From 13 September to 15 November 2026 Ticino will host the XX edition of S. Pilgrim Flavors Ticino, an event that over two decades has transformed into one of Europe's most important gastronomic events. This twentieth anniversary edition focuses on Switzerland, highlighting chefs who represent national culinary excellence and retracing a path that has helped promote the canton well beyond its borders.
The milestone comes after a history of significant numbers: over 400 evenings organized, more than 600 Michelin stars involved, and over 5.800 GaultMillau points represented. A journey that has fostered the encounter between different gastronomic cultures and consolidated Ticino's role as a destination capable of attracting haute cuisine enthusiasts.
Twenty years of growth and promotion of the territory
Since its inception, the festival has aimed to create opportunities for discussion between restaurant professionals from different countries and the protagonists of Ticino gastronomy. The idea was to use food as a common language, highlighting traditions, techniques, and products through collaborations that over the years have helped strengthen the region's image.
Sapori Ticino founder and CEO Dany Stauffacher recalls how the project began in 2007, almost as a gamble. The initial goal was to promote Ticino as a tourist destination through events dedicated to quality food and wine, at a time when the value of signature cuisine hadn't yet acquired the strategic importance it holds today in travel destinations.
According to Stauffacher, in recent years the canton has evolved to become one of the regions with the highest concentration of award-winning restaurants per capita, contributing to the prestige of the Swiss restaurant industry.
The evolution of Swiss cuisine
The twentieth edition also aims to showcase the transformation Swiss gastronomy has undergone. In recent years, Swiss cuisine has combined its regional roots with an increasingly contemporary vision, characterized by research, sustainability, and the valorization of local produce.
This evolution has its roots in an ancient tradition that recalls the figure of Martino de Rossi, a chef originally from the Blenio Valley and considered by many scholars to be one of the fathers of modern cuisine.
The data also demonstrates the sector's growth. Swiss restaurants awarded Michelin stars have grown from 84 in 2010 to 145 in 2025, while the GaultMillau guide now lists approximately 880 establishments across the country.
At the same time, the importance of food tourism has increased, with a growing number of travellers choosing a destination based on its culinary offerings and the opportunity to discover local products, traditions, and identities.
A festival supported by the main tourism entities
Over the years, S.Pellegrino Sapori Ticino has built a network of collaborations involving institutions and organizations in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
These include Switzerland Tourism, Ticino Tourism, Lugano Region, the Lago Maggiore and Valleys Tourism Organization, Swiss Deluxe Hotels, Grandes Tables Suisses, the GaultMillau guide, and the EHL in Lausanne, entities that have contributed to the growth and international diffusion of the project.
Christina Glaeser, Director of Switzerland Tourism for Italy, emphasizes how the event is consistent with the national strategy of promoting year-round tourism and longer stays, also highlighting seasons like autumn.
For Angelo Trotta, director of Ticino Turismo, the festival represents an important tool for strengthening the Canton's image as a quality destination, capable of combining hospitality, professionalism, and gastronomic heritage.
Massimo Boni, director of the Lugano Tourist Board, emphasizes the role of food and wine as a strategic element in the area's tourism development and in the deseasonalization of visitor flows.
The chefs featured in the 2026 edition
The program brings together eleven of the leading interpreters of contemporary Swiss cuisine, who together represent 21 Michelin stars and 199 GaultMillau points.
The protagonists will be Tanja Grandits, Stefan Heilemann, Marcel Koolen, Reto Brändli, Kevin Fernandez, Franck Giovannini, Stéphane Décotterd, Pascal Steffen, Paolo Rota, Gilles Varone and Silvio Germann, invited to collaborate with Ticino chefs in a series of dinners dedicated to national gastronomic creativity.
Events in Ticino
The festival evenings will take place at numerous hotels and restaurants throughout the canton. Events will take place at the Hotel Splendide Royal in Lugano, the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola in Lugano, the Villa Principe Leopoldo in Lugano, the Casino Lugano, the La Romantica Boutique Hotel in Melide, the Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona, the Hotel Belvedere in Locarno, the Ristorante La Baia in Muralto, the Seven Toc Toc in Ascona, the Ristorante Seven in Lugano, the Ristorante Ciani in Lugano, the Tenuta Castello di Morcote in Vico Morcote, Moncucchetto in Lugano, the Ristorante Meta in Lugano, and the Ristorante Curzutt in Monte Carasso.
The official inauguration will be held at the Grand Opening of the Hotel Splendide Royal in Lugano, dedicated to the chefs of the Swiss Deluxe Hotels, while the event will conclude with the traditional Final Party organized at La Romantica Boutique Hotel in Melide together with some of the Ticino chefs who have supported the growth of the festival.
Two events beyond the Gotthard Pass
The program also includes two initiatives in French-speaking Switzerland dedicated to promoting Ticino.
On October 13th, a delegation of Ticino chefs will be the protagonist at the EHL in Lausanne, one of the most prestigious international hospitality schools, offering a dinner accompanied by Ticino wines.
The second event is scheduled for October 27th at the Grand Hotel du Lac in Vevey, where cantonal cuisine will once again take center stage in collaboration with some of the leading establishments in the Swiss Deluxe Hotels network.
A cycle that ends and a new project on the way
The 2026 edition also represents a turning point. Dany Stauffacher has announced that the format, known for the last twenty years, will end with this edition.
The end of the format, however, will not coincide with the end of Sapori Ticino's activities. The organization intends to develop new projects dedicated to gastronomy, hospitality, and the promotion of the region, building on the expertise and relationships built over two decades.
The stated goal is to continue promoting Ticino as a destination distinguished by its quality of hospitality, food and wine heritage, and lifestyle, adapting future initiatives to the evolution of the tourism and restaurant sectors.
The complete program of the twentieth edition is available on the festival's official website.
