Mediterranean Diet Fair brings people together again in Tavira

Authentic flavors, living culture, tradition and innovation on the banks of the Gilão River, from September 4th to 7th, with the city of Tavira once again hosting the Mediterranean Diet Fair .

Every street invites exploration, every square hosts a concert, every stall shares knowledge, and every dish tells a story. This is an invitation to celebrate, with family, friends, or community, a lifestyle that unites people, generations, and cultures.

The Mediterranean Diet Fair is a regional, national and international reference event that celebrates the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, recognized by UNESCO .

This is an event that is the result of several months of preparation coordinated by the Tavira City Council , in close collaboration with an Organizing Committee that includes several regional entities, both public and private, whose common mission is to value, promote and safeguard the Mediterranean Diet as a living heritage.

As a representative community of Portugal in the inscription of the Mediterranean Diet on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage, Tavira reaffirms with this event its commitment to the preservation, promotion and transmission of this ancestral way of life, deeply rooted in Mediterranean cultures.

More than just a diet, the Mediterranean Diet represents a balanced and sustainable lifestyle that values healthy eating, seasonality, social interaction, traditional production methods, the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, and respect for nature.

It is also an inspiring model for facing today's challenges, promoting health, social cohesion and environmental sustainability, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ).

With a rich and diverse program, the event brings together Mediterranean countries, regional and national institutions, as well as dozens of entities from the region.

Around 150 stands dedicated to crafts, agri-food products and Mediterranean cuisine are planned, as well as around 50 institutional stands with the presence of associations, museums, schools, universities and educational, environmental and cultural projects.

The event also includes, under the guidance of the In Loco Association, numerous gastronomic demonstrations with local chefs and guests in partnership with the Hotel Schools of the Algarve (Faro) and Vila Real de Santo António (VRSA), itinerant entertainment, music and dance shows, heritage visits, conferences, workshops, themed meetings and physical activities, with emphasis on the already traditional Mediterranean Diet March, in partnership with the IPDJ and associations in the municipality.

This edition also includes seminars, conferences, thematic exhibitions and cultural activities that explore, in an accessible and reflective way, the major axes of sustainability, tradition and innovation, deepening the role of the Mediterranean Diet in the present and future of communities.

The musical component of the Fair will be spread across seven stages located in different areas of the city of Tavira: Republic Square, Coreto Garden, Old Fish Market (next to the Ribeira Market), Castle, Largo de Nossa Senhora da Piedade, Church of Mercy and Conviviality Square.

This geographical dispersion of the program not only allows for a more comprehensive cultural experience, but also provides the public with the opportunity to discover the architectural, historical, and scenic richness of the city, whose Mediterranean identity is reflected in every square, church, and street.

Among the names highlighted are: Xutos & Pontapés, Virgem Suta, Saad Tiouly (Morocco), flamenco from Argentina (Spain), Cuca Roseta with the Algarve Orchestra, Expresso Transatlântico, Criatura, A Cantadeira, Arbadetorne (France), Organetto a Cukù (Italy), António Zambujo, Ajde Zora (Italy/Serbia), Thanos Stavridis & Drom (Greece) and DAMA, among many others.

Care for families and children continues, with a reinforced program that includes workshops led by the Puppet Museum, environmental education activities by the Rotinas Selvagens Association, the ever-popular Hélder Games and Oral Tradition Tales by the Praça dos Livros Livres Association, a shared reading space and storytellers.

Over the four days, several national puppet companies of great artistic quality will perform: SA Marionetas, Era Uma Vez Marionetas, Teatro e Marionetas de Mandrágora, Rui Sousa Marionetas and Particles Elementares.

The Conviviality Square, located in the Palácio da Galeria Park, will be the heart of the Mediterranean Diet Fair's gastronomic experience.

There, guests will be able to sample specialties inspired by Mediterranean traditions, featuring four restaurants—two national, one Italian, and one Moroccan. Thirteen Tavira restaurants will also be presenting special menus based on healthy, seasonal, and sustainable food throughout the event.

During the four days, cultural expressions registered in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage will also be presented, such as Fado, Cante Alentejano, Caretos de Podence, the Cavaquinho Museum and the Dom Roberto Theater, in a continuous effort to value and safeguard Portuguese popular culture.

In the publishing field, the Mediterranean Diet Fair also includes the presentation of two books of special relevance.

The first, «Carlos Paredes – A Guitarra de um Povo», with a subsequent concert in homage to the master of the Portuguese guitar, led by Luísa Amaro, disciple of Carlos Paredes and his artistic successor.

The second highlighted title is the new edition of the book "Mediterranean Diet: An Ancient Heritage for Humanity", by Jorge Queiroz, an essential contribution to the historical, cultural and symbolic understanding of this common heritage.

Entry is free.

"Come with plenty of time, bring your family, friends, open senses, and a curious spirit. Between September 4th and 7th, Tavira breathes Mediterranean culture," invites the city council.