Taste 2026 Returns to Florence with a Focus on True Food

The 19th edition of Taste, the food fair promoted by Pitti Immagine, will take place from February 7 to 9, 2026, at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence. The event is dedicated to the theme True Food, a concept centred on the authenticity and concreteness of ingredients, products and production methods in contemporary gastronomy.

Taste 2026 will host more than 750 Italian and international companies, offering buyers and professionals an updated overview of the agri-food sector, positioned between tradition and innovation. Over 100 exhibitors will be presenting their products in Florence for the first time, following a selection process aimed at maintaining the fair’s focus on quality and identity.

A growing international audience

Taste continues to strengthen its international profile. According to the organisers, in the previous edition international buyers increased by 24%, reaching around 900 professionals from more than 60 countries, including Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. Participants included specialised retailers, importers, distributors, department stores, hospitality professionals, restaurateurs and chefs.

For 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) are again supporting the international promotion of the event, with a specific focus on attracting buyers from emerging markets and consolidating the presence of Italian food excellence abroad.

Layout and new sections

Visitors will enter the fair from Porta Santa Maria Novella, with registration at the Padiglione delle Ghiaia, which will once again serve as a central meeting point for talks, presentations and events. The exhibition route will start from the upper floor of the central pavilion, dedicated mainly to savoury products, continue on the ground floor and then move to the Cavaniglia pavilion, where sweet products will be showcased.

Within Cavaniglia, the Taste Spirits section will feature more than 30 labels of gin, vermouth, bitters and other spirits, focusing on small, often single-product producers with a strong narrative linked to botanicals and distillation.

An online Taste Shop will also be available. Ticket holders will receive a 20% discount code to be used on the e-commerce platforms of participating exhibitors, identified both on-site and on the Pitti Connect digital platform.

Special focus: heroic wines

Among the special projects confirmed for 2026 is the area dedicated to so-called “heroic wines”, curated by Alvaro De Anna. These wines are produced in extreme conditions, such as steep terraces, high altitudes or volcanic soils, often using demanding cultivation and harvesting methods. The section will present small producers working with rare grape varieties, unusual climates and unconventional ageing techniques.

Talks, events and the city programme

The fair will be accompanied by a dense programme of talks and discussions at the Taste Arena, addressing topics such as the evolution of bread-making, the relationship between chefs and producers, the changing perception of Italian food abroad, climate change and food production, and the growing attention to ultra-processed foods.

Outside the Fortezza, the “Fuori di Taste” programme will involve restaurants, bars and venues across Florence, hosting tastings, themed dinners and presentations that will allow a wider public to engage with the products featured at the fair.

Practical information

Taste 2026 will be open to professionals every day from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The general public will be admitted on Saturday and Sunday from 2.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday will be reserved exclusively for business-to-business meetings.

(Photos Taste 2025, via Pitti Immagine media gallery, credits: AKAstudio-collective)

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