The Tournament of Champions is set to return in 2026, promising an exciting two months of high-stakes culinary competition. The seventh season will kick off on March 1 and continue until April 19, airing every Sunday night from 8 to 10 p.m. ET.
Food Network is also reintroducing “Tournament of Champions: The Qualifiers,” which will start on February 22 at 8 p.m. ET. This prelude to the main event will feature aspiring chefs vying for a chance to compete in the main tournament.
Returning as sideline reporters are the dynamic duo of Tiffani Faison and Justin Warner, while Simon Majumdar will be backstage with the judges. Hunter Fieri will once again take on the challenging role of host, ensuring that the competition remains engaging for viewers.
One of the most intriguing aspects of this season is the introduction of secretive top-seeded chefs. Food Network promises that these “food world icons” will be among the fiercest competitors ever seen on the show, though their identities will be kept under wraps until they enter the arena. Guy Fieri emphasized the heightened tension this revelation brings, noting that the addition of these industry legends will drastically increase the stakes in the competition.
The roster for this season includes 32 chefs who will battle it out in a bracketed format. While the four top seeds are still undisclosed, the tournament will feature 20 other well-known chefs, with the exception of one, all of whom have competed in previous seasons of TOC. The notable competitors include Adam Greenberg, Adam Sobel, Britt Rescigno, and Bryan Voltaggio, among others.
Judges will include former TOC champions such as Brooke Williamson, Maneet Chauhan, Tiffani Faison, Mei Lin, and Antonia Lofaso, promising a panel of expertise to evaluate the culinary creations. With the familiar faces and exciting new twists, this season of Tournament of Champions is shaping up to be an epic series for food lovers.