Gastronomic Forum Barcelona expects to bring together more than 450 exhibitors, 12% more than in 2025, when the event welcomed 21,800 professional visitors, featured 180 experts and scheduled 190 sessions focused on New Catalan Cuisine and its impact on contemporary gastronomy.
Gastronomic Forum Barcelona will hold its next edition from 2 to 4 November 2026, which for the first time will take place at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue.
The event, a benchmark for the hospitality, gastronomy and foodservice sectors, will focus on how culinary tradition continues to act as a powerful creative engine in contemporary cuisine, and how emerging talent is redefining new restaurant models.
The thematic axis of the event, “Revisiting Tradition”, will unfold through territorial blocks bringing together chefs from Catalonia, Andalusia, Galicia, Madrid, Italy and Malta. Each will contribute their own perspective on gastronomic heritage through the lens of their cultural identity.
Renowned figures such as Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas and Eduard Xatruch (Disfrutar), Quique Dacosta (Quique Dacosta), and Paco Pérez (Miramar and Enoteca) will take part in sessions that combine reflection and tasting, exploring the connection between culinary memory and contemporary creativity.
The dining room as a strategic space
The event will dedicate a specific block to the dining room, highlighting its strategic role in the gastronomic experience. Leading maîtres such as Joan Carles Ibáñez (Lasarte), Marianna Suárez d’Alessandro (Celler de Can Roca), Pere Monje (Via Véneto) and Abel Valverde (Desde 1911) will share their insights on how customer service has become a defining element in modern hospitality.
Workshop during the previous edition of Gastronomic Forum Barcelona / Photo: Gastronomic Forum Barcelona
A live gastronomic bar
Among the highlights of 2026 is the recreation of a gastronomic bar, one of the most influential emerging formats. Chefs Albert Raurich (Dos Palillos), Martín Comamala (539 Plats Forts), Joao Kather and Miguel de Aguilar (Tetsu) will cook and serve directly to attendees, bringing the experience of their own restaurants to the event.
Trends, training and generational renewal
The programme will include content dedicated to charcuterie and the meat sector, in collaboration with the Gremi de Xarcuters i de la Carn de Catalunya, featuring sessions on new trends in cured meats and a guided beef tasting led by Elisabeth G. Iborra, Spain’s first meat sommelier.
The Forum Lab area will once again serve as a space for experimentation, with a programme combining training, trends and new formats. Among its highlights is Talento Z, which will showcase young Generation Z professionals — chefs, front-of-house staff, sommeliers and other gastronomic trades — who are already leading the sector’s generational shift.
Awards and recognitions
The event will host the presentation of several professional awards:
Cuiner 2026 Award, organised with La Vanguardia, recognising emerging chefs committed to sustainability and local products.
Innoforum Awards, celebrating gastronomic innovation.
Josep Mercader Awards, honouring outstanding careers in various areas of the sector.
The Baker Award for the best bread, promoted by the Gremi de Flequers.
Best Panettone in Spain, organised by the Gremi de Pastissers.
In addition, key publications such as the Slow Food Guide 2027 and the Guía Augusta will be presented.