Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest 2026

The best barbecue teams on the planet will converge May 13–16, 2026 at Liberty Park in Memphis, Tennessee, for the world’s most prestigious barbecue competition.

Recognized by USA Today as the “Most Prestigious Barbecue Contest,” the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is a four-day celebration of live fire, tradition, and championship-level craft.

Since the inaugural contest in 1978, teams representing the pinnacle of barbecue have gathered in Memphis to compete for the title of World Champion and their share of more than $150,000 in prize money.

Now in our 45th appearance, Willingham’s World Champion BBQ returns to Memphis carrying forward a legacy built on championship pedigree, Memphis roots, and decades of competitive firepower. This year marks our first year as a lead sponsor for the Jr World Champion Cooking Contest at Memphis in May.   Encouraging our future pitmasters in the age group of 11 to 17  to put their skills to the test and showing the spirit, team work and fellowship that bbq brings. 

Built on Championship Inputs

World-class barbecue starts long before turn-in — it begins with the fuel, the ingredients, and the precision behind the process.  And our trusted partners help us to deliver results.

• Fueled by Royal Oak Charcoal — delivering the consistent burn, heat control, and clean smoke profile required for world championship cooking.
• Competition chicken sourced from Springer Mountain Farms — American Humane Certified, family-owned, and raised with no antibiotics or added hormones.
• Temperature precision managed with ThermoPro — ensuring exact pit and protein monitoring from fire management through final tenderness windows.

At this level, fire control, protein quality, and thermal precision aren’t preferences — they’re prerequisites.

Visit Us in Memphis

If you’re attending Memphis in May, we invite you to stop by the Willingham’s World Champion BBQ booth to experience championship barbecue up close.

Come meet the team, talk competition barbecue and see firsthand what 45 years on the Memphis in May stage looks like.

We’re proud to represent our history, our partners, and our city — and we look forward to welcoming friends, fans, and fellow barbecue enthusiasts throughout the week.