Berlin Chili Fest

Visitors can sample sauces, buy directly from the producers and find Christmas presents for the chilli fans in their lives. Free gift-wrapping is available on site. The first 1,000 visitors will receive chilli seeds as a gift; in total, the festival will be giving away 20,000 seeds for a Berlin chilli-growing project. Children and dogs are welcome.

“Hot sauce producers are small businesses doing something truly creative, and this weekend Berliners will have the chance to meet them in person,” says Neil Numb, founder and organiser of the Berlin Chilli Fest.

On Sunday from 4 pm to 5 pm, the festival and League of Fire, the global chilli-eating league, will be hosting a professional competition on the main stage. Anyone who lives in Berlin and has been listed in the festival’s amateur rankings since 2024 is eligible to take part. Anyone who thinks they’re missing from the list should register via the rankings page. The winner will be crowned Berlin Local Champion 2026, receive the League of Fire Berlin Championship Belt and advance to the league’s European and intercontinental championships.

The amateur competitions for Spicy Wings and chilli-eating will take place on Saturday from 2 pm to 5 pm and on Sunday from 2 pm to 4 pm. The competition is open to all non-professionals aged 18 and over; vegan wings are also available. Registration takes place in person at the main stage until 1 pm. For the Berlin’s Best Homemade Hot Sauce Competition, homemade sauces must be submitted by 2 pm on Sunday; they will be tasted live on stage at 5 pm and the winners announced at 6 pm.

This will be followed by the raffle, which takes place on Saturday at 6 pm. All exhibitors have contributed to the prize hamper.

On stage on Saturday, the Spicy Cabaret will perform from 7 pm to 8 pm, followed by comedian Dave Adams from 8 pm to 9 pm. On Sunday, Suzie Fleur will perform from 7 pm to 9 pm.

International food stalls will also be offering vegan and vegetarian dishes, whilst the on-site bar will be serving local beers and cocktails.

The event kicks off on Friday, 11 December. Members of the press and influencers can preview the Winter Garden from 4 pm to 6 pm and speak to the exhibitors. From 6 pm, the Main Bar at Kalle will host a ‘Meet the Makers’ kick-off event, in collaboration with Mogg, the Berlin deli renowned since 2012 for its home-cured pastrami. From 8 pm to 9 pm, Suzie Fleur will perform, playing music she herself describes as “the raw soul of Berlin’s streets, wrapped in sweet sugar cakes and acoustic fire”.

Entry is free. To help cover costs, a donation of 5 euros per adult is recommended; donations of 10 euros or more come with a limited-edition canvas bag. Donations can be made in advance online or at the door. VIP members enjoy free entry.

AT A GLANCE

Berlin Chili Fest: Spicy Wings Edition & Spicy Christmas Market

• Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th December 2026, 12 noon to 9 pm
• Kalle Wintergarden, Karl-Marx-Straße 101, 12043 Berlin
• Free entry, a donation of 5 euros is recommended
• Supported by Republic of Heat

ABOUT THE BERLIN CHILI FEST

Founded in 2020, the Berlin Chili Fest has grown into one of Europe’s most significant hot sauce festivals. The festival combines professional competitions with a grassroots sense of community and demonstrates that corporate sponsorship isn’t needed to build something meaningful. It attracts thousands of visitors, collaborates with industry giants such as the Clifton Chili Club, and remains committed to supporting small, artisanal hot sauce producers.