The Jos Food Festival 2026 is set to feature a proposed 72-hour culinary record attempt involving the continuous preparation and serving of 3,000 Nigerian-style shawarmas.
The three-day festival, scheduled for December 18 to 20 at Nirvana Park & Gardens, Jos, will be held under the theme, “This Is Plateau”.
The proposed record attempt, known as The Season, is expected to run throughout the festival, with chefs, food-production teams, volunteers, partners and guests participating in the continuous culinary exercise.
According to the organisers, the production will be supported by systems covering ingredient preparation, food safety, production standards, documentation, logistics, staffing and quality control.
Festival Director, Chef Elvis Katlong Henry, said the record ambition was intended to attract attention, but the wider focus remained on showcasing Plateau’s food, people, creativity and hospitality.
“The world-record ambition may attract attention, but Plateau is the story. We want people to experience our food, our people, our creativity, our hospitality and the energy that makes Jos different,” he said.
He added that “This Is Plateau” was designed to bring the different elements together in one experience.
The organisers said the shawarma challenge would also provide an opportunity to highlight the Nigerian-style shawarma, which has evolved locally through the use of Nigerian flavours, sauces, proteins and preparation methods.
Guests at the festival are expected to witness different stages of the production while following key milestones throughout the 72-hour exercise.
However, the organisers stressed that The Season remains a proposed record attempt, with technical, operational and professional validation processes still being incorporated into preparations.
The initiative has already undergone preliminary testing through earlier activations, including a recent Shawarma Pop-Up in Jos, which attracted 1,304 guests and served 533 customers.
Beyond the record bid, the festival will feature indigenous Plateau dishes, grills, pastries, contemporary meals, street food, music, fashion, cultural storytelling, games and other creative experiences.
The event is also expected to bring together food entrepreneurs, restaurants, creators, brands, visitors and tourists, with organisers positioning it as a platform for food tourism and the promotion of Plateau’s creative economy.
The Jos Food Festival 2026 will hold from December 18 to 20 at Nirvana Park & Gardens, Jos.
