If you’re anything like me, the phrase “world’s biggest BBQ contest” gets your pulse going. And if you’re a jerky fanatic on top of that? Memphis in May 2026 is basically a pilgrimage you need to make at least once in your life.
The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (WCBCC) returns for its 48th year on May 13–16, 2026, at Liberty Park in Memphis, Tennessee. USA Today has called it the “Most Prestigious BBQ Contest” on the planet, and this year, they’re adding a brand-new Open Fire World Championship that has me genuinely giddy.
I’m Sam Kowalski — food scientist by trade, amateur butcher by obsession — and I’ve put together this guide specifically for the dried-meat crowd. Here’s everything you need to know before you go.
What to Expect at the 2026 WCBCC
First, the most important thing any first-timer needs to hear: this is a competition, not a food festival. I cannot stress this enough. Over 125 championship-caliber teams set up elaborate camps across Liberty Park, but health regulations mean they can’t serve the general public. You won’t be wandering from tent to tent sampling brisket.
That said, Memphis in May has built out some excellent ways for regular ticket holders to actually taste competition-quality BBQ:
- BBQ Alley — A curated tasting experience where you can sample barbecue from selected teams. Wednesday combos are $20; Thursday through Saturday combos run $39.
- Tour of Champions — For $44, you get admission plus a guided tour and tasting from top-placing teams. This is the move if you want to understand what separates good BBQ from world-class BBQ.
- Cooker Caravan — A free 30-minute guided tour with pitmaster Heath Riles. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how teams prep for competition.
- BBQ Marketplace — Where you can buy rubs, sauces, and seasonings made by competing pitmasters. Stock up — some of these blends work beautifully on jerky.
Competition categories include Whole Hog, Ribs, Pork Shoulder, Hot Wings, Sauce, and the always-entertaining “Anything But Pork” category. All cooking must be done with charcoal or wood — no propane, no gas, no electricity. It’s pure smoke craft, and it’s a thing of beauty to watch.
If you’ve never seen a whole hog cook, you’re in for a treat. Teams build custom pits, some of them engineering marvels, and manage a 200+ pound animal over indirect heat for upwards of 24 hours. The level of temperature control required is staggering — and if you make jerky at home, you’ll immediately recognize the parallels. Managing consistent low heat over a long cook is the single most important skill in both disciplines.
And don’t sleep on the “Anything But Pork” category. This is where teams get creative with beef, lamb, seafood, and game meats. I’ve seen teams enter smoked elk, beef cheeks, and even alligator. For a jerky maker, this category is a goldmine of inspiration — these pitmasters are pushing the boundaries of what you can do with smoke and protein.
The New Open Fire World Championship
This is the big headline for 2026, and it’s a game-changer. Memphis in May is launching the inaugural Open Fire World Championship, headlined by internationally acclaimed Argentinian chef Al Frugoni.
Here’s the format: 15 elite live-fire cooking teams from around the world will compete across four blazing open-fire stations. Five teams qualified from the 2025 Texas Open Fire Meat Up, one from the 2025 World Food Championships, and the remaining nine were selected from applicants.
The proteins go well beyond pork — we’re talking beef, chicken, lamb, alligator, octopus, and more, all cooked over open flame from Thursday evening through Saturday. Preliminary judging kicks off Thursday at noon, finalists are announced around 3 PM, and winners take the main stage Friday at 7 PM.
For us jerky and dried-meat folks, this is fascinating because open-fire cooking is essentially the ancestral method behind all meat preservation. Watching world-class teams manage heat, smoke, and airflow over live fire? That’s the same science we use when we dial in a dehydrator or smoker for jerky — just turned up to eleven.
The Open Fire Combo ticket is $44 and gets you admission plus the chance to taste the open-fire creations. I’d grab one early.
Tickets, Dates, and Practical Info
Here’s your quick-reference cheat sheet:
| Ticket Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Single Day – Wednesday | $12 |
| Single Day – Thu/Fri/Sat | $19 |
| 4-Day Pass | $59 |
| BBQ Alley Combo – Wednesday | $20 |
| BBQ Alley Combo – Thu/Fri/Sat | $39 |
| Tour of Champions Combo | $44 |
| Open Fire Combo | $44 |
| VIP Experience | $595 |
| Single Day Parking | $18 |
| 4-Day Parking Pass | $50 |
Buy tickets at memphisinmay.org/experience.
