15/09/2025
🔥 BREAKING NEWS 🔥
Slight change to our lineup for our 12th Official Road to the European Belt Match - the highly anticipated Diamante Belt Match - set against the stunning backdrop of the legendary Diamante Peperoncino Festival in Calabria, Italy! 🇮🇹🌶️
📅 September 14, 2025
This isn’t just any match - it’s part of the oldest and most iconic chilli festival in Europe and the WORLD, celebrating its 33rd year!
🎤 Hosted by:
👑 UK Chilli Queen Shahina Waseem 🇬🇧
🔥 Arturo Rencricca “Mr Spicy” 🇮🇹
We're proud to unveil a truly international roster of spice warriors, including - for the first time ever - a competitor representing Colombia 🇨🇴 in a League of Fire Belt Match:
Welcome, Steph Garcia! Also taking the seat and repping Wales will be Zak Papper! 🙌 Plus a first for Malaysia being represented as well by the delightful Weng Woo.
And taking the final seat at the table is none other than Annee ‘The Reaper Teacher’ Boyer, flying the flag for the USA alongside Notty Nottingham! 🇺🇸
🔥 Diamante Belt 2025 Lineup:
🇮🇹 Carmelo Francavilla
🇮🇹 Vito Cassano
🇮🇹 Luca Mango
🇭🇺 Jakab Janos
🇺🇸 Notty Nottingham
🇺🇸 Annee Boyer
🏴 Alex Jolliffe
🇲🇾 Weng Woo
🏴 Wales - Zak Pepper
🇨🇴 Steph Garcia
🏆 What’s at stake?
The winner walks away with the coveted Diamante Belt AND a guaranteed spot at the next European Title Belt Match, held at Sofia Chilli Fest '25 by Chilli Hills Farm in Bulgaria 🇧🇬 on October 4, 2025!
⚠️ REMINDER: After the 4th European Title Match in Windsor (June 29, 2024), winning a Road Match is the ONLY way to qualify for future European Title Belt Matches.
🙏 A huge thank you to Arturo Rencricca, our LOF European Ambassador, and to President Enzo Monaco of the Italian Peperoncino Academy, for making this unforgettable moment possible.
🗓️ Save the Dates: September 10–14, 2025
🌶️ Diamante is calling… will you answer?
🌍 About the Festival: A Spicy Celebration Like No Other
Welcome to Diamante Peperoncino Festival - one of the world’s most vibrant and beloved chilli festivals, held annually in the coastal town of Diamante, Calabria - aka the City of Murals and Chilli Peppers 🎨🌶️
Founded in 1992 by journalist Enzo Monaco, the festival was born in tribute to the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage - celebrating the chilli pepper’s arrival in Europe. Over three decades later, it remains a powerhouse of food, culture, and community, drawing over 200,000 visitors from around the globe.
👀 What to Expect:
🎭 Street performances, theatre & music
🌶️ Tastings of spicy Calabrian cuisine
📚 Conferences & wellness talks on chilli’s benefits
🎬 Film screenings
🎨 Live mural painting
🔥 And now, the League of Fire Diamante Belt Match!
🌶️ Spotlight Pepper: Diavolicchio Diamante
The festival's star - the Diavolicchio Diamante - packs heat (40,000–50,000 SHU) and flavour. It's the fiery heart of Calabria, featuring in everything from ‘Nduja to spicy gelato and liqueurs.
📖 Festival founder Enzo Monaco also penned “Peperoncino Amore Mio” - a passionate tribute to the culture and cuisine of chilli peppers.
🏛️ Explore Diamante:
17th-century Church of the Immaculate Conception
Seafront promenade & island views
Ancient Ruins of Cirella hosting open-air shows
Over 300 murals painted by international artists since 1981
🎉 This is not just a festival. It’s a celebration of fire, flavour, and fierce competition - all set in one of the most breathtaking spots in Southern Italy.
👉 Full programme: peperoncinofestival.org
Thank you to our pepper sponsor Società Cooperativa Agricola VALLE LAO 🤩
Accademia italiana del peperoncino
