EGO Food Fest
Taranto, Mediterranean capital of taste
About EGO Food Fest
Taranto, capital of Mediterranean gastronomy
EGO Food Fest is the major food and wine festival that lights up Taranto, Puglia, every spring, transforming the City of Two Seas into an open-air laboratory dedicated to food, culture, and innovation. Conceived by the Enogastro Hub association, the event has grown into one of Southern Italy's most anticipated culinary gatherings, attracting Michelin-starred chefs, master pizza makers, producers, and journalists from across the country.
A widespread festival across sea, villas, and squares
EGO Food Fest follows a widespread festival format: events are distributed among city-center restaurants, the gardens of Villa Peripato, and the halls of Relais Histò, overlooking the Mar Piccolo. Each day has a distinct identity, allowing the public to experience the festival as a journey that combines popular festivities, tastings, and moments of reflection on the future of food.
- EGO Cozza Fest — the Taranto black mussel, a Slow Food Presidium, takes center stage in dedicated menus at local restaurants.
- EGO Pizza Fest — a grand pizza celebration at Villa Peripato, featuring dozens of master pizza makers from Puglia and beyond, live music, and the Pizza Competition.
- EGO Academy and Dinner Incredible — masterclasses, talks, and a signature gala dinner with world-class chefs.
The black mussel, symbol of the Mar Piccolo
The heart of the festival is the Taranto black mussel, a mollusk farmed in the waters of the Mar Piccolo and recognized as a Slow Food Presidium. This iconic product is the focus of collaborative dinners, meetings with mussel farmers, and tours that highlight the deep bond between the city and its sea, celebrating Ionian seafood heritage and sustainable small-scale fishing.
Haute cuisine, education, and sustainability
Alongside its popular appeal, EGO Food Fest offers a packed program of masterclasses and talks addressing major themes in contemporary gastronomy: the future of cooking, the relationship between food and territory, the regeneration of small villages, and healthy dining. The event engages chefs, nutritionists, producers, and researchers, with the participation of leading figures in Italian dining and organizations like Slow Food.
A local Puglian event
Promoted in Taranto with the support of local institutions and chambers of commerce, EGO Food Fest is much more than a food fair: it is a cultural project that connects chefs, culinary artisans, and the community, contributing to the tourism and gastronomic promotion of the Province of Taranto and the entire Ionian Puglia region. For four days, the city becomes a showcase of Mediterranean excellence and a meeting point between tradition and innovation.
EGO Food Fest — edition 2026
EGO Food Fest 2026 — the eighth edition
The 2026 edition of EGO Food Fest took place in Taranto from April 17 to 20, dedicated to the theme "The cuisine of the future: eating well, living well with the Planet." The event was opened by Enrico Bartolini, Italy's most Michelin-starred chef, and Barbara Nappini, president of Slow Food Italia, with over 170 guests expected, including 30 chefs, 50 pizza makers, and more than 55 producers of authentic Italian excellence.
The daily program
Friday, April 17 — EGO Cozza Fest: dinners in city restaurants dedicated to the Taranto black mussel, a Slow Food Presidium and queen of the Mar Piccolo.
Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 — EGO Pizza Fest at Villa Peripato: a grand popular festival with 70 master pizza makers (50 from Puglia and 20 from the rest of Italy), the "Pizza Salons," the Pizza Competition, and live music with Vega80 (Saturday) and Angelo Mellone with his band (Sunday).
Monday, April 20 — EGO Academy and Dinner Incredible at Relais Histò: talks on the future of cuisine, the poetics of food, and village regeneration, the Pizza Competition awards ceremony, and the Dinner Incredible gala event with world-class chefs.
The novelty: the EGO Pact
A symbolic moment of the edition was the signing of the "EGO Pact," an ethical manifesto signed by chefs and pizza makers as a commitment to responsibility toward the land and the community.
Programme EGO Food Fest 2026
Friday, April 17 — EGO Cozza Fest
Themed dinners in Taranto restaurants with menus dedicated to the Taranto black mussel (Slow Food Presidium), including Core Restaurant, La Pignata, and In Rada Restaurant.
Saturday, April 18 — EGO Pizza Fest (Villa Peripato)
- 19:00 — Opening and tastings with master pizza makers
- 19:00-21:00 — "Pizza Salons" (guests include Vincenzo Palermo and Raffaele Bonetta)
- 21:30 — Vega80 concert
Sunday, April 19 — EGO Pizza Fest (Villa Peripato)
- 19:00 — Opening and tastings
- 19:00-21:00 — "Pizza Salons" (guests include Daniele Campana and Roberto Davanzo)
- 19:30 — Salento Street Band
- 21:30 — Angelo Mellone and band concert
Monday, April 20 — EGO Academy & Dinner Incredible (Relais Histò)
- 10:15 — Talk "The cuisine of the future"
- 12:00 — Talk "The poetics of food"
- 14:30 — Talk "The Mediterranean in the vision of Dinner Incredible"
- 16:00 — Talk "Choosing the future"
- 17:00 — Pizza Competition awards and "Dialogues on Joy" show
- 20:00 — Dinner Incredible, gala event with international chefs
Highlights EGO Food Fest 2026
- 70 master pizza makers at the EGO Pizza Fest at Villa Peripato
- The Taranto black mussel, a Slow Food Presidium, star of the EGO Cozza Fest
- Opening with Enrico Bartolini and Barbara Nappini (Slow Food Italia)
- Over 25 masterclasses and the Dinner Incredible with international chefs
- The signing of the "EGO Pact," an ethical code for the restaurant industry
Prices EGO Food Fest 2026
Practical information — EGO Food Fest
Location
Events take place in Taranto at Villa Peripato, Relais Histò (Mar Piccolo), and various restaurants in the city center.
How to get there
Taranto is accessible by train via the central station, by car via the SS7 and A14 motorway (Taranto Nord exit), and from the airports of Brindisi and Bari, both connected by bus and train services.
Admission and bookings
Access to the Villa Peripato grounds during EGO Pizza Fest is free; tastings, masterclasses, and the Dinner Incredible are ticketed and require booking. Information and tickets are available on the official website www.egofestival.it.
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Where does it take place — EGO Food Fest
Villa Peripato