Gate times: 5 PM Wednesday, 11 AM Thursday, Noon Friday, 10 AM Saturday.
Location: Liberty Park, Midtown Memphis (about 10–15 minutes from downtown). Paid parking is limited — rideshare is strongly recommended.
Good to know: Kids under 8 get in free. No pets (service animals only). You can bring one factory-sealed water bottle (20 oz or less) and non-aerosol sunscreen. Leave the coolers, chairs, and aerosol cans at home.
This year’s honored country is Ireland, which means expect some interesting Celtic-meets-Southern crossover in the food and entertainment programming. Memphis in May always weaves the honored country’s culture into the festival — expect Irish music, whiskey pairings, and maybe even some Irish-inspired BBQ rubs. Ireland has a surprisingly deep tradition of cured and preserved meats (think spiced beef from Cork), so this year’s cultural pairing is particularly relevant for the dried-meat enthusiast.
Tips for Jerky Lovers Attending Memphis in May
Alright, here’s where I get specific for our crowd:
1. Hit the BBQ Marketplace for rubs and sauces. Competition pitmasters obsess over their seasoning blends, and many of them translate directly to jerky. I’ve found some of my best jerky marinades by buying a competition rub and reverse-engineering it at home. Look for anything with a good balance of sugar, salt, and heat.
2. Talk to the teams about smoke and wood selection. If you score an invitation into a team booth (networking is everything — be friendly, bring beer), ask about their wood choices. Cherry, hickory, pecan — the same woods that win BBQ contests produce outstanding smoked jerky. The knowledge transfer is real.
3. Watch the Open Fire teams closely. Low-and-slow dehydration and live-fire cooking share more DNA than most people realize. Pay attention to how they manage temperature zones over open coals. That understanding of radiant vs. convective heat is the same science behind getting a perfect jerky texture.
4. Bring the right gear. Memphis in mid-May is hot and humid. You’ll want:
- A solid cooling towel — trust me on this one
- Non-aerosol sunscreen (aerosol cans are prohibited)
- A good 20 oz insulated water bottle — the max size allowed through gates
- Comfortable walking shoes — Liberty Park is sprawling
- A small notebook to jot down rub ingredients and wood pairings you pick up from teams
5. Explore Memphis BBQ beyond the contest. There are over 100 BBQ restaurants in the Memphis area. Spots like Central BBQ, The Bar-B-Q Shop, and Payne’s are legendary. Some of them sell house-made jerky or dried sausages — worth seeking out. Plan at least one meal at a Memphis BBQ joint outside the contest grounds. The city’s dry-rub rib style is unique in American BBQ, and understanding that flavor profile will absolutely influence how you season your next batch of jerky.
6. Bring a pocket thermometer. Okay, you won’t be temping any meat at the contest. But if you get into a conversation with a pitmaster about internal temperatures and resting times — and you will — having a thermometer in your pocket marks you as a serious meat person. It’s a conversation starter and a credibility signal. Plus, you’ll want one for the hotel room jerky experiments you’ll inevitably attempt after a day of BBQ immersion.
Why Every Jerky Maker Should Attend at Least Once
Look, I make jerky for a living (well, sort of — I’m a food scientist who makes jerky obsessively). And I can tell you that attending a world-class BBQ competition made me a significantly better jerky maker.
The fundamentals are the same: understanding how heat and smoke interact with protein, how salt and sugar penetrate muscle fiber, how wood selection affects flavor profiles, and how patience produces results that shortcuts never will. The WCBCC puts 125+ teams’ worth of that knowledge in one park.
The addition of the Open Fire World Championship in 2026 makes this year especially worth the trip. Watching Al Frugoni and 14 other elite teams work live fire is a masterclass in heat management — and if you’ve ever struggled with hot spots in your smoker or dehydrator, you’ll leave with a whole new understanding of airflow and thermal dynamics.
Plus, you’ll eat some of the best BBQ on the planet. And you’ll come home with a suitcase full of competition rubs that’ll take your next batch of jerky to another level.
Memphis in May 2026 runs May 13–16 at Liberty Park. Grab your tickets at memphisinmay.org, pack your cooling towel, and I’ll see you at the Open Fire pit.