The next edition of San Sebastian Gastronomika – Euskadi Basque Country is taking shape, with many new features already confirmed for the event, which will take place from 6 to 8 October at the Kursaal Palace under the theme of 'Tradition and Regeneration'. Leading the list of speakers who have confirmed their attendance at the next edition of San Sebastian Gastronomika - Euskadi Basque Country is Peruvian chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, known as Micha. He runs Maido, which was recently voted the world's best restaurant in 2025 by The50Best. He is one of the leading exponents of Nikkei cuisine, blending the traditions of Japanese emigration with Peruvian ingredients to create one of the world's most popular culinary fusions.

This year's event will address two major trends shaping the present and immediate future of gastronomy: a return to our roots, and a genuine regeneration of food and ecological systems. The theme of this year's event is to go beyond sustainability, a concept that, despite having taken root over the years, has often been used as a slogan without bringing about profound change. San Sebastian Gastronomika 2025 is firmly committed to regeneration, not as maintaining the current system, but as an active process of repair and structural change. In a world facing climate, economic and social crises, maintaining the status quo is no longer enough; we must promote a bold transformation that restores ecosystems to health and functionality, embracing real circularity and fostering a more harmonious relationship with the environment.

The wealth of the Cidade Maravilhosa

In this context, San Sebastian Gastronomika is announcing the designation of a Latin American Guest City for the first time. This is Rio de Janeiro, the most vibrant and exciting city on the current Latin American culinary scene. With its indigenous, African and European heritage, Rio will showcase its culinary, cultural and human wealth through a delegation of chefs and creators who will bring colour and flavour to every corner of the Kursaal.

Among the representatives of the 'Cidade Maravilhosa' will be some of its greatest culinary exponents. Rafa Costa é Silva, the chef at the two-Michelin-starred Lasai restaurant and Brazil's best chef, will present a panoramic vision in which the green and blue of the Carioca landscape influence his style. He will be joined by Felipe Bronze, the chef at Oro, which also has two Michelin stars. Bronze is one of the leading figures in avant-garde cuisine, using fire as a central technique. Completing the trio is Thomas Troisgros, chef at L'Oseille*, grandson of the legendary Pierre Troisgros, and a leading figure in the Brazilian fun dining movement, which combines French technique with tropical exuberance.

Rio's presence will extend beyond the main stage to include the VIP room, the Km 0 dining room offering a Basque-Carioca lunch, the Asador and stands, as well as a full programme of show cooking, tastings and sensory experiences centred on the guest city. Rio de Janeiro will undoubtedly be the Latin soul of Gastronomika 2025.

The international programme of the congress will feature prominent figures from the global culinary scene. Niklas Ekstedt, a pioneer of cooking with direct fire, smoke and embers, will be coming from Sweden. He has turned his restaurant Ekstedt* in Stockholm into a benchmark for reinvented pre-industrial cuisine. Jefferson García, chef at Afluente in Colombia, will also participate, combining local ingredients, indigenous roots and contemporary techniques with a sustainable and innovative approach.

Women in Haute Cuisine

This edition of the leading gastronomy conference will also focus on the unique perspective of women in haute cuisine. Several of the most brilliant female chefs on the current gastronomic scene will be in attendance, including: Representing the United Kingdom will be Nieves Barragán, a chef and one of the most important gastronomic entrepreneurs in Great Britain, who was born in Bilbao. She is the driving force behind the Sabor restaurant in London, where she has reinterpreted Spanish cuisine with authenticity, technique and emotion. Also attending will be Thalía Barrios, a young Michelin-starred chef from Oaxaca, Mexico, who has developed a deeply personal approach to cuisine through projects such as Levadura de Olla. Another confirmed name is Italian chef Viviana Varese, who is renowned for her inclusive activism, contemporary cuisine and ability to combine territory, technique and sensitivity at the Passalacqua restaurant. Maca de Castro, the chef who has elevated Mallorcan cuisine to new heights, is also confirmed. She bases her gastronomic proposal on thorough research into the products and traditional preparations of her immediate environment, setting out to document the culinary wealth of Mallorca in the process.

Other confirmed participants in the national programme include Jordi Roca, Ramón Freixa, Álvaro Garrido, Eneko Atxa, Hideki Matsuhisa and Sergio Ortiz de Zarate. This edition will also focus on the cuisines of fire and the sea. In the field of grilling, José Gordón from the legendary El Capricho restaurant, the beef expert, and Jon Ayala from the Laia restaurant, renowned for his technical mastery of Basque grilling, will participate.

New territories

Gastronomika is strongly committed to exploring new territories, including the world of the oceans. This commitment encompasses seafood gastronomy, the regeneration of marine environments and the defence of sustainable and traditional fishing practices. Notable figures include Roderick Sloan, a Scottish fisherman based in Norway who is a sustainable sea urchin harvester and supplier to renowned restaurants such as Noma in Copenhagen, and Luigi Pomata, a Sardinian chef known as 'the king of tuna', who has elevated vintage tuna preserves to a high gastronomic level with canned products matured for over 25 years.
Xabier Agote, president and founder of the Albaola cultural shipyard in Pasajes, will also be joining the marine culture section. He is responsible for the project to accurately reconstruct the whaling ship San Juan, which is an unprecedented feat of naval archaeology, carpentry and historical dissemination.

Haute cuisine developed in a rural setting with a high emotional intensity will also be a key feature of this year's programme, with the confirmation of Nacho Manzano as a new three-star chef. Manzano is an Asturian chef who has built a gastronomic offering of the highest level with international appeal based on his natural environment.

Awards and taverns

The 27th edition of the Gastronomika conference will see the presentation of four awards: the Tribute Award will be given to British chef Heston Blumenthal; the Gueridón de Oro will be awarded jointly to Master of Wine Almudena Alberca and oenologist Sara Pérez; the Pau Albornà i Torras Award for Gastronomic Journalism will be given to food critic José Carlos Capel; and the Tabernero Mayor Award will be won by Mariano García from the Donald Restaurant in Seville. Gastronomika will also host the second Taverns and Tavern Keepers Congress, the World Tripe Championship, and the National Championships for Ensaladilla, Txuleta, and Fish Soup.

Following last year's success, the organisers are finalising the programme for the second Taverns and Tavern Keepers Forum. This small, complementary congress will be held on the main stage of the Kursaal and will once again feature leading tavern keepers discussing the reality of a group that accounts for over 64% of hospitality establishments. They will be joined on this unique stage by renowned chefs who own taverns.