On 27 and 28 September, the promenade of Marineta Cassiana will become the epicentre of culinary creativity. The 8th D*na Festival returns with an expanded programme that champions cuisine as the eighth art while celebrating the 10th anniversary of Dénia’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy (2015–2025).
Launched this morning at the Valencian Community’s Centre for Crafts, the festival—under the motto “All artists are welcome”—will connect cuisine with other arts through talks, workshops, exhibitions, live music and new sunset experiences. Festival curator Quique Dacosta (three Michelin stars) shared a conversation with illustrator Paco Roca about the dialogue between gastronomy and art. “Cuisine is constantly evolving. When it explores new paths and manages to move you, it becomes art,” Dacosta noted. Roca added: “Not all cuisine is art, but there is a lot of art within cuisine. Putting your view of the world on a plate is like doing it in a comic panel.”
Marian Cano, Regional Minister for Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, praised Dna for “feeding both body and soul and placing Dénia at the epicentre of culinary and artistic creativity,” while Vicent Grimalt, President of the Dénia Creative City of Gastronomy Foundation and Mayor of Dénia, highlighted the milestone year: “We celebrate ten years as a UNESCO Creative City. Dna has made us aware of our potential thanks to the true artists of the sea, the land and the stove.”
A star-studded line-up with an international focus
The Escenario del Mar (Sea Stage) will host leading figures such as Jordi Roca, Alberto Chicote, Amaury Bouhours, Marcos Morán and Pablo Montoro, alongside standout chefs from the Valencian Community: Lluis Valls, Borja Susilla, Gonzalo Herrador, Giuseppe Vono, Carolina Álvarez and Gonzalo Silla.
A major new addition, the Creative Cities Stage will bring together chefs from Mérida (Mexico), Tsuruoka (Japan), Nkongsamba (Cameroon), Zahlé (Lebanon) and Parma (Italy)—all members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network—with Ibiza as guest city and Dénia as host, underscoring the festival’s international outlook.
Workshops, tastings and live music
More than 40 workshops and showcookings will unfold across three themed spaces:
-
Espacio Aqualia: close-up, participatory culinary demos.
-
Espacio Universo Líquido: tastings of wines, olive oils, coffees and vermouths.
-
Espacio Cocina: traditional products and recipes—cocas, pickles, artisanal ice cream—reinterpreted today.
Registration opens 18 September at 10:00 via the festival website. The programme also features “8 at the Table”, an exhibition by Aprosdeco showcasing creativity by people with functional diversity; a 500-metre “art market of flavours” where producers and restaurateurs present ephemeral edible works; and a much-anticipated novelty: sunset boat trips pairing tastings with live music.
Organisation and partners
Dna Festival is organised by the Dénia Creative City of Gastronomy Foundation (City Council of Dénia, CEDMA, AEHTMA and Baleària), in collaboration with the City Council of Dénia, Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, and with the Costa Blanca Provincial Tourist Board as institutional partner. Curated by Quique Dacosta, its eighth edition cements Dna as one of Spain’s leading gastronomic events and reaffirms Dénia as the Mediterranean’s culinary capital.
Dates & venue: 27–28 September, Marineta Cassiana Promenade (Dénia).
Registration: from 18 September, 10:00 at the official website.
More info: dnafestivaldenia.com.
