Bulgaria once again solidifies its place among the elite of the world culinary scene. In June 2026, Burgas will host the World Paella Day Cup qualifications, one of the most significant culinary competitions in the world. For the first time, our country will be the only international qualification in Europe.
If chefs from Europe and other countries, where there is no national qualification for the competition, want to reach the world final of the ninth edition of the World Paella Day Cup, their path goes through Burgas.
The news was officially announced on January 22, 2026, during the prestigious FITUR tourism exhibition in Madrid, where the new global campaign of the world paella championship was also presented.
In June 2026, the qualifications in Bulgaria will give two direct places for the world final in Valencia:
- one Bulgarian quota – for the best Bulgarian chef;
- one international quota – for the best foreign participant.
Thus, Burgas becomes a mandatory stop for the world elite in paella, and the competition will determine who will represent not only our country, but also the international scene at the finals in Spain. The other host countries are France, Romania, Switzerland, Mexico, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Japan and Ecuador.
The attractive competition will be held on June 19, 20 and 21, 2026, at the Expo Center “Flora” – Burgas, as part of the large-scale festival of Spanish music, culture and cuisine “SOLE”. The program for “SOLE” will be announced very soon, but it is already clear that many special guests will arrive for the event – finalists from previous years, world-famous chefs and representatives of the international jury.
This is the third consecutive year that Bulgaria will have its representative in Valencia – the birthplace of paella.
So far, our country has two finalists on the world stage: Nikolay Todorov – Nick, who in 2024 put Bulgaria on the world culinary map, and Kaloyan Kolev, who in 2025 presented Bulgarian flavors at the prestigious final.
The World Paella Day Cup is more than a culinary competition – the competition is a platform for international dialogue, cultural exchange and partnerships between countries, chefs and tourist destinations. And the fact that the only international qualification outside of Spain is held in Bulgaria is a strong recognition for our country and its place in the world gastronomy.
With an international jury, elite participants and two direct quotas for the finals, Burgas is preparing to be the hot spot of paella in the summer of 2026!