Joey Chestnut will return to Coney Island for the 2025 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest this Fourth of July. The legendary competitive eater announced Monday in a series of posts on X that he will return to the annual event after he was banned from it last year due to his affiliation with Impossible Foods.

Joey Chestnut, of San Jose, California., holds a tray of hot dogs during the weigh-in for the 2017 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, in Brooklyn. Chestnut will return to the contest this year after being banned in 2024. (Associated Press/Richard Drew) AP

Joey Chestnut is back. The legendarily dominant force in competitive hot dog eating will return to the annual Fourth of July competition, seeking his 17th victory after a one-year absence from Coney Island.