socarrat fest maspalomas rice festival august 2026

Socarrat Fest: Gran Canaria’s first rice festival coming in August

Maspalomas to host Socarrat Fest, Gran Canaria’s first dedicated rice festival

Next 16 August, Maspalomas will become Gran Canaria’s gastronomic epicentre with the celebration of Socarrat Fest, the first festival dedicated entirely to rice to be organised in the Canary Islands. The event, promoted by the company DMARCHA 2014, will take place at the Campo 1 de Fútbol de Maspalomas complex, with doors opening between midday and 1pm and closing at 11pm, in a day that will combine food, live music, showcookings, workshops and open-air afternoon socialising.

A pioneering experience in the Canary Islands

The organisers expect between 2,500 and 4,000 people to attend throughout the day in what will be a pioneering experience in the Canary Islands. Moving away from burgers, sandwiches or food trucks, the festival will feature rice dishes cooked by several of Gran Canaria’s best specialist restaurants. Under the motto of making rice the common thread of a social experience, Socarrat Fest is created with a view to continuity: it aims to establish itself as an annual reference event in the south of Gran Canaria, highlighting local produce and the talent of the Canarian restaurant sector, as well as boosting the island’s gastronomic tourism.

What the festival offers

The festival proposes a comprehensive experience centred around rice, with individual stands for each participating restaurant, showcookings where chefs will share techniques and creative processes, and open culinary workshops for the public to learn how to prepare different types of rice. Added to this is a late-afternoon socialising area, live music throughout the day and DJs accompanying the experience until closing time, as well as a children’s area with a bouncy castle, designed so that families can enjoy themselves without sacrificing the gastronomic plan.

Entry restrictions and ticket prices

Access to the venue has age restrictions: those under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult and have written authorisation from their legal guardian, while 16 and 17-year-olds only need the signed authorisation, without mandatory accompaniment. Tickets are on sale online, and can also be purchased at the box office on the day of the event according to the official press release. The pricing structure has three levels, designed to suit different attendee profiles. From 10 euros with one drink included, or 15 euros with a drink and a plate of rice from one of the participating restaurants. Importantly, under-18s get free entry, something that is very welcome in these times and will also allow new generations to enjoy rice dishes at very affordable prices. A very sensible decision from the organisers. To purchase tickets, visit www.mastaquilla.com or follow the Instagram links of the organisation itself, @socarrat.fest.

The restaurants and the jury

Socarrat Fest has been revealing week by week the list of restaurants that will compete to make the best rice in this first edition. To date, eight gastronomic proposals from the island have been confirmed. Those confirmed so far include El Caldero, Mediterráneo, Barracuda, Tribu, Revés Bistró, Hestia, Selvático, El Bejeque, Sol y Luna and Sendro. The organisation has been adding talent and flavour to this inaugural edition at an almost weekly pace since the beginning of July, and has noted that these are some of the best restaurants in Gran Canaria, each with an exclusive rice recipe. Further additions to the gastronomic line-up are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, right up to the date of the event.

One of the distinguishing features of Socarrat Fest is its gastronomic jury, responsible for evaluating the rice dishes from each participating restaurant and awarding the prize for the best rice of this first edition. The organisation has been introducing its members through Instagram announcements, and the jury will consist of Canary Foodies, Vanesa Delgado, Pablo Llinares and the writer of these lines, Javier Suárez, who can guarantee we will be tremendously respectful. However, I warn you that my obsession with good rice, where the grain is just as important as the water, seasoning and timing, will be fundamental in delivering the verdict. With this jury, Socarrat Fest seeks to lend credibility and prestige to the competition, combining the perspective of content creators specialising in Canarian gastronomy with institutional profiles linked to tourism, reinforcing the message that the event highlights local produce and the talent of the Canarian restaurant sector.

Music and future ambitions

The musical programme for Socarrat Fest will be gradually completed, just as has happened with the restaurants and the jury. So far, Killian Viera and Pedro Afonso have been confirmed, with DJs providing entertainment throughout the day to reinforce the transition towards the late-afternoon socialising atmosphere as the day progresses. Socarrat Fest takes place in a particularly busy summer of leisure events for Maspalomas. The date of 16 August forms part of the ‘Maspalomas Vive Fest Summer Edition 2026’ programme, which also includes other afternoon socialising proposals on 14 and 15 August in the same area. The Campo 1 Maspalomas complex has been accumulating festival activity during July and August, reinforcing the area’s appeal as a daytime and nightlife leisure hub in the south of Gran Canaria. The choice of this location is no coincidence: its touristic and social appeal makes it an ideal setting for an event designed to offer continuity of leisure throughout the day, capable of attracting both residents and visitors. With this first edition, Socarrat Fest is envisioned as the starting point of a project that aspires to become a fixed date on the Canarian gastronomic calendar, with rice and its coveted socarrat as the main protagonists.

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