Rosarito Seafood Festival 2026: Sips, Seafood & What to Expect

The Rosarito Seafood Festival, or Festival del Pescado y Marisco as locals call it, is a seafood lovers’ paradise now 34 years in the running. From ceviche to aguachile, perfectly prepared fish, shrimp, and every other bounty the ocean has provided, you will not be disappointed. Add the wine pairing with local wines from Valle and other Mexican regions, live music and entertainment, and it turns into an epicurean feast for the senses.

This was my first time at the Rosarito Seafood Festival, and I wanted to share some of my firsthand experiences at the festival, what I liked and didn’t like, and also helpful tips I wish I had known before I went. And finally, I will also share my personal opinion on the festival, what I liked and didn’t like, and whether I would go again.

I love Rosarito, and Baja in general. On a recent visit, I was really blown away by how Rosarito had grown up (check out my Rosarito Weekend Itinerary) and especially its amazing food and craft beer scene in Rosarito. So I was excited to come back again and attend this event to explore more.

What to Expect

24 restaurants, 15 wineries, and 8 culinary schools, live music and a beautiful location next to the ocean.

The Food

The food at the Rosarito Festival del Pescado Y Marisco was fantastic. Each booth showcased innovative, delicious bites that surprised and excited my taste buds.

I was surprised to see so many variations of sardines at the festival. At the same time, each sardine I tasted was prepared in such a different way that I can only applaud the chefs for their imagination and innovation in turning such a humble fish into such delicious bites! Anyone can make lobster taste good, but to turn a sardine into a mind-blowing culinary experience is much harder.

My favorite bite was the clam ceviche by Mariscos el Angel from Tijuana. The flavor was bright and refreshing, and the clam’s texture was just the right amount of chewy, similar to a really well-prepared calamari. A close second were the oysters from Occio Alta Traditión.

The Wine

One centrally located wine booth served tastings from local Valle de Guadalupe wineries. There were 3 lines for red, white, and rosé wines, which made queuing quite fast and easy. I waited no more than 3-5 minutes for each pour. However, the amount that you got depended a lot on the person pouring, but usually less than what you would get at a regular wine tasting.

As this was a seafood festival, I stuck to rosé and white wines, and they were all very good. My personal preference is more toward dry wines, and I was very happy with what I tasted.

My favorite sip was the Kruger Rosado, a 100% Sangiovese rosé. Bright acidity with a little sparkly needle on the tongue, dry but with lots of refreshing berry notes.

The Entertainment

This year’s main act was supposed to be Elefante, a famous Alternative/Latin Rock band from Mexico City, but unfortunately, this was canceled. There was still live music and good vibes, but I was really looking forward to seeing Elefante. Instead, these 3 bands played:
A Raíz Da Vida (I have no idea who they are, I couldn’t find any reference online)
Bad Michis (a local ska/reggae band from Tijuana)
Machito Ruiz (a local salsa/bachata artist from Tijuana)

I did enjoy the music, but the bands that played were definitely a different level band than Elefante.

Tickets & What is Included

Tickets are sold in tiers, and in 2026 they ranged from around $900 MXN for general admission up to $2,500 MXN for lounge seating and VIP tables, with gold (~$1,500 MXN) and preferential (~$2,000 MXN) options in between. That works out to roughly $50 to $140 USD depending on the exchange rate — and note that listed prices sometimes appear higher once service fees are added at checkout.

Whichever tier you choose, your ticket includes:

• 10 food tastings from participating regional restaurants
• 5 wine tastings, largely from Valle de Guadalupe
• The full music and entertainment program, including the headline concert (though in 2026, the headline act was canceled — more on that below)
• A commemorative glass for the first 500 guests through the gate

For the price, it’s a genuinely good deal — you’re getting fifteen tastings and a headline act in an oceanfront setting for less than a nice dinner for two back in San Diego.

Where to buy: Tickets are available online through Boletea. Also check out Eventbrite for sales and specials for this event. I saw General Admission Tickets there for $500 MXN, but those sales usually only last a few days. You can also sometimes find them in person locally at Xantina Brunch & Bistro or at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. I’d buy ahead either way, especially if you want a lounge or VIP table — those are limited.

One nice bonus: this is a benefit event, and part of the proceeds go to DIF Rosarito, the local family services agency. Your seafood habit is doing some good.

Know Before You Go

• If you have one of these wine glass holder thingies, bring it. Greg and I bought nice leather ones from a vendor at the festival, and it made handling the plates and wine glasses so much easier!
• Bring cash if you plan on buying additional food or beverages from vendors after you run out of tasting coupons. Dollars and Pesos are both fine, but many vendors do not accept credit cards.
• Bring a hat and wear sunscreen, as shaded seating is limited.
• Plan what you want to do between the tasting and the concert. Bring a swimsuit and enjoy the pool, go for a walk on the pier and enjoy the sunset, or just relax and listen to some live music. I was happy that we were staying at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, so we could go back to the room and relax and freshen up for a little while.

Is the Rosarito Seafood Festival Worth it?

