Countdown to Michelin Guide gala in Malaga: these are the chefs who will cook dinner
Presenter Jesús Vázquez is the host of the event in the Sohrlin theatre in Malaga on 25 November
Malaga is preparing for the great culinary experience that the city is hosting on 25 November: the gala presentation of the 2026 Michelin Guide, which will bring together the best chefs from all over the country.
The event will be held in the Sohrlin theatre. The menu for the dinner will be created by the nine Malaga chefs who work at establishments with a total of 11 stars: Marcos Granda (Skina, 2*), Benito Gómez (Bardal, 2*), Mario Cachinero (chef at Skina, 2*), José Carlos García (José Carlos García, 1*), Emiliano Schobert (Blossom, 1*), Dani Carnero (Kaleja, 1*), Diego Gallegos (Sollo, 1*), Mauricio Giovannini (Messina, 1*), Manuel de Bedoya (Nintai, 1*) and David Olivas (Back, 1*). All of them will attend with their kitchen teams.
As the publication's editors report, all of them have been chosen because "they highlight the diverse cuisine of the restaurants that make up the Michelin Guide", demonstrating the richness of the province of Malaga.
Chef José Carlos García said that he considers the opportunity to cook for the gala to be "a luxury".
"It is something special, because we can express what we like, share with the attendees and show that Malaga has the desire to do things well and have a good time," he said.
Messina's head waiter Pia Ninci added: "We are very happy to be part of this family and proud to be there."
The menu consists of 18 dishes, two by each chef, and remains secret until the day of the gala
The menu, which will remain a secret until the day of the gala in order to surprise the attendees, consists of 18 dishes (two by each of the chefs) and "will be totally representative of the cuisine of each restaurant". Without revealing too much, Dani Carnero said that their main objective is "to represent Malaga, its restaurants and its culture".
What has been revealed, however, is the wine pairing that will accompany the gala dinner. Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker's taster for Spain, has announced that there will be "big surprises" such as the sparkling wine El Corregidor de Carrascal. There will also be a Manzanilla from Sanlúcar (Pastora), an amontillado (Gran Barquero) and a Sedella red from Sierras de Málaga.
"Andalucía not only produces one of the best wines in Spain, but also in the world," Gutiérrez said.
Presenter of the gala
Ronda was chosen as the host for the presentation of the event. At the Convento de Santo Domingo on Wednesday, 15 October, in addition to other details, the Michelin gala organisers also announced that the dinner will be hosted by TV presenter Jesús Vázquez, whose "charisma", "ability to connect with the public and versatility" make him the perfect figure to entertain the attendees.
Ronda mayor María Paz Fernández said that she was particularly excited about the fact that the launch had taken place in Ronda.
General secretary for tourism of the Andalusian regional government Yolanda de Aguilar said that "the Andalusian hospitality industry" is the region's specialty. She highlighted the 57,000 restaurants and bars in Andalucía, which provide around 300,000 direct jobs and account for 40% of tourist spending.
According to De Aguilar, Andalucía is second in Spain in terms of the number of restaurants and first in terms of bars, with Malaga among the leading provinces.
"Therefore, it is not surprising that Michelin comes here to celebrate its gala, which will allow Andalucía to have better growth opportunities within tourism," she said.
President of the provincial authority Francisco Salado praised Malaga's chefs for the quality they bring to the province's cuisine, pushing it to the top of global gastronomy. He said that food is one of the offers that makes tourists return. Salado also congratulated Malaga's chefs for reclaiming traditional local recipes.
This year's Michelin gala is held in Malaga thanks to the strong support of the regional government, the provincial authority and Malaga city council. The three institutions have collaborated to invest a total of one million euros in this intiaitive.
Parallel activities
In the days leading up to the gala, Malaga is hosting different promotional initiatives to raise awareness of the importance of provincial and Andalusian cuisine. One of them is the social media campaign Málaga Estrellas con Mucho Arte, which promotes local haute cuisine.
The wider public will get the chance to participate in a social media raffle for two tickets to the gala. To join the raffle, people will have to vote for the person who best represents Andalusian art.
An agreement has also been reached with the royal motorcycling federation to launch the so-called Ruta Rueda Dorada, which will allow visitors to explore the province from a dual perspective: from its territory to its gastronomy.
Finally, on 11 November, the sixth El debate de la Gala will be held in Museo Picasso under the title 'Let's talk about training'. Journalists and chefs will take part in this meeting, during which topics such as culinary schools and current success stories will be discussed.
