Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) has announced that the 2026 edition of its Food and Drink Festival will hold in May.
The ninth edition of the event is scheduled to take place from May 1 to 3 at the GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Lagos.
With the theme “Everything Food and Drink”, the festival is designed to reflect the broad nature of culinary culture, highlighting not only the range of cuisines but also the stories behind them.
Like the previous edition, the 2026 festival will feature over 204 free retail stalls. These will showcase a mix of traditional dishes and modern interpretations of global cuisine.
Speaking ahead of the event, Segun Agbaje, group chief executive officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, said the festival has grown into a platform that supports both culture and enterprise.
“The GTCO Food and Drink Festival has, over the years, become a living expression of what we stand for as an institution: innovation, opportunity, and enterprise that is accessible to all,” he said.
“What makes this platform special is not just its scale, but its humanity. It brings together people from different walks of life around something universal — food and drink — and in doing so, it breaks barriers and builds connections that extend far beyond the event itself.”
The three-day event will include masterclasses, live cooking demonstrations, and food and wine tastings. A marketplace will also provide visibility for small and medium scale food businesses as well as established brands.
Organisers say chefs and culinary experts from Africa and other parts of the world will share practical knowledge, recipes and techniques across different cuisines.
The GTCO Food and Drink Festival, first held in 2016, has become one of the largest free food fairs in Africa. It is part of GTCO’s wider effort to support small businesses, particularly in the food industry, by giving vendors access to large audiences at no cost. Past editions have attracted thousands of visitors, with participation from local and international chefs, restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs.
