It doesn’t matter if you’re in Tokyo, Copenhagen, or Sydney—if you talk to a local and tell them you’re from Valencia, they’ll reply with “paella,” or at worst, “Barça” or “Real Madrid.” Paella is the most international dish in Valencian cuisine, but for us it’s much more than that: it’s a tradition that brings friends and family together to spend time with one another. And there’s no better way to celebrate World Paella Day ( World Paella Day, to put it plainly) than by spending a Sunday enjoying the star of the day.
This Sunday, September 20, we’re celebrating the occasion, and to mark the day, two very special events centered around this dish have been organized: the final round of the international paella contest and a community paella lunch for six euros per person.
World Paella Day Cup: Time, Location, and Qualifiers
La Marina de Valencia is hosting 12 internationally renowned chefs to compete in a tournament aimed at crowning the world’s best paella chef (not counting the Valencians, of course).
Starting at 10:00 a.m., participants will begin preparing their paellas, though they’ll be divided into four groups of three. Attendance as a spectator is free, although only the tournament’s jury will be able to taste the dishes. Around 1:30 p.m., the final verdict will be announced, and the tournament trophy will be awarded to the champion.
Each of the 12 chefs represents their country of origin and will use their own ingredients to reinterpret and adapt the classic Valencian dish. In 2025, the winner was Frederic Gallego from France, who prepared a rice dish with Jerusalem artichokes and pumpkin on a seabed-inspired base. The list of countries and chefs who qualified for this edition is as follows:
- Bulgaria: Nikolay Genchev
- Brazil: Nivaldo Francisco de Souza
- Colombia: Juan Esteban Ramírez
- Denmark: Jimmy Holm
- Ecuador: Hugo Andrade
- France: Joël Jacquet
- Japan: Keisuke Muutsura
- Mexico: Froilán Mújica
- United Kingdom: Daniel Tylor
- Romania: Camelia Mihai
- Switzerland: Juanma Molina
- Uruguay: Victoria Rodríguez
By the way, if you don’t want to make the trip to the port, the competition’s website will be streaming the event live.
A community paella with live music for 6 euros
After crowning the champion and presenting the awards, the event transforms into a major culinary gathering open to the public. Paella will be served at 6 euros a serving so that all attendees can enjoy the dish in its most classic form.
Plus, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., the meal will be accompanied by live music and DJ sets to round out the event with food, culture, and outdoor entertainment.
