SmokeSlam Pauses To Prepare For 2027 Unified BBQ Festival

Memphis, TN – January 13, 2026

Mempho Presents today announced that SmokeSlam BBQ Festival will pause in 2026 to allow time for SmokeSlam and Memphis In May/World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest (WCBCC) to plan and organize a combined event in 2027. Community feedback from sponsors, the business sector, and city leaders has reinforced the need for a single, unified BBQ celebration rather than competing events on the same weekend.

Discussions are underway with multiple Memphis stakeholders to explore options for one unified event to keep fans coming back to downtown Memphis and the river at Tom Lee Park.

Mempho Presents also confirmed that RiverBeat Music Festival will return to the banks of the Mississippi River at Tom Lee Park from May 1-3, for its third year in 2026, continuing its rapid rise as the largest music festival in the mid-south.

CEO of Mempho Presents, Kevin McEniry, emphasized the company’s commitment to Memphis:

“We understand the importance of events to drive visitors to downtown Memphis. A bustling city center is good for businesses, the local economy and community morale. By pausing SmokeSlam in 2026, we are allowing sufficient time to engage all parties, to strengthen the logistics, and plan to deliver a unified BBQ festival in 2027, at Tom Lee Park. We are deeply grateful for the BBQ community’s support, and we want to reassure all previous SmokeSlam teams that they will receive automatic entry into the WCBCC in 2026, if they choose to register.

RiverBeat continues full speed ahead for 2026, and will be the anchor event in the May programming under the banner of Mempho Presents in 2027.”

- Kevin McEniry, CEO of Mempho Presents