ClassicsFest 2026: Food & Feasting in Antiquity - A Three-Day Festival Exploring Food, Wine and Hospitality in the Ancient World
Ancient Roman recipes, wine tasting, theatrical performances and discussions about hospitality are all part of ClassicsFest 2026: Food & Feasting in Antiquity, taking place in Newcastle from Thursday 14 to Saturday 16 May 2026.
Hosted by the Lit & Phil in collaboration with Newcastle University’s School of History, Classics and Archaeology, the festival brings together historians, chefs, writers, performers and academics to explore how food shaped life in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds - from politics and social status to hospitality and everyday domestic life.
Founded by producer and director Cinzia Hardy, ClassicsFest continues its mission to make the ancient world accessible to modern audiences through a lively programme of talks, performances, and discussions.
The 2026 festival focuses on food, wine and domestic life in antiquity. Audiences will discover what the Greeks and Romans ate and drank, how meals were prepared and shared, and how food traditions helped shape communities across the ancient Mediterranean.
As Cinzia Hardy, producer of ClassicsFest, explains: “Food is one of the most powerful ways to connect with the past. Through cooking, storytelling and shared meals we can experience the ancient world in a vivid and tangible way. ClassicsFest 2026 invites audiences to explore the flavours, rituals and meanings of food in Greek and Roman culture, while also reflecting on how these traditions continue to shape the way we eat and gather today.”
The festival opens on Thursday 14 May with a series of talks exploring the politics and culture of food in the ancient world. Roman Recipes for Modern Cooks is a chance to join chef and food historian Sally Grainger as she discusses the recreation of Roman dishes from her new book alongside cookery specialist Karen Phillips and Roman historian Dr Kathryn Tempest. Audience members will also be able to taste dishes inspired by ancient recipes.
On Friday 15 May, the festival turns to the history and culture of wine. Wine From Antiquity to Now, chaired by Professor Athanassios Vergados, brings together experts including Dr Emlyn Dodd, Dr Eva Falaschi, Professor Barry Smith and Dr David Harker to explore how wine was produced and enjoyed in the ancient world, followed by a tasting of wines inspired by classical traditions.
The festival also features theatre, with Great Granda Apicius, a new play by Abby Walker, directed by Ed Cole, taking to the stage at Alphabetti Theatre on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 May. Inspired by the famous Roman cookbook attributed to Apicius, this production is the winner of the ClassicsFest 2026 Playwriting Competition.
Events continue throughout Saturday 16 May, offering visitors the chance to make a day of it, with talks, demonstrations, performances and hands-on tastings running from late morning through to early evening. One of the day’s highlights is Trimalchio’s Dinner Party at Tyneside Cinema, a theatrical reimagining of the extravagant banquet described in Roman novel The Satyricon. Written by Kirsten Luckins and performed by professional actors, the performance unfolds around the audience as they enjoy afternoon tea, recreating the chaotic atmosphere of one of antiquity’s most notorious fictional feasts. Roman historian Dr Kathryn Tempest introduces the original text before the afternoon concludes with a screening of Federico Fellini’s 1969 film Satyricon.
Across the festival, speakers will explore the wider cultural meaning of food in the ancient world. Topics include the politics of food supply in Rome, the roles of cooks in Greek and Roman society, and the idea of xenia - the Greek tradition of hospitality to strangers.
The festival closes with Food & Hospitality from Antiquity to Today, a lively discussionwith Professor Athanassios Vergados, chef Archie Smith from Seven Bridges Café, anthropologists Professor James Staples and Professor Luke Heslop (co-producers of The Migration Menu), and writer Laura Coffey. The event explores the ancient concept of xenia, the sacred duty of hospitality, and reflects on how sharing food continues to shape ideas of welcome, belonging and community today. Alongside conversation and audience discussion, guests will enjoy food inspired by the themes of the event.
Festival events take place across several venues in Newcastle, including the Lit & Phil, the Great North Museum: Hancock, the Tyneside Cinema and Alphabetti Theatre.
Kay Easson, Chief Librarian at the Lit & Phil, added: "ClassicsFest continues to grow as a distinctive cultural event in the North East, bringing together scholarship, creativity and public engagement. This year’s focus on food and hospitality offers a great opportunity to explore how everyday practices in the ancient world can still speak to modern audiences."
In the weeks leading up to the festival, the Lit & Phil will host a series of satellite lectures exploring food in classical art, medicine and life on Hadrian’s Wall.
Most events at ClassicsFest 2026 are free, with some charged events including tastings, food samples or performances. All events require advance booking.
Tickets can be booked online at www.litandphil.org.uk or via bit.ly/ClassicsFest2026, or by contacting the Lit & Phil on (0191) 232 0192.
ClassicsFest 2026 has been made possible thanks to support from The Community Foundation North East – Newcastle Culture Investment Fund, The David Family Foundation, The Leche Trust, Classics for All North, The Institute of Classical Studies, The Gillian Dickinson Trust, The Roman Society, The Classical Association, The Hellenic Society, the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Newcastle University and the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University.
