Barcelona hosts Alimentaria 2026 with 3,200 companies, top chefs and showcookings from 23 to 26 March

Barcelona hosts Alimentaria 2026 with renowned chefs and unique proposals. The event will bring together more than 3,000 companies and thousands of visitors. Innovations and live cooking demonstrations will set the gastronomic agenda. Discover what you cannot miss this year.

Barcelona is preparing to host one of the year’s most eagerly awaited gastronomic events: Alimentaria 2026. From 23 to 26 March, the Gran Via L'Hospitalet venue will be the setting where culinary innovation and the creativity of the world’s best chefs come together, drawing thousands of professionals and food lovers.

The fair, which will bring together 3,200 companies from 68 countries —these are 2024 figures— and expects to exceed 108,000 visitors, will not only showcase consumer trends and food technology, but will also offer surprising products such as gold-coated fuet, snail caviar and the first chocolate sweetened with dates. But the real spectacle will be at The Horeca Hub, the space where some of the planet’s most influential chefs will share their secrets and techniques.

On Monday, the trio from Disfrutar - Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas— will present their latest creations, revealing how they make the impossible look easy at their restaurant. Shortly afterwards, Albert Adrià will address the evolution of Enigma’s cuisine, focusing his presentation on ingredients such as lamprey, truffle and hare, elements that have marked the venue’s new phase after receiving its second Michelin star.

Japanese culture will play a prominent role thanks to Hideki Matsuhisa, chef at Koy Shunka, who together with Pablo Alomar will explore the world of sake, from its millennia-old tradition to its rise as a premium drink. Matsuhisa will also share his personal experience of how Barcelona became the ideal place to develop his career.

Lasarte’s anniversary will be another key moment. Paolo Casagrande will recall the creative foundations that have taken the restaurant to the top, while Paco Pérez will reinterpret the classic Catalan surf and turf and Fran Agudo will show how a neighbourhood bar can become a Michelin-starred benchmark.

On Tuesday, Rodrigo de la Calle will surprise audiences with new ways to incorporate walnuts into haute cuisine. Juanlu Fernández will teach techniques for curing and ageing sea bass with salt and Jerez wines, and Pepe Rodríguez, known for 'Masterchef', will give a live cooking demonstration with Iberian pork, showing its versatility in professional cooking.

Benito Gómez, following his time at Masia Can Raimi and his success in Ronda, will present honest cuisine without nostalgia, while Jordi Artal will guide a dialogue between tradition and the avant-garde through the castañada. Romain Fornell, distinguished with the Legión de Honor, will reinterpret great French sauces and emblematic preparations, bringing his personal vision forged in Barcelona.

Alimentaria 2026 promises to be much more than a fair: it will be the meeting point where innovation, tradition and talent merge to shape the future of gastronomy in Barcelona and beyond.

Gran Via L'Hospitalet has established itself as one of Europe’s most important exhibition venues, capable of hosting major international events. Its strategic location and modern facilities have made it the epicentre of fairs that transform Barcelona’s urban and economic life. Held every two years, Alimentaria is a clear example of how the city positions itself as a global benchmark for gastronomy, innovation and culture, attracting professionals and visitors from all over the world.