Seafood Expo Global 2026 will be the largest ever

With just 11 days to go before the next edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global opens its doors, the organizers confirmed today that the 2026 Expo will be the largest in the event’s history, featuring more than 52,950 square meters of net exhibition space. Taking place from April 21 to 23 at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona, the world's leading trade event for the seafood industry will celebrate its 32nd edition this year.

In addition to those more than 52,000 square meters of net exhibition space, other figures also highlight the event's global scope, such as the 2,300 exhibiting companies from 86 countries that will gather at this year's exhibition, and the 65 national and regional pavilions, which will help bring together seafood professionals from across the global supply chain.

Wynter Courmont, Group Vice President of Seafood at Diversified—the event's organizer—noted that as corporate participation reaches record levels and continues to grow, the scale and diversity of this year's event reflect the growing global interest in innovation and collaboration across the seafood supply chain.

"With the debut of the Aquaculture Innovation Zone, we are creating a dedicated space for companies, investors, and policymakers to engage with the ideas and technologies that will define the future of seafood. We look forward to welcoming the world to Barcelona for an impactful event," she added, referring to the main novelty of this edition.

For his part, Constantí Serrallonga, General Manager of Fira de Barcelona, stated that the five years of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global in the Catalan capital demonstrate how a leading international event like this finds at the Fira de Barcelona exhibition center, and in the city, the perfect environment to grow and enhance its visibility and development.

"It is an example of how mutual trust, collaborative work, and a shared commitment to excellence multiply the show's opportunities and strengthen the bonds and legacy within the host city and the entire food industry ecosystem," Serrallonga said.

According to the organizers, last year's event—which drew over 35,000 seafood professionals—had an estimated economic impact of more than EUR 156 million on the city. This year, the economic benefit the event is expected to generate in Barcelona is projected to exceed EUR 161 million, an increase of 3.2%. 

The new Aquaculture Innovation Zone, this year's main novelty

As in previous years, at this 32nd edition, exhibitors at Seafood Expo Global will showcase the latest innovations in seafood products, as well as in manufacturing and processing technology. They will do so in Halls 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and in the Galleria (located between Halls 4 and 5) at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona.

Buyers from around the world, including retailers, foodservice companies, distributors, and importers, will be able to source fresh, frozen, canned, preserved, value-added, processed, and packaged seafood products.

Located in Halls 1 and 3, Seafood Processing Global, for its part, will cover all aspects of seafood processing, including processing, refrigeration, and freezing equipment; packaging materials and machinery; aquaculture supplies; hygiene control; sanitation; quality control services; and transportation and logistics.

As is customary, the Expo—which this year welcomes new participating countries such as Saudi Arabia and Monaco—will reserve a special place for the host country. Spain will have its own pavilion at the fair, featuring various institutions and organizations that support the exhibiting companies. In addition to contributing 246 exhibitors to the extensive international roster, the country will also be represented through several national and regional pavilions.

As a major new feature of this 32nd edition, Seafood Expo Global 2026 will debut a zone dedicated exclusively to innovation in aquaculture. As WeAreAquaculture reported, the new exhibition space—which will feature exhibitors such as AquaBioTech Group (Malta), BiOceanOr (France), and Lice Defence AS (Norway)—will focus on emerging technologies and services in fish farming.

"As aquaculture continues to outpace other food production sectors, the Aquaculture Innovation Zone provides a critical focal point for buyers and investors," said Brenna Hensley, Vice President, Seafood Events at Diversified. "The zone will host a diverse range of companies and offerings—including suppliers, startups, and researchers—showcasing breakthrough solutions in farm management, fish health and water treatment, attracting a highly targeted global audience of hatchery professionals, investors and policymakers."

In addition, the area will feature the 'Innovation Theatre', a space that will host product demonstrations and expert presentations. Among the scheduled presentations, Tony Chen, CEO and co-founder of Manolin—a company specializing in data analytics and intelligence for aquaculture and host of the Fish n' Bits podcast—will discuss what AI really means for companies in the seafood industry today.

Perspectives from global industry leaders in the Conference Program

In addition to the new features, another staple of Seafood Expo Global 2026 will be the Conference Program, which this year will bring together more than 90 international experts from the industry and the fishing sector for over 30 educational sessions.

The sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including the development of aquaculture, emerging markets and species, supply chain compliance, traceability and transparency, sustainable innovation, and responsible management, among others, highlighting both the sector’s current challenges and future opportunities.

One of the highlights of the program will be the keynote address by economist and geopolitical strategist Dr. Nomi Prins, titled 'High Stakes, Shifting Tides: The Global Outlook on Seafood, Trade, Economic Pressure Points, and Opportunities', which will take place on the first day of the exhibition, Tuesday, April 21, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Room 5.1, and will be open and free to all attendees.

In her presentation, Dr. Prins will provide attendees with an economic outlook for the global fishing industry, addressing the key macroeconomic forces, trade dynamics, and emerging risks affecting the sector.

Other speakers this year will include representatives from leading organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and WWF, as well as executives from major companies in the sector and industry associations.

Among the most notable, the organization highlighted Shirlene Maria Anthonysamy of FAO GLOBEFISH; Dominic Andradi-Brown of WWF-US; Chris Ninnes of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council; Jayson Berryhill of Wholechain; Michelle Beritzhoff-Law of FishWise; Valentina Sannino of EUMOFA; Libby Woodhatch of MarinTrust Ltd.; Daniel Rejón of Lineage – Europe 2 Region; Sunneva Sverrisdóttir of CO/PLUS; and Sébastien Metz of the Global Seafood Alliance – GSA.

Finally, also on the first day, the winners of the Seafood Excellence Global Awards—the event's prestigious annual competition—will be announced. The awards recognize the best seafood products featured at the Expo and highlight the latest trends in the industry. For this year's awards—whose finalists come from 17 countries—a total of 38 products have been selected, including 8 in the HORECA category and 30 in the retail category.