2026 Wing It On! USA Chicken Wing Eating Championship

Location: Buffalo, NY
Date: 08-30-2026

Who do you think will win? Tell us!

Tweet to @eatingcontest

🎉Sign up now🎉

The Wing It On! USA Chicken Wing Eating Championship Returns for the 25th Anniversary of the National Buffalo Wing Festival!

Get your wet wipes ready—the fiercest wing showdown in competitive eating is landing once again at Sahlen Field on Sunday, August 30th! As the National Buffalo Wing Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary and America marks its 250th birthday, the Wing It On! USA Chicken Wing Eating Championship returns to the home of the Buffalo Bisons for another unforgettable afternoon of speed, stamina, and saucy greatness.

12 Minutes. Unlimited Wings. One Champion.
This mission is delicious: 12 minutes, an endless supply of chicken wings, and one opportunity to make history. As trays keep coming and the crowd roars louder with every passing minute, the world's elite competitive eaters will battle bite after bite in pursuit of wing-eating immortality. Geoff Esper's incredible world record of 281 wings, set in 2019, still stands as one of the sport's greatest achievements—but every year brings another chance for someone to chase it down.

Can Anyone Stop Webby?
James Webb enters Buffalo riding incredible momentum after sweeping both of the festival's premier eating contests last year, capturing back-to-back victories in the Buffalo Buffet Bowl and the Wing It On! USA Chicken Wing Eating Championship. His dominant title defense cemented his place among the sport's elite—but with another loaded field of challengers eager to dethrone him, nothing is guaranteed. Can Webb complete an incredible three-peat? Will a new contender rise to the occasion? Or could this finally be the year Geoff Esper's legendary record falls?

Experience the Ultimate Wing Spectacle
Whether you're stepping up to compete or simply want to witness one of competitive eating's signature events, there's no better place to celebrate Buffalo's most iconic food. Join thousands of fans during the Buffalo Wing Festival's landmark 25th anniversary as the sport's biggest personalities battle for wing supremacy in one of the most exciting contests of the season.

The wings will be flying, the pace will be relentless, and another champion will be crowned.

Who's ready to leave nothing but bones behind?

$5,000 Total Prize Purse
1st - $2,500
2nd - $1,250
3rd - $600
4th - $400
5th - $250

The contest will take place at 5:00 PM ET on Sunday, August, 30th, 2026 at Sahlen Field, 275 Washington Street, Buffalo, NY

About National Buffalo Wing Festival
The National Buffalo Wing Festival celebrates the “Chicken Wing”, known nationally as “Buffalo Wings”, which have become a national food icon. Invented in 1964 at the world-famous Anchor Bar by Teresa Bellissimo, Buffalo, NY has become the official “Home of the BuffaloWing”. The popularity of the chicken wing has made it America’s #1 appetizer. Last year alone over 13.5 billion wings were consumed by Americans, 1.3 billion on Super Bowl Weekend alone.

In 2001, actor Bill Murray playing Frank Detorre starred in one of his notoriously eclectic movies entitled, “Osmosis Jones.” In this film Murray played the part of an average Joe addicted to fried food and other artery-clogging fares, who was heading to Buffalo New York for…of all things, a chicken wing festival. At that time there WAS NO NATIONAL CHICKEN WING FESTIVAL…at least not yet.

Realizing that we needed to create one, our community rallied with me to create what is now one of the most recognized food festivals in the country. That was 24 years ago, and since then we have had over 1.2 million attendees that have eaten approximately 5.7 million wings weighing more than 215 tons. We have had over 150 participating restaurants and raised over $500,000 for local charities.

Found out more on our Website, Facebook, X, & Instagram

For news and results to all Major League Eating contests, like our FaceBook Page and follow @eatingcontest on Instagram & X

*All applicants must be 18 years of age or older and fully acknowledge and understand the inherent dangers and risks associated with participating in an eating contest. The applicant further acknowledges and understands that the MLE/IFOCE coordinates with event sponsor(s) to select and approve eligible participants, and that the MLE/IFOCE shall decide, at its sole discretion, whether an applicant is eligible to participate in any eating event, and/or related activities. The MLE/IFOCE may revoke an applicant's eligibility to participate in the eating contest, or related activities, at any time, for any reason, at its sole discretion. The MLE/IFOCE and the event sponsors reserve the right, at any time, to change any and all details concerning the event, including, e.g., time, duration, location and prize structure.