Cous Cous Fest

Cous Cous Fest: Grains of peace on the coast of Trapani

Every year, at the end of September, San Vito Lo Capo becomes the gastronomic heart of the Mediterranean. The Cous Cous Fest is much more than a food festival: it is a celebration of cultural integration that, for nearly three decades, has brought chefs, musicians, and visitors from all over the world to this town in the province of Trapani. The star of the show is couscous, a food that bridges the two shores of the Mediterranean and serves as a metaphor for dialogue, hospitality, and peace, in line with the event's historic slogan: "Make Cous Cous Not War".

The Cous Cous World Championship

The core of the event is the great culinary challenge. The Campionato Italiano Conad selects the representative who will defend Italy's colors, while the Bia Cous Cous World Championship pits chefs from numerous Euro-Mediterranean countries and beyond against each other, judged by an international jury and public vote. Alongside the professional competitions, the Next Generation Student Contest provides a stage for young students from culinary schools.

Cooking shows, tastings, and Expo Village

Throughout the festival, the town comes alive with scents and flavors:

• Case del Cous Cous: over twenty recipes from around the world to enjoy between the seafront and the town center;
• Bia Theatre, in Piazza Santuario: cooking shows with top chefs, talks, Sicilian wine tastings, and culinary masterclasses;
• Expo Village: a true Mediterranean souk with dozens of exhibitors, local products, and handicrafts.

Free beach concerts

The evenings at Cous Cous Fest are headlined by free concerts on the beach stage, with the sea just a few steps away and sand beneath your feet. Over the years, major names in Italian music have performed, making the festival one of the most anticipated events of the Sicilian summer and a unique opportunity to experience San Vito Lo Capo, home to some of Sicily's most beautiful beaches.

An unmissable event in Sicily

Blending gastronomy, music, and culture, the Cous Cous Fest has become a classic of the Sicilian autumn and one of Italy's most important food and wine events. It is an occasion that showcases the welcoming identity of Sicily and the vocation of San Vito Lo Capo as a crossroads for the peoples of the Mediterranean.