Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, November 5, 2026 — The Grill Festival returns November 7–8 to the International Convention Center, bringing barbecue demonstrations, cooking competitions, and live music over two days.
The official program lists hours of 2–11 p.m. Saturday and noon–9 p.m. Sunday. General admission is 300 pesos for either day; a 400-peso pass covers both.
For anyone deciding whether to go, the useful question is what a day at the festival includes, from the admission ticket to the demonstrations worth planning around.
Admission and food costs
The festival’s official ticket page lists four adult admission options:
| Ticket | Published price per person |
|---|---|
| General admission, Saturday or Sunday | 300 pesos |
| Weekend pass, both days | 400 pesos |
| VIP, one day | From 3,000 pesos |
| VIP, both days | 5,000 pesos |
Children under 12 enter free with a ticketed adult using general admission or a weekend pass. The site lists a separate 1,500-peso children’s VIP option.
As of November 5, the official website was advertising “Pay 1, get 2” for online purchases. Check the selected ticket and final total when booking.
General admission includes access to food stands, competitions, demonstrations, live shows, and the children’s area, according to the organizer’s ticket descriptions.
For a general-admission visit, budget separately for food and drinks. The organizer’s exhibitor information describes restaurants selling dishes to the public; the admission listing does not specify an all-inclusive food-and-drink allowance.
Which day fits your plans?
Saturday’s main attraction is a whole-cow roast involving seven chefs over five hours. The program also includes beef butchery with Juan Durán, asado criollo, fire-cooked desserts, and goat and suckling pig roasted on stakes.
For readers choosing a shorter visit, these are the main scheduled times:
| Day | Cooking highlights |
|---|---|
| Saturday, November 7 | Whole-cow roast, 2–7 p.m.; beef butchery, 3–5 p.m.; goat and suckling pig, 7–8:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, November 8 | Tuna cutting demonstration, noon–2 p.m.; Vallarta-style discada, 2–4 p.m.; grilling competition, 4:30–7 p.m.; Texas BBQ class, 7–8 p.m. |
Sunday’s tuna demonstration is a ronqueo, the traditional breakdown of a whole tuna, led by chef Emanuel Enríquez. Víctor Howard and pitmaster Fernando R. Martínez lead the evening Texas BBQ class.
The organizer advertises 10,000 pesos for first place in Saturday’s Mixólogo de Fuego cocktail contest and 50,000 pesos for the winner of Sunday’s Maestro del Asador grilling competition.
Music, hospitality awards and the venue
The stage schedule includes Tromba Vetusta on Saturday from 6–7 p.m. Golden Iguana Hospitality Awards, followed by violinist Aloutte at 7 p.m. Sunday lists Xiutla at 2 p.m., Aloutte at 3 p.m., Angeloo at 4 p.m., and Gabriela Heart at 5 p.m.
The inaugural hospitality awards will recognize six restaurants and six servers through PV Everything’s Sizzling Summer Menus program, drawing on diners’ evaluations, according to the festival presentation.
Jalisco’s Tourism Secretariat and the Puerto Vallarta tourism trust are supporting the event as part of their culinary tourism promotion. Organizers expect more than 6,000 attendees and participation from more than 150 chefs and industry representatives.
It comes ahead of Festival Gourmet International, November 12–22, adding another food event to the city’s November calendar.
The Convention Center lists its address as Avenida Paseo de las Flores 505, Villa Las Flores. Use that address when arranging transport to the venue.
The program is subject to change. For anyone choosing Sunday specifically for the Texas BBQ class, plan to stay for the 7–8 p.m. session; a lunchtime visit would miss it.
