[Birmingham, AL] — In a bold move to embrace its growing popularity and better serve a wider audience, Birmingham FOOD+Culture Festival is rebranding as Southbound Food Festival and extending its run to ten full days. The revamped festival, known for its vibrant mix of local flavor, top tier talent and community spirit, will now take place September 19 to September 28, 2025, offering more opportunities for visitors to taste, explore, and celebrate.
Southbound Food Festival will expand upon and continue to reflect the diversity and creativity that defines Birmingham’s culinary scene. The updated brand, created by Birmingham-based creative studio Matey, includes a new name, identity, and tagline: Ten days celebrating Birmingham’s magnetic food culture — all designed to better capture the essence of what has become a signature event on the Magic City’s cultural calendar.
“Expanding to two weekends and adopting the Southbound Food Festival name allows the event to better reflect its broad mission—creating more space for discovery, collaboration, and shared culinary experiences,” said Cathy Sloss Jones, Board President.
Sid Evans, Editor in Chief of Southern Living stated that “We are thrilled to be part of this incredible festival again through Food & Fire, our celebration of live-fire cooking and Southern tailgate culture. With a new name and an expanded mission, Southbound Food Festival will bring culinary fans from far and wide to experience the magic food culture of this city.”
Southbound Food Festival will remain in its beloved downtown location, based around Pepper Place and Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, transforming the Magic City into a vibrant and lively feast for all and the biggest party of the year. Last year, the event drew attendees from 19 states and Great Britain, and this year’s expansion is expected to break all previous records.
Tickets and a full schedule of events will be available starting July 7 at SouthboundFoodFest.com. FOOD+Culture, LLC / Southbound Food Festival is a §501(c)(3) organization developed to grow Birmingham, Alabama’s economy and increase opportunity for all by supporting, highlighting, and promoting our dynamic local food scene and culture – past, present, and future.
Expanded Schedule:
Now running ten days over two weekends, offering more chances for in state and out-of-state patrons to attend.
New Name. Same Party:
Say hello to the Southbound Food Festival, a ten-day celebration of Birmingham’s magnetic food culture.
