Calabria to host Scirubetta gelato festival and be Eurochocolate 2026 guest region

The city of Reggio Calabria will stage the fifth edition of Scirubetta, the International Artisan Gelato Festival, from 12 to 15 September 2026. The event will feature 34 master gelatiers from Europe, Japan, the United States and Italy, building on a record‑breaking 2025 edition that attracted over 100,000 visitors. Festival president Angelo Musolino said the 2026 edition represents a significant step up in scale and international profile.

Separately, the Calabria region has been named the first "guest region" of Eurochocolate 2026, which will take place in Perugia from 13 to 22 November 2026. The announcement, made on 8 August during Vinitaly in Reggio Calabria, highlighted a masterclass on wines and cacao and will give Calabrian producers a dedicated space at the Chocolate Show, alongside a tourism pavilion promoting the "Calabria Straordinaria" brand. Regional agriculture assessor Gianluca Gallo emphasised the strategic opportunity for Calabrian agri‑food exports, citing local specialties such as bergamot, cedro, peperoncino, figs and meditation wines.