Food Network is preparing an extensive holiday lineup with over 50 hours of festive programming, featuring a Christmas-inspired offshoot of Guy Fieri’s “Tournament of Champions,” the sophomore season of “Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking,” and a new dessert competition hosted by Wells Adams.
Additional holiday offerings will showcase fresh seasons of classic favorites like “Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown” and the beloved “Holiday Baking Championship,” alongside Chip and Joanna Gaines’ new gingerbread competition, a special titled “World’s Sweetest Candy Shops,” and holiday-themed episodes from daytime staple “The Kitchen.”
Food Network describes the new Christmas edition of “Tournament of Champions” as “Guy Fieri making the holiday season even brighter with a festive, high-stakes version of the ultimate culinary battle, ‘Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas.’ In the spirit of the season, chefs will team up in pairs to vie for glory and goodwill. Each round will have teams preparing a savory and a sweet dish determined by the Randomizer spin. The chef duos must synchronize their efforts to claim the title, the championship belt, a cash prize of $100,000 sponsored by Carnival Cruise Lines, and their share of an additional $50,000 prize to support a cause meaningful to them.”
Teams competing in “Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas” include Antonia Lofaso with Alex Guarnaschelli; Maneet Chauhan paired with Stephanie Izard; Mei Lin alongside Nini Nguyen; Jet Tila teaming with Ashley Holt; Lee Anne Wong with Zac Young; Sara Bradley and Damaris Phillips; Britt Rescigno with Jonathon Sawyer; Michael Voltaggio and Bryan Voltaggio; Marcus Samuelsson with Rachel Sherriffe; Shirley Chung and Sherry Yard; Kevin Lee with Dale Talde; Aarón Sánchez with Amanda Freitag; Tobias Dorzon and Marcel Vigneron; Adam Sobel with Christian Petroni; Aarti Sequeira with Crista Luedtke; and Graham Elliot and Giuseppe Tentori.
Judging the festive season will be Michelle Bernstein, Scott Conant, Cat Cora, Susan Feniger, Gale Gand, Lorena Garcia, Judy Joo, Nancy Silverton, Curtis Stone, Jacques Torres, Christina Tosi, Ming Tsai, and Geoffrey Zakarian. Floor reporters Tiffani Faison and Justin Warner will share commentary with Hunter Fieri. This series is produced by Knuckle Sandwich and Lando Entertainment.
“Wells Adams will host “Sweet Empire,” produced by Alfred Street Studios, where fourteen top-tier confectioners will gather at the Yuletide Lodge for an exceptional competition. Contestants will strive to join and maintain the most formidable team possible, which requires crafting stunning edible creations to avoid elimination. In the end, only the strongest teams will prevail to earn the title of Sweet Empire. Judges will include Jacques Torres and Yolanda Gampp, resulting in an intense holiday baking rivalry.”
Below are the premiere dates for Food Network’s festive series, all available for streaming the next day on HBO Max and Discovery+.
“Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” Season 2 — Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. ET
“World’s Sweetest Candy Shops” — Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. ET
“Holiday Baking Championship” — Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. ET
“Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas” — Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET
“Sweet Empire” — Nov. 9 at 9 p.m. ET
“Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown” — Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. ET
“Gingerbread Land: The Biggest Little Holiday Competition” (Magnolia Network original) — Nov. 17 at 9 p.m. ET
“This year, we’ve elevated Food Network’s holiday offerings with new series and fresh twists on beloved favorites,” stated Betsy Ayala, head of food content at Warner Bros. Discovery. “Alongside returning hits, viewers will be captivated by the festive reimagining of ‘Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas’ and the dynamic dessert competition format of ‘Sweet Empire.’ With over 50 hours of holiday programming, Food Network truly shines as the go-to destination this season.”
For further details, see below for Food Network’s descriptions of additional new and returning holiday programming for 2025.
“Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” Season 2
This season promises even more magical baking creations and enchanting elements as a new group of competitors embarks on an extraordinary journey. Hosts James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) will sprinkle their charm and humor, while culinary judges Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef bring their discerning tastes to the competition. Special guests, including Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Afshan Azad (Padma Patil), and Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan), will evaluate contestants’ creations while sharing insights from their experiences in the films.
“Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking” is produced by Warner Horizon and theoldschool.
“Holiday Baking Championship” Season 12
In an exciting twist, this season splits the 12 competing bakers into two teams of Naughty and Nice. Host Jesse Palmer will welcome them to an adorable holiday village, complete with a functioning coffee shop, general store, and town hall. In this magical setting, teams will tackle challenges such as “Snow Day Desserts,” “Chrismukkah Platters,” and “Naughty Elf Desserts,” incorporating either mischievous or merry advantages. Judges Duff Goldman, Nancy Fuller, and Kardea Brown will provide constructive feedback to determine who will be crowned the Holiday Baking Champion, winning a feature in Food Network magazine and a grand prize of $25,000.
“Holiday Baking Championship” is produced by Sonic Dog.
“World’s Sweetest Candy Shops”
This special provides an insider’s view of three of the largest candy stores globally as they prepare for their peak holiday season. The It’Sugar flagship store in New Jersey’s American Dream mall will compete against its rival in Times Square to see which can drive the most sales during the bustling holiday period. Meanwhile, Cadbury World in the UK will unveil an extraordinary chocolate sculpture for its grand reopening after extensive renovations. In Sweden, Gottebiten, the world’s biggest candy store by area, will work to keep up with the demand for its 700 types of pick-n-mix sweets in a country that loves candy.
“World’s Sweetest Candy Shops” is produced by ScreenDog Productions.
“Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown” Season 4
Last holiday season, Bobby Flay swept the competition. This year, former foes and Food Network’s beloved chefs return for a festive serving of “Revengesgiving,” aiming to spoil Bobby’s holiday cheer. The stakes are more intense than ever, as chefs such as Sunny Anderson, Gabe Bertaccini, Maneet Chauhan, and many others set their sights on Bobby Flay.
“Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown” is produced by Rock Shrimp Productions.
“Gingerbread Land: The Biggest Little Holiday Competition”
Hosted by Oliver Hudson, and executive produced by Chip and Joanna Gaines, this competition will see top bakers competing in an extraordinary gingerbread showdown. Across four exciting challenges, teams will craft spectacular edible worlds filled with lights, movement, and storybook-level detail. Each week, Oliver Hudson will warmly guide audiences through this whimsical realm of creativity, where the bounds of imagination are limitless. Judges include pastry chef Gale Gand and architect Michael Ford, along with episodic guest judges like Brad Goreski, Christina Tosi, D’Arcy Carden, and Joanna Gaines for the finale. Fans can follow #GingerbreadLand on social platforms for more about this fresh holiday competition.
“Gingerbread Land: The Biggest Little Holiday Competition” is produced by Lando Entertainment.
