Case Study: FUME Festival at Allianz Stadium Transforming Outdoor Space into a Destination Experience
For event organisers, outdoor space is often viewed as an extension of the venue. At Allianz Stadium, it has become something much more powerful: a platform for creating immersive experiences, building communities and delivering events that audiences remember long after they leave.
This was showcased at FUME Festival, Europe's largest BBQ festival, which welcomed more than 17,500 visitors across four days between 11-14 June 2026. Bringing together 35 vendors, including internationally renowned pitmasters, the event transformed Allianz Stadium's outdoor spaces into a vibrant festival environment centred around food, entertainment and shared experiences.
While the scale of the event was impressive, its significance lies in what it demonstrates for organisers. FUME shows how outdoor space can be programmed, activated and curated with the same attention as any indoor event environment. Through live demonstrations, entertainment, hospitality experiences, vendor villages and brand engagement opportunities, the festival created multiple layers of content and interaction across the site.
The result was an experience that encouraged visitors to stay longer, discover more and engage with the event in different ways throughout the day.
For Allianz Stadium, FUME represented a natural collaboration. Both organisations share a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences, bringing people together and celebrating quality, craft and creativity. In FUME's case, that meant showcasing some of the world's best BBQ talent and artisanal food experiences within a setting capable of supporting large-scale audience engagement.
"The space gave us the opportunity to build exactly the kind of festival experience we wanted. The backdrop of the stadium, the space we were able to give to our partners, the garden atmosphere, just added to an incredible experience of food, beer and family gathering," commented '@eatingwithtod', Co-founder of the FUME Festival. "The venue helped us with planning, managing the space, and every aspect to help us create something amazing. It's been such a joy for everyone involved."
Importantly, FUME demonstrates how outdoor environments can complement existing event infrastructure rather than compete with it. Organisers benefit from access to established venue services, transport links, hospitality expertise and operational support, while gaining the flexibility to create open-air experiences that feel distinctive and bespoke.
The success of FUME has already led to the next chapter, with organisers confirming that ROOST - The International Chicken Gastronomy Festival will also take place at Allianz Stadium 21-23 August 2026. Building on the same principles of experiential programming, food culture and visitor engagement, ROOST further reinforces the venue's growing reputation as a destination for large-scale outdoor experiences.
For organisers exploring new ways to engage audiences, create memorable brand activations or extend the footprint of their events, FUME offers a compelling example of what is possible when outdoor space is treated not simply as additional capacity, but as a canvas for creativity.