Boy Meets Grill At Outdoor Living

May the fork be with you…

atest press release from Outdoor Living in Glen Of The Downs, issued on Tuesday, April 14th 2026…

Get your appetite ready because Grill Fest is back for 2026, and this year’s lineup is packed with fire, flavour, butchery, cocktails, serious BBQ talent and a little bit of glorious chaos.

Join us for a full day of live demos, tastings, sizzling grills and smoky inspiration as we celebrate all things outdoor cooking at Grill Fest 2026, running from 11am to 5pm.

This year’s free event features a brilliant mix of returning favourites and exciting new names, with demos taking place across our 60,000 square foot showroom.

From butcher’s block to open flame, from low-and-slow barbecue to a seriously fiery wing contest, Grill Fest 2026 is shaping up to be our biggest and boldest year yet.

Smokin’ Soul brothers

Smokin’ Soul
We’re buzzing to welcome back Pat Conway and Jim O’Brien, the dynamic duo behind Smokin’ Soul. Hailing from Cloonagh, Wexford, these smokehouse legends are on a mission to share their fire cooking obsession with the people of Ireland. Renowned for handcrafting their own custom-built range of BBQs, smokers, and accessories, along with their very own smokehouse takeaway and Feast of Fire festival, Pat and Jim have become much loved names on the Irish BBQ scene. With big personalities, serious fire cooking know how, and a brilliant passion for all things smoke and flame, Smokin’ Soul bring exactly the kind of energy Grill Fest is all about.

Reggie White
Get ready for some knockout pizza as the one and only Reggie White returns to Grill Fest to share his expert skills in crafting the perfect pizza on the grill. Known for his passion, flair, and deep understanding of great dough, Reggie will show how to achieve that irresistible crust, balanced flavours, and beautifully cooked pizza outdoors. As the mastermind behind Reggie’s Pizzeria in Rathmines, he has played a pivotal role in the explosion of pizza culture across the country and remains one of the most respected names in Irish pizza.

Lo & Slo BBQ
Prepare for an unforgettable grilling experience at Grill Fest as Emily from Lo & Slo BBQ comes fresh from her Wild & Fired BBQ School at the historic Brookhall Estate in Co. Derry. Fuelled by her American roots and a genuine passion for cooking with fire, she has cultivated a journey that celebrates the art of BBQ using locally sourced, farm fresh ingredients. Lo & Slo will be chatting to visitors, bringing their live and interactive demonstration, where mouthwatering dirty tomahawk steaks will be demonstrated sizzling on hot smoking coals.

Kate O’Driscoll
We’re so excited to welcome Kate O’Driscoll to Grill Fest 2026. Kate is a wife, mum, and backyard BBQ enthusiast with a real passion for food, fire, and flavour. A cook, baker, and barista in a local bistro by day, Kate brings that same love of great food home, where she does it all again over fire for her family. With her warm, energetic style, strong online following, and genuine enthusiasm for outdoor cooking, Kate has become a favourite with fellow food lovers and brings plenty of personality and Grill Fest spirit to this year’s event.

Oisín Davis / Great Irish Beverages
Oisín Davis of Great Irish Beverages returns this year with some mighty fine cocktail demos. Oisín is one of Ireland’s best known drinks experts, with a background spanning hospitality, writing, consulting, events, and brand building. As founder of Great Irish Beverages, and with more than 25 years in the industry, he brings a huge amount of knowledge, energy, and charisma to Grill Fest. Oisín will also be hosting our ‘Hot as Hell’ chicken wing contest. A long time supporter of Irish food and drink, he adds plenty of flavour and spirit to the Grill Fest lineup.

Conor Wilson
We’re delighted to welcome Conor Wilson to Grill Fest 2026. While many will know Conor from his work as a journalist and broadcaster with RTÉ’s Prime Time, he’s also a passionate barbecue enthusiast and year-round griller, usually cooking over fire at least once or twice every week – even Christmas dinner! He’s written about his love of outdoor cooking for The Irish Times, Irish Independent and Food & Wine magazine and regularly posts barbecuing content and step-by-step guides on his Instagram page. We’re looking forward to seeing Conor in action at Grill Fest 2026.

