Let's BBQ: Steve Harvey’s Open Fire Food Festival Returns To Abu Dhabi This November

Article by

Danika Star

September 26, 2025

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Etihad Park is on fire this November - literally! Steve Harvey’s Open Fire Food Festival is back for another year, and better than ever. Get yourself ready for an action-packed weekend full of smokey goodness and delicious grilled meats, cooking masterclasses and entertainment for all the family - all rolling out from 12PM on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th of November.

Giving us yet another reason to love Yas Island, the iconic red dome of Ferrari World is the backdrop to this crowd favourite festival, promising hours of fun in the sun all weekend long - and appearances by the big man Steve Harvey himself of course!

Well known for his love of BBQ and open fire cooking, Steve Harvey’s passion manifests itself at the Open Fire Food Festival: it’s a fiery celebration of big flavours, diverse cultural influences and the primal art of cooking over open flames.

So What Can You Expect?

It’s super family friendly (and your little ones under 12 score free entry), there’s plenty of live entertainment to be had and you can get your hands dirty with some hands-on activities, too! Look out for celebrity chef appearances and world-class pitmasters doing their thing (and the smell of BBQ wafting through the air - our mouths are watering at the thought).

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What Are You Eating? And Drinking?

You won’t go hungry - take your pick from over 25 food and drink stalls serving up mouthwatering bites. Roll up your sleeves and enjoy some properly good BBQ and grilled meat - it’d be rude not to! If you fancy an adult beverage, licensed bars and lounges will be on hand, serving a wide selection of beverages - from craft cocktails and mocktails to premium drinks, perfect for those balmy November evenings.

So Which Chefs Will You See?

Chef Lee Ann Whippen - American BBQ Pitmaster & award-winning smokehouse expert

Chef David Olson - celebrity chef of Live Fire Republic fame

Chef Myron Mixon - 5x World BBQ Champion - The Winningest Man in BBQ

Chef Tuffy Stone - Legendary BBQ Hall of Famer - The Professor of BBQ

Joining the who’s who of pitmasters, look out for well-loved local chefs and ICCA culinary experts showcasing their talent on the open fire - there’s plenty to sink your teeth into!

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Anything Else?

Splash some extra cash and take advantage of VIP zones & sponsor lounges for an upgraded experience, or hone those BBQ skills with hands-on masterclasses and cooking demos (these are included with your ticket, how cool is that? It’s first come, first served though to make sure you’re on the ball if you’re keen to get involved).

Keep the kids busy with a dedicated kids’ zone packed with activities. There are 8 different ‘event zones’ across the festival, with everything from market stalls to a chill zone, so you can find your groove - or take some time out to recover if you’re at risk of the meat sweats hitting!