The Champions Burger festival returns to Valencia with California Dreaming edition

From July 1 to 12, Valencia’s Mestalla stadium will host the next edition of the The Champions Burger festival under the theme “California Dreaming.” The event features 22 Spanish burger venues, with three Valencia‑based restaurants competing for the title of best smash‑burger, judged on bread quality, meat doneness, ingredient combo, presentation and originality. The festival runs without music to respect local noise limits, using a LED “civic traffic light” system that offers discounts when ambient sound stays below prescribed levels.

The festival, which generated €5.2 million for Valencia’s GDP in 2025 and created hundreds of jobs, is expanding to other cities; a photo series from Almería shows the 2026 edition, highlighting the growing national reach of the burger competition.