Joe’s Smokehouse
There’s no show like a Joe Show! We’re delighted to welcome Joe’s Smokehouse to Grill Fest 2026, fronted by our regular GrillFester Joe Savage — a Ballymaloe alumni and seasoned food and fire chef with a real flair for live fire cooking. Based in North County Dublin, Joe’s Smokehouse has built a reputation for authentic BBQ, smoky flavour, and seriously good food cooked low and slow. With great energy, plenty of experience, and a clear passion for all things barbecue, we’re delighted Joe’s returning for the third year running to this year’s Grill Fest lineup.

Martin the Craft Butcher
Welcome Martin Sikula to Grill Fest 2026! The face behind The Craft Butcher in Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow, Martin is widely respected for top quality produce, traditional skills, and a real passion for doing things properly. Deeply respected in the Irish BBQ and food scene, Martin is known not only for supplying exceptional local meat, but also for working with some of the country’s best fire cooking talent, including Smokin’ Soul and Joe’s Smokehouse. With his commitment to craft, sustainability and seriously good food, Martin brings a huge amount of knowledge and authenticity to the Grill Fest lineup.

O Brother Brewing
We’re delighted to announce O Brother Brewing as the official non-alcoholic beer sponsor of Grill Fest 2026. Based in Belmont Demesne, Greystones, Co. Wicklow, O Brother Brewing has built a brilliant reputation for flavour driven craft beer, quality ingredients, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere in one of Wicklow’s most beautiful settings. They’ll be bringing Bimble 0.3%, their refreshing non-alcoholic craft beer on the day – the perfect match for an afternoon of fire, flavour and all things BBQ.

Mic’s Chilli
Get ready for some serious heat as Mic’s Chilli joins us as the fiery force behind our Hot as Hell Chicken Wing Challenge. Handmade in Wicklow, Mic’s Chilli has built a brilliant reputation for its bold, intensely flavoured hot sauces, with a range that caters for everyone from the curious first-timer to the hardcore chilli fanatic. Founded in 2010, the brand has grown from its original Inferno Original sauce into a multi award winning range made with natural ingredients and no artificial preservatives, colours or flavours. Mic’s Chilli brings exactly the kind of flavour and fire Grill Fest is all about.

Tadgh Byrne | Críoch Café
It’s a great pleasure to welcome Tadgh Byrne and Críoch Café to Grill Fest 2026. Founder of Críoch Catering and Críoch Café at Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray, Tadgh is known for flavour packed food, warm hospitality, and a strong commitment to local, sustainable ingredients. With more than 23 years in hospitality, he brings real passion and personality to the Grill Fest lineup. Tadgh will team up with Mic’s Chilli for the Hot as Hell chicken wing challenge, marinating and grilling a seriously spicy batch of wings for one of the day’s hottest highlights.

Hot as Hell Chicken Wing Contest
Think you can handle the heat? The Hot as Hell Chicken Wing Contest at Grill Fest, in partnership with Mic’s Chilli Sauces, is set to be one of the most exciting highlights of the day. Sixteen brave contestants will take on round after round of fiery wings, with the heat levels rising as the challenge goes on. Expect big reactions, plenty of laughs, and some serious spice fuelled drama, with giveaways throughout the contest and a €1,000 voucher for the BBQ Centre at OutdoorLiving.ie up for grabs. Sign-up here.

So, there you have it. Grill Fest is back for 2026, and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone for what promises to be a fantastic day of food, fire and outdoor cooking inspiration.

Join us between 11am and 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday 4th May 2026 at the OutdoorLiving.ie showroom in Glen of the Downs for a day packed with live demos, brilliant guests, sizzling grills and plenty of craic. Whether you’re a long time BBQ enthusiast or simply looking for a great day out, Grill Fest 2026 is the perfect place to kick off the season. More details here.

Open Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5.30pm and Sundays 12pm to 5.30pm, you can find out more on the Outdoor Living website right about here, explore their latest specials here, and follow on Instagram here or Facebook here.