The present study investigates the combustion phenomena in a sludge incinerator using experimental and numerical method. The temperature and gas concentration were measured at 33 points during operation of the incinerator in order to assess the mixing and combustion characteristics. Numerical simulation was also carried out using a commercial CFD code. Simplified inlet conditions were introduced in oder to predict the bulk solid combustion and the diffusion of the volatile matter released by pyrolysis of sludge. The experimental results showed that the combustion process is extremely inhomogeneous. Large variations were observed in the temperature and gas concentrations in the freeboard of the incinerator due to poor mixing performance between the air and the combustibles, which is caused by massive and bulk generation of volatile matter by fast pyrolysis of sludge particles. The boundary condition of the CFD simulation was found effective in predicting the poor mixing and combustion performance of the reactor.