Memphis in May barbecue contest and River Run: dates, tickets

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Facts come from the Memphis in May International Festival’s own site: its home page, barbecue contest page, River Run page, history and its 2026 news releases, linked below. This page is updated each year at the same address.

The 2027 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is Wednesday through Saturday, May 12-15, 2027, and tickets are already on sale on the Memphis in May site. The festival’s other big event, the Great American River Run, is Saturday, May 29, 2027, on Memorial Day weekend downtown. Memphis in May is a nonprofit and the official festival of the City of Memphis; its office is at 56 S. Front St., 901-525-4611.

Know before you go

• Barbecue contest: Wednesday to Saturday, May 12-15, 2027
• 2026 site: Liberty Park, by the Mid-South Coliseum; the 2027 site and gate hours will be on the barbecue page
• 2026 prices: $12 Wednesday, $19 a day Thursday to Saturday, $59 for all four days; parking $18 a day
• River Run: Saturday, May 29, 2027; half marathon, 10K and 5K downtown
• Organizer: Memphis in May International Festival, 901-525-4611

The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

The contest started in 1978 with 20 teams and $1,000 in prize money on a vacant lot by the Orpheum, according to the festival’s history. Today more than 200 teams from more than 25 states and several countries compete for a share of a $200,000 purse, the festival said in a July 2026 release, and it estimates more than 60,000 visitors a day. In 1990 Guinness named it the largest barbecue cooking contest in the world.

For most of its history the contest filled Tom Lee Park on the river downtown. In 2026 it was held at Liberty Park, the grounds by the Mid-South Coliseum, as the festival’s May 2026 release shows. The 2026 salute country was Ireland. The festival has not yet named the 2027 salute country or confirmed the 2027 grounds on its site.

Tickets and prices

Tickets are sold on the Memphis in May barbecue page. The 2027 prices had not been listed in text when we checked; the 2026 prices, from the festival’s May 2026 release, give a guide:

Parking and getting there

In 2026 the festival sold its own parking at the grounds: $18 for one day or $50 for all four days, sold alongside admission tickets. For hotels, the festival lists partner hotels with event rates on its stay page; in 2026 at least one partner rate had a mid-April booking deadline.

The Great American River Run

The River Run is the festival’s Memorial Day weekend race in downtown Memphis, with a half marathon, a 10K and a 5K. It began in 2015, and the 2027 race is Saturday, May 29, per the River Run page. Part of every entry fee goes to the Fisher House of Tennessee, which shelters families of veterans during a medical crisis.

For 2026, registration opened Oct. 16, 2025, with early prices of $45 for the 5K, $50 for the 10K and $65 for the half marathon, plus service charges, and a discount for members of the military, according to the festival’s October 2025 release. The race starts with fireworks and pays an extra $500 to the fastest man and woman over the A.W. Willis bridge. Watch the River Run page for 2027 registration.

What about the Beale Street Music Festival?

The Beale Street Music Festival has been part of Memphis in May since 1977, and the festival’s about page still names it. But the 2027 calendar on the festival’s home page lists only the barbecue contest and the River Run as of Oct. 18, 2026. We will add music festival dates here if Memphis in May announces them.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Memphis in May barbecue contest in 2027? The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is Wednesday through Saturday, May 12-15, 2027, Memphis in May says. Tickets for 2027 are on sale on its website.

How much are Memphis in May barbecue tickets? In 2026 a single-day ticket was $12 on Wednesday and $19 Thursday through Saturday, a four-day pass was $59 and parking was $18 a day. 2027 prices are on the organizer’s ticket page.

Where is the Memphis in May barbecue contest held? The 2026 contest was held at Liberty Park, the grounds near the Mid-South Coliseum. For decades before that it was held downtown in Tom Lee Park on the river.

When is the Great American River Run 2027? Saturday, May 29, 2027, on Memorial Day weekend in downtown Memphis. It has a half marathon, a 10K and a 5K.

Is there a Beale Street Music Festival in 2027? Memphis in May’s website did not list a 2027 Beale Street Music Festival when we checked on Oct. 18, 2026. Its 2027 calendar shows the barbecue contest and the River Run.

Related: Memorial Day in Memphis, Beale Street and things to do in Memphis.