monday, mostly trade visitors took the opportunity to attend the keynote speech by retail expert Dr. Kai Hudetz and then discuss with him the future prospects of brick-and-mortar grill retailers. For it was confirmed by many that times are anything but rosy, and the pressure on our industry was palpable in some places at the BBQ WEEK.
ONO x Grisu wins the European Championship title
The sporting highlight was the first Grillup WBQA European Plancha Championship: Seven teams competed on Saturday and Sunday in six categories for points and titles. In the end, Team ONO x Grisu narrowly beat Wild West BBQ to secure the title of "WBQA Grand European Champion". Third place went to Team BBQ aus Massen.
Masterclasses with the scene's greats
Away from the competition, the BBQ spark was ignited among participants of the FIRE&FOOD Masterclasses, where greats like Heiko Antoniewicz, Giuseppe Messina, Klaus Breinig, and Chris and Mona Sandford shared their knowledge and captivated the audience. And the next generation also showed motivation to get acquainted with the culinary handling of fire – the free grilling courses with the "We Love Geflügel" team were well attended.
Atmospheric BBQ Night
On Saturday evening, the exhibition grounds transformed into an atmospheric meeting point for exhibitors, grill teams, and fans at the BBQ Night – with finger food from the grill and plancha, as well as live music from the Cologne band Crème Fraîche.
Conclusion and Outlook
BBQ WEEK 2026 has once again shown why it has established itself as a fixed highlight in the grilling calendar. Thanks to everyone who was there, participated, grilled along, and made this event what it was: a great celebration of BBQ passion.
The next edition is already planned for 2027.
