Alicante Gastronómica returns to IFA-Fira Alacant from 2 to 5 October 2026, bringing four days of tastings, masterclasses and cook-offs to the province’s biggest food fair. Entry is free, though a small security wristband fee applies, and the 2026 edition leans hard into its Mediterranean theme with Mexico as guest country.
What Alicante Gastronómica Is
Alicante Gastronómica is an experiential food fair rather than a trade show for professionals only — anyone can walk in, taste, and watch chefs work. The eighth edition runs under the slogan “Con alma mediterránea” (“With Mediterranean soul”), built around the region’s produce, seafood and wine traditions, with a section this year dedicated to The Ocean Race, the round-the-world sailing regatta that starts in Alicante.
The 2025 edition drew around 85,000 visitors, and organisers expect the 2026 edition to grow again. Expect eight themed stages, 260 exhibitors and more than 130 chefs and pastry chefs holding Michelin stars or Repsol Soles between them, including names familiar from Spanish food television like Jordi Roca, Paco Torreblanca and Quique Dacosta.
Dates, Venue and How to Get In
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2–5 October 2026 |
| Venue | IFA-Fira Alacant, Carretera N-340, km 731, 03320 Elche |
| Entry | Free, but a €2 security wristband is required per person |
| Wristband pickup | 10 September – 5 October 2026 at Carrefour stores across the province, Tescoma Alicante and Elche, and Cámara de Alicante offices |
| Edition | 8th |
| 2025 attendance | ~85,000 visitors |
| Exhibitors | 260+ |
| Guest country | Mexico |
The wristband isn’t a ticket in the traditional sense — the fair itself is free to enter, but the €2 charge covers a smart wristband that also works as payment for the stands inside and doubles as fast-track access across all four days. All proceeds go to Alicante Gastronómica Solidaria, which funds solidarity menus across the province. Wristbands can be bought online in advance and collected at partner locations between 10 September and 5 October, which avoids queuing on the day.
One point worth flagging for anyone driving from further up the coast: the fairground sits just off the N-340 near Elche, close to Alicante–Elche Airport (ALC), so visitors coming from Calpe, Jávea or Dénia have a straightforward run down the AP-7.
Competitions and Programme Highlights
The fair’s competitive programme is one of its bigger draws for visitors who like watching rather than just tasting. Confirmed contests for 2026 include the 19th Campeonato de España de Tortilla de Patatas (Tescoma Trophy), the 3rd Paco Torreblanca International Fine Pastry Prize for Best Chocolate Cake, and the 5th National Tortilla de Patatas Congress. A regional heat, the Comunidad Valenciana Tortilla de Patatas Championship, was held on 14 September 2026 as a lead-in to the national final at the fair itself.
Beyond the competitions, the 2026 programme increases its masterclass offering by 60% on 2025, with more than 450 talks, tastings and workshops spread across the four days. New for this edition are dedicated spaces for chocolate and ice cream (in a “Bean to Bar” format) and cheese, alongside the returning Marmarela area for live music and evening drinks once the tasting sessions wind down. A children’s area, Espacio Minichefs, runs activities for younger visitors throughout.
Practical Tips for Visiting
Arrive with the wristband already activated if possible — the whole point of the advance pickup window is to skip the entry queue, which builds quickly once doors open each day. Masterclasses have very limited capacity (organisers cap some sessions at the first 30 people to book), so reserving a slot online ahead of time beats turning up and hoping.
The fairground is large — around 36,000 square metres across eight stages — so it’s worth checking the published programme by zone before arriving rather than wandering and hoping to catch a favourite chef’s session. Food and drink inside are paid for using the wristband’s built-in balance, which tops up automatically online or at cashier points on site, so there’s no need to carry cash between stands.
For anyone building a longer Alicante trip around the fair, Santa Bárbara Castle and the city’s beaches are both a short drive back into Alicante itself, making it easy to split a day between the fairground in Elche and the city centre.
Is It Worth the Trip From Further Up the Coast?
For anyone based in Calpe, Moraira, Jávea or Altea, Alicante Gastronómica is roughly 60–90 minutes’ drive depending on traffic on the AP-7 — a longer trip than the town-level food events CBD usually covers, but one many readers already make for the fair’s autumn counterpart, the Fira de Tots Sants in Cocentaina, which runs a few weeks later at the other end of the province. Where Cocentaina’s fair leans into traditional artisan and agricultural stalls, Alicante Gastronómica is squarely about restaurant-level cooking, wine and pastry — a different day out rather than a repeat of the same format.
Readers planning a full visit to the city can pair the fair with the best of what else Alicante has to offer, or check the Alicante Festivity Calendar 2026 for what else is running that week. Anyone weighing up the beaches near Alicante for a combined beach-and-fair day should note the fairground itself is inland, near Elche, rather than on the coast.
