Cake International and Bake International

At Cake International and Bake International you can buy edibles, moulds and tools, watch live demonstrations and see competitions that the organiser says draw more than 1,000 entries a year. Cake International and Bake International is a three-day public show for cake decorating, sugar art and baking, organised by ICHF Events at NEC Birmingham. The organiser says the show began in 1994 and has been held at the NEC for more than 30 years.

The 2026 show and the next dates

The 2026 edition ran from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November in Halls 9 and 10, with doors open at 09:30 daily, closing at 17:00 on Friday and Saturday and 16:30 on Sunday, plus an over-18s evening event at the Hilton, NEC on the Saturday night. ICHF has not announced dates for the next show yet.

What tickets covered in 2026

A standard 2026 ticket also admitted you to three sister shows, The Creative Craft Show, Sewing for Pleasure and Simply Christmas. The NEC listed ticket prices from £13 to £45, and Saturday tickets, including VIP, sold out. The Creative Craft Show and Simply Christmas opened on Thursday 5 November, but Cake International and Bake International was open Friday to Sunday only, a point covered in our note on what a co-located exhibition ticket actually covers.

• Under 16s go free with an accompanying adult on standard tickets.
• Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable; disabled concessions and group rates are available from the organiser.
• VIP tickets add fast-track entry, the Shop and Drop cloakroom, a lounge with unlimited drinks, a morning pastry and an afternoon cake, but not VIP access to The Creative Craft Show.
• A £10 child or carer ticket gives access to the VIP area with Shop and Drop and drinks only.

Theatres, features and competitions

You can watch live demonstrations on two stages. The 2026 programme listed two demonstration stages, The Cake Pro Theatre and The Cake International Theatre, plus demonstrations from the British Sugarcraft Guild. The NEC event page says demos cover baking, sculpting, buttercream, modelling and airbrushing, alongside life-size cake displays. Other named features were The Cake Catwalk, The Frosted Forest, The Cake Decorating Co Village, The Cake Off, Battle of the Bakes, Curse of the Pirate Queen and The Prince and Princess of Wales; Alison Hammond was also on the line-up. Workshops are run by CI Academy, Chocolate Genie and Taste of Sugar Free.

Entrants from around the world compete for Best in Show. In 2025 the organiser added the Cake & Bake International Awards, held at the Hilton Metropole NEC.

Who you will meet

If you exhibit, you reach professionals and hobbyists who spend an average of £98 each. According to the 2026 exhibitor pack:

• more than 25,000 visitors, from over 50 countries
• visitors include cake artists, chocolatiers, bakers, patisserie chefs, chefs, hobbyists and business owners
• average spend of £98 per person, with 48% spending over £100
• 86% in the ABC1 social group
• over 100 hours of education across the show

Exhibiting

Your stand comes with the basics included, at £260 per square metre for a standard unit and £285 for a corner or end unit, plus VAT. This includes cord carpet, black hessian wall panels, a name board in black letters on white (no extra logos or signage), a website entry and marketing partnership opportunities. Extras include A1 posters (£200 each), a social media post (£125), a solus email (£1,400) and a Cake Live takeover (£500). Stand bookings go to Melanie Underwood, Head of Cake & Bake International, and the stand rate is a starting point for building an exhibition budget.

Other food shows

You can plan more food shows. Elsewhere in the food and drink calendar, the Festive Good Food Show opens at the NEC on 26 November 2026, The Cake & Bake Show starts at Olympia London the same day, and The Ice Cream & Artisan Food Show is at the NEC from 9 February 2027. More events are listed under Birmingham shows.

Getting there

You can arrive by train, plane, car or coach. The NEC is a five-minute covered walk from Birmingham International station, which a free air-rail link connects to Birmingham Airport every two minutes. Free shuttle buses run between all car parks and the halls on show days, and paying for parking online in advance saves you £5. The organiser also lists coach trips.

Source: cakeinternational.co.uk/birmingham-2026, ticketsales.ichf.co.uk, cakeinternational.co.uk exhibitor pack, thenec.co.uk