El Poble Nou de Benitatxell is already heating up the stove for the celebration of its most anticipated gastronomic and cultural event: the Mitjafava Fest 2026. After the success of previous editions, the festival returns with force to promote the ‘fava poblera’, the star product of the municipality. The great novelty of this edition is the change of location. The epicentre of the festival moves from Pesqueres Square to the parking lot on Valencia Valencia, located in front of the Local Police station.
Mitjafava Fest 2026 not only celebrates taste, but also creativity. This year the first contest of ‘La Fava Exterminadora’ is born, a technological offer that consists of a mobile role-playing game where participants must compete to «exterminate» their opponents and be the last survivor.
In the agricultural and wine section, coordinated by the BioMoscatell association, the traditional homemade wine contest is growing. In addition to the awards of previous editions, a new and long-awaited category is added: the award for the Best Mistela, honouring one of the most emblematic products of La Marina Alta.
Programming for all the senses
As usual, the festival will start with the Fava Gastronomic Days, in which various local restaurants will offer rice dishes with broad beans throughout the week: Thursday, April 16th at Restaurante La Cumbre (966 493 213), Friday, April 17th at Ca Toni Mònica (966 493 636) and Saturday, April 18th at La Trillaora (647 606 784).
On Wednesday 15th, the Library will host the presentation of the book ‘Lola & Vitamino. The adventure of learning to eat healthy’ at 7pm. The library will also host from that day the ethnological exhibition ‘Els oficis’ of the MACMA, which reviews the main traditional trades of La Marina Alta in danger of extinction.
After last year’s success, on Thursday 16th, at 7pm at the Social Centre, Biomoscatell Association will repeat the wine tasting with its pairing, this time by sommelier Raúl Caselles, from the Miguel de Xàbia Winery. The capacity is 35 people and registration can be done from next week in https://www.inscribirme.com/o/ajuntament-del-poble-nou-de-benitatxell
The main courses will arrive at the weekend. Avant-garde gastronomy and local tradition will merge on Friday 17th in an unmissable event that will take place at 8pm at the Parking lot of Valencia Avenue. The evening will feature high-level showcooking where chef Carlos García Moreno, from Dexcaro restaurant (Dénia) – distinguished with a Repsol Sun – and the well known gastronomic disseminator Maria Albero (@saboreanda), recently awarded for her professional career, will join their talents to create two exclusive tapas with the broad bean in town as the star ingredient.
The event, hosted by the journalist and disseminator Elena Vidal (@alicantestreetstyle), promises to be a complete sensory experience. After the culinary demonstration, attendees will be able to enjoy a wine of honour and tasting tapas cooked by the chefs, all enlivened by the live notes of the saxophonist Alfredo Ripoll.
On Saturday, April 18th, the Mitjafava Fest will continue with a day that combines agricultural roots with festive spirit. The morning will begin at 11am with a visit to the experimental broad bean terrace and a wine tasting by the Biomoscatell Association (with prior registration on WhatsApp at 615 398 238), followed at 12pm by a popular dance by the Grup de Danses Morro Falquí and the Colla la Llebetjà through the town centre.
From 5:30 pm, the activity will move to the tent on Valencia Avenue with the ‘Tardet Pobler’, which will feature tapas, medieval attractions and the family game ‘La Fava Exterminadora’. Music and popular culture will be the main protagonists with the Muixeranga of La Marina Alta (6 pm) and the performances of Spicy Cherries, Tres Fan Ball, Bèrnia and Esther, closing the night with the energy of La Xe-Ranga and Fiona Onix DJ Set. There will be food and drink bars at popular prices.
On Sunday, April 19th, the festival will say goodbye with a day of coexistence in the parking lot of Valencia Avenue. The morning will start at 10 am with brunch from El Portalet bullfighting club and the unique contests of the fava més llarga (the longest broad bean) and the fava amb més gallons (the broad bean with more seeds). From 11 am onwards, the Tapifava Festival will come to life with local bars and restaurants, which will offer various preparations with broad beans at popular prices. The event will be enlivened by the concerts of Canta Canalla (11:30 a.m.) and Músics de Carrer (1:00 p.m.), to end at 1:30 p.m. with the awards ceremony for the best wines, mistelas and broad beans, in addition to the award of the I Tournament of ‘La Fava Exterminadora’.
All the detailed programme can be consulted on the municipal website: https://elpoblenoudebenitatxell.com/eventos/programa-mitjafava-fest-2026/