After visiting, I have to say, it depends. I really enjoyed a lot of things about the festival, but there were also a few things I didn’t like as much. Greg and I had a good time and enjoyed ourselves, but there were a few things that could have been better. So let’s dive in and see if it is the right festival for you!

Things I loved:

• The food was fantastic. Everything was very well prepared and tasted fantastic. I enjoyed quite a few innovative ways of preparation that took me by surprise.
• The portions for each tasting were usually quite generous. For some of the smaller bites, some booths didn’t even take a ticket.
• The booths were staffed by the actual chefs, restaurant owners, or managers, so you could actually really talk to them and learn more about their restaurant and menu.
• Some vendors started selling larger portions of food after the tasting time was over at a very reasonable price. I got a large portion of the most delicious paella for $8 USD. Bring cash, as most vendors do not accept credit cards. Dollars and Pesos are both fine. There wasn’t a lot of extra food, though, so if you want more seafood, get it soon after the tasting time ends; otherwise, you will have to get food from the pool bar or hotel restaurant.
• I loved that all the restaurants and vendors were local. I had been to some of their restaurants before, and it was great to see the owner of Delliott’s Cerveceria (read our Rosarito Craft Beer Guide here) and chef Aldo Patatucci from Occio Alta Traditión again (I am still dreaming about their bone marrow drizzled tuna belly).
• The location is absolutely magical and it really puts you in a vacation mood quickly. Enjoy the sun, the ocean breeze and eat and drink some of the best of the best!

Things I didn’t like:

• Cancellation of the headliner band. I didn’t know until I got there, and I felt the organizers didn’t communicate it well. Full disclaimer: I only speak a little Spanish, so I might have missed it.
• Sardines, Sardines, Sardines. It felt like every booth had a sardine dish. I love how innovative the chefs were with the preparation of the various sardine dishes; I also like that they focused on a more humble and affordable choice. However, after tasting 8+ sardine dishes, I was kind of over it.
• The wine booth was away from the food booths, so by the time you walked from the wine booth to the food booth, your wine was gone. You couldn’t buy a full pour of wine either if you wanted to just sit and sip for a bit.
• There was a hard cutoff time for the tasting at 4 PM, so you only had 2 hours to make your way across the festival and try some food and wine. That gave you only about 8 minutes per tasting, which felt a bit rushed.
• The break between the tasting and the concert at 7 felt a bit long. Yes, there was an opening act playing, but it almost felt like two different events in one.

Would I go back? Yes — but I’d plan better. Two hours goes fast, so hit the booths you care about first and save room for whatever gets sold off after the tasting bell. The food, the setting, and the chance to actually talk to the chefs made it worth the drive.

The festival runs every August — watch Canirac Rosarito for 2027 dates. And if you’re heading down, make a weekend of it — here’s my guide to the best things to do in Rosarito.

Where to Stay for the Rosarito Seafood Festival

Greg and I stayed at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, the actual location of the Seafood Festival, and I would highly recommend it. It is so convenient to walk back to your room instead of having to worry about getting back to your accommodation. Also, the festival is pretty long (2 PM – 11 PM) it is nice to have the option to take a quick break, freshen up (private bathroom, hello!) and grab a jacket or drop something off. Super easy and convenient.

How to Get There

The festival is held at the Rosarito Beach Hotel on Blvd. Benito Juárez in downtown Rosarito — about 45 minutes south of the San Diego border, which makes this one of the easiest international food festivals you’ll ever get to.

Driving. Cross at either San Ysidro or Otay Mesa (Otay is often the faster choice heading south, since you skip the crawl through central Tijuana), then take the scenic toll road, Mexico 1D, straight down the coast. Bring pesos or small bills for the toll booths. One non-negotiable: your U.S. auto insurance doesn’t cover you in Mexico, so buy a Mexican policy before you cross — you can do it online in a few minutes. Don’t forget to stop to get your FMM (Forma Migratoria Múltiple) after you cross. At San Ysidro, you can get it at the Customs Office Building right after you cross on the right side.

Not driving — and honestly, my recommendation. There are five wine tastings in your ticket and music until 11:00 PM, so this is a great event to leave the car at home for. Plenty of visitors park on the U.S. side, walk across at San Ysidro, and take a taxi or rideshare down to Rosarito. Shuttle services from San Diego are the other easy option. Even if you decide to stay the night, not driving is just so much less hassle and avoids the stress of driving through Tijuana and finding the right lane to cross back into the US. Greg and I took an Uber and it cost us about $ 25 USD from the Border Crossing to the Rosarito Beach Hotel.

Documents. Bring your passport or passport card — you’ll need it to get back into the U.S. If you have Global Entry or SENTRI, bring the card; the difference between the regular pedestrian line and the SENTRI lane on the weekend can be hours.

Coming home. The northbound wait is the part that tests your patience, and it’s worst on weekend evenings. Either plan to cross late, or better yet, stay the night.

For a full border-crossing walkthrough, see my Rosarito weekend itinerary.

Rosarito Seafood Festival FAQs

Last Updated on August 26, 2026 by Maria Haase

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