For six days, from September 18–23, Apapaxoa Festival GastroCultural Xcaret 2026 transformed Hotel Xcaret Arte, Hotel Xcaret México, La Casa de la Playa and Xcaret Park into settings for a conversation that extended far beyond the kitchen.
In its third edition, the festival brought together more than 50 national and international guests and over 70 Michelin stars, alongside chefs from the Xcaret Gastronomic Collective, traditional cooks, sommeliers, producers, artists, writers, scientists and specialists from a range of disciplines.
Under the theme “The Colors of Mexico,” Apapaxoa explored gastronomy as an expression of identity, memory, creativity and place. The program included dinners, lunches, mixology experiences, workshops, art, music, wellness and “Relatos con Sabor” (“Stories with Flavor”), gatherings where chefs, writers, sommeliers and experts discussed gastronomy, technology, sustainability, culture and creativity.
More than simply bringing together renowned names in gastronomy, this edition sought to bring them into conversation.
Because if there was one question that ran throughout Apapaxoa 2026, it was this: What happens when gastronomy becomes more than what happens on a plate?
Six Days of Seeing Gastronomy Through Different Colors
Apapaxoa explores the many colors of Mexican gastronomy, from its ingredients, regions, traditions, and cultural knowledge to new ideas, research, and creativity. Throughout the festival, chefs, creators, producers, and specialists examined gastronomy through the lenses of research, memory, nature, technique, and place, asking how innovation can continue without losing sight of what gives cooking its meaning.
From Origins to the Avant-Garde
Paco Méndez and Diego Guerrero explored how avant-garde cooking can build on tradition, emphasizing research, documentation, and the development of an individual culinary voice. Oriol Castro demonstrated how technique can transform ingredients and textures in service of enjoyment, while Coco Montes highlighted the importance of cooking in tune with nature and what is at its best each day.
A Recipe Can Also Be a Musical Score
Martha Ortiz and Gabriela Ortiz explored the parallels between gastronomy and music in “Cocina Sinfónica: La Composición y la Gastronomía,” comparing recipes and musical scores as frameworks that come to life through interpretation. The conversation examined how creation, sensitivity, and individual interpretation can give the same structure an entirely different identity.
Territory as an Ingredient
Andoni Luis Aduriz, Juan Emilio Villaseñor, Alex Atala, and Alex Ruiz explored the relationship between gastronomy, territory, and identity, examining how ingredients are shaped by the people, ecosystems, knowledge, and stories behind them. The conversations emphasized territory as a source of memory, creativity, and culinary knowledge.
Memory, Identity and Knowledge
Memory and tradition took center stage as Quique Dacosta, Álvaro Clavijo, and Jonatan Gómez Luna explored how cuisine can be shaped by place, personal experience, and the people behind a restaurant. The festival also celebrated Gómez Luna’s induction into the Dom Pérignon Society as its first Latin American chef, while “Maestros Selectos” highlighted the knowledge and craft of three Mexican female mezcal masters, underscoring how traditions evolve by being passed to new generations.
When Color Becomes Flavor
Gaby Ruiz, Antonio Bachour, Martha Ortiz, and Pamela Cerdeira explored color, creativity, and artificial intelligence as evolving forces in gastronomy, from synesthesia and pastry to the future of culinary creation.
Gastronomy Is Changing, Too
The festival examined the evolution of mixology, fermentation, and zero-proof beverages through conversations with Erick Van Beek, José Luis Hinostroza, and Esteban Rojas.
A Global Perspective on Excellence
Stephanie Kim of La Liste explored how gastronomic and hotel excellence can be recognized across cultures through a broader methodology combining guides, reviews, and other sources.
From Art to the Table
Conversations with Jacobo Ángeles, María del Carmen Mendoza, Pablo Usobiaga, Sandra Fernández, and Carlos Borboa connected gastronomy with art, design, sustainability, climate change, and the future of food systems.
A Community Built Around the Table
Dinners and lunches throughout the festival brought together guest chefs, traditional cooks, and members of the Xcaret Gastronomic Collective, including the “Ellas Cantan” Gala Dinner honoring Dominique Crenn through a seven-course celebration of women in gastronomy.
Mixology as Part of the Experience
Arca, Mecenas, and Mamba Negra brought their cocktail programs to dinners and gatherings throughout the festival, exploring new ingredients, techniques, and approaches to mixology.
Biblioteca Viva
Biblioteca Viva, described as the first gastronomic book fair in Latin America, brought authors, books, and conversations around food and culinary memory into the festival.
One Night, 35 Michelin Stars
The September 22 Legacy Dinner brought together 35 Michelin stars and 35 couples for a nine-course, 26-preparation experience celebrating Xcaret Park’s 35th anniversary.
The Finale
Apapaxoa concluded on September 23 with an evening of gastronomy, mixology, and music at Hotel Xcaret México, culminating in a concert by Emmanuel and the close of the festival’s third edition.
Apapaxoa Festival GastroCultural Xcaret 2026 closed its third edition with an idea that resonated across every table, every stage, and every conversation: To create what comes next, we must first know how to listen to where we come from.
Images courtesy of Apapaxoa Festival GastroCultural Xcaret 2026
