Bergarè 2026 in Reggio Calabria: the bergamot festival at the Aragonese Castle

Castello Aragonese · Reggio di Calabria, Costa Viola, Calabria

22 October 2026 – 25 October 2026

From 22 to 25 October 2026 the Aragonese Castle in Reggio Calabria hosts the fifth edition of Bergarè, the bergamot festival organised by the Reggio Calabria Chamber of Commerce, this year on the theme "Identity and Territory". In Piazza Castello the Bergarè Village opens every day until midnight with a market of local bergamot producers, bergamot street food, cooking shows by reservation, a bartender contest, live music and DJ sets, while inside the castle there are B2B meetings with foreign buyers, exhibitions and talks.

Bergarè 2026: bergamot at the Aragonese Castle from 22 to 25 October

Bergarè is the event the Reggio Calabria Chamber of Commerce has run since 2022 to promote bergamot, the citrus fruit that grows on the narrow coastal strip between Scilla and Monasterace and which, according to the organisers, accounts for over 90% of world production. The name comes from joining the words Bergamotto and Reggio Calabria.

The fifth edition runs from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October 2026 at the Aragonese Castle on the theme "Identità e Territorio" (Identity and Territory): celebrating the fruit and its many uses, recognising the value of the supply chain and showcasing what the metropolitan area produces. Outside, in Piazza Castello, there is a village with stalls, cooking and shows; inside, the historic rooms host business meetings, talks and art installations devoted to bergamot.

The Bergarè Village in Piazza Castello: market and street food

The heart of the event is the Bergarè Village in Piazza Castello: a market where local bergamot businesses display and sell their products, organised with the trade associations; in 2025 the stalls offered bergamot juices, jams, candied peel, liqueurs, sweets, essential oils and perfumes. Next to it is the Bergarè street food area, with bergamot dishes from local businesses; in 2025 these ranged from pan pizza and arancini to craft beer and cocktails.

Village opening hours: Thursday 22 October from 4:30 pm to midnight, Friday 23 from 5 pm to midnight, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 from 10 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm to midnight. Street food opens at 4:30 pm on Thursday and at 5 pm on the other days. Every evening from 7 pm (from 9 pm on Sunday) there are live music shows and DJ sets.

Programme for Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October

On Thursday 22 October the event opens at 4:30 pm with the opening ceremony in Piazza Castello. From 5:30 to 7 pm there is the Bergarè Cocktail Contest, a bartender competition hosted by chef and TV personality Luca Pappagallo; from 6 to 10:30 pm cooking shows with chefs and pastry chefs from Reggio, by reservation; from 7 pm to midnight music and DJ sets. Inside the castle, from 4:30 to 7 pm, B2B meetings between local producers and foreign buyers.

On Friday 23 October the morning, from 9 am to 1 pm, is given over to a hands-on educational workshop for children and teenagers. In the afternoon, from 4:30 to 6 pm, another round of the Cocktail Contest, then the village and street food from 5 pm, cooking shows from 6 to 10:30 pm and shows from 7 pm. B2B meetings continue in the castle from 9 am to 1 pm and from 3 to 7 pm.

Programme for Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October

On Saturday 24 October, from 9 am to 1 pm, Luca Pappagallo leads a hands-on educational workshop for school pupils. The village is open from 10 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm to midnight, with street food from 5 pm, cooking shows from 6 to 10:30 pm and music and DJ sets from 7 pm.

On Sunday 25 October the village reopens from 10 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm to midnight, with street food and cooking shows as on the other days. From 6 to 8:30 pm there is the talk "La via del Bergamotto" (The Bergamot Route), which shares its name with the tourist itinerary proposed on the Bergarè website: five days from the city to the Greek-speaking area, the Ionian coast and the Locride, returning to the Strait via the Costa Viola, following the places where the fruit is grown and processed. It is followed by the award ceremony of the "La migliore vetrina di Bergarè" shop-window contest. Music and DJ sets close the festival from 9 pm to midnight.

Cooking shows by reservation and the Aragonese Castle

The cooking shows are where bergamot goes into savoury dishes and desserts: the organisers announce twelve sessions with Calabrian chefs, every day from 6 to 10:30 pm, with 70 seats per session. Places are by reservation only, online through the Bergarè booking page.

The castle's interior hosts the institutional and business side of the event: B2B meetings with foreign buyers to take the supply chain to international markets, sessions on the future of bergamot and the citrus sector, and art installations that reinterpret the fruit. If you want to try the recipes at home, the website has a digital recipe book created from the 2025 edition.

The "La migliore vetrina" contest and the Cocktail Contest

This edition introduces two competitions. The first, "La migliore vetrina di Bergarè 2026" (best shop window), is open to businesses of any sector in the metropolitan area with a window facing a public area: they decorate it on a bergamot theme and keep it on display until the end of the event. Entry is free and is made by sending the form to the Chamber of Commerce's certified email address by 19 October 2026.

Photos of the window must be posted on Facebook and Instagram by noon on Saturday 24 October, tagging Bergarè's profiles and using the hashtag #lamigliorevetrinabergare2026. A jury appointed by the Chamber awards a bergamot-themed ceramic artwork, while the window with the most likes wins a personalised window sticker. The second competition is the bartenders' Cocktail Contest, held in the square on 22 and 23 October.

Admission, getting there and what to see nearby

The village is set up outdoors in Piazza Castello and the official programme does not mention tickets for the square: the only activity listed as by reservation is the cooking shows. The Aragonese Castle is in the centre of Reggio Calabria, like the Cathedral, the National Archaeological Museum with the Riace Bronzes and the Lungomare Falcomatà seafront: the city's other landmarks are easy to combine with a visit.

If you want to stay for dinner after the stalls, see where to eat in Reggio Calabria. Other events in the city that weekend are listed in events in Calabria. More information is on the official Bergarè website.

Frequently asked questions

When does Bergarè 2026 take place?

From Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October 2026, at the Aragonese Castle and in Piazza Castello, Reggio Calabria. It is the fifth edition.

Is admission to Bergarè free?

The village is outdoors in Piazza Castello and the official programme does not mention entry tickets. The only activity that requires booking is the cooking shows, with 70 seats per session.

What are the opening hours of the Bergarè Village?

Thursday 22 from 4:30 pm to midnight, Friday 23 from 5 pm to midnight, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 from 10 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm to midnight.

How do I book a cooking show?

Online, through the "Prenota showcooking" section of bergare.it. Cooking shows take place every day from 6 to 10:30 pm.

Are there activities for children and teenagers?

Yes: on Friday 23 October from 9 am to 1 pm an educational workshop for children and teenagers, and on Saturday 24 a workshop for schools led by Luca Pappagallo.

How can a shop enter the "La migliore vetrina" contest?

By decorating its window on a bergamot theme and sending the free entry form to the Chamber of Commerce's certified email by 19 October 2026. The awards are presented on Sunday 25 October in Piazza Castello.

Who organises Bergarè?

The Reggio Calabria Chamber of Commerce, which has run the event since 2022 to promote bergamot and its supply chain.

Related events and news

All Costa Viola events