The Salto Seco bridge in El Arenal is usually something you drive over on the way somewhere else. On Saturday, December 5, the open-air grounds beside it become the site of Sabor a Cabo, Los Cabos' food and wine festival, now in its 18th edition. The Visit Los Cabos event listing gives the address as Puente Salto Seco, El Arenal, Cabo San Lucas and puts EDEA Timeless Venue at coordinates 22.8971, -109.9038. That puts the festival in Cabo San Lucas, the same town as Medano Beach and Villa La Estancia.
This year's version is also built differently. Organizers have limited the number of restaurants, put more space into wine and added a market of Los Cabos producers. They've also lowered the price of a ticket that includes the food. Taken together, the 2026 festival is designed as a walk-through tasting evening, and it now takes place in Cabo San Lucas.
From a San José Fairway to El Arenal
For several years, Sabor a Cabo was a San José del Cabo event. A 2023 recap in Tendencia el Arte de Viajar described restaurant stands set up on the golf course at Club Campestre San José, with Juanes closing the night. The next edition, the 16th, moved off the December calendar. In December 2024, Visit Los Cabos announced it for February 22, 2025, again at Club Campestre in San José del Cabo.
Two changes came in 2025. At a July press conference covered by El Mundo Digital, CANIRAC Los Cabos president Óscar Morando said the festival was returning to its "golden date," December. Ignacio Arce announced that the 17th edition would be held at a new venue called Edea, in Cabo San Lucas. The Visit Los Cabos listing for that edition set it for December 6, 2025, at EDEA Timeless Venue, with God Save The Queen headlining.
That makes 2026 the second year at EDEA. When the 18th edition was launched in October, Ignacio "Nacho" Arce Peñuelas sat on the panel as the venue's owner, alongside Luis Alvarado, founding partner and president of the Sabor a Cabo civil association; Zulma Rodríguez, the festival's director and general coordinator; and Óscar Morando for CANIRAC Los Cabos. CANIRAC's event page says the restaurant chamber founded Sabor a Cabo and ran it for more than a decade.
A Smaller Field, by Design
The 2025 plan was built for a crowd. In July 2025, organizers said 25 restaurants had signed up, set a goal of 50, and expected 2,500 to 3,000 guests. That evening was organized around a concert: proceeds would be presented at 9 p.m. and the show would start at 9:15.
The 2026 layout limits the festival to 45 restaurants. According to Tendencia el Arte de Viajar's report on the launch, that number comes from a new event design meant to encourage guests to walk the grounds and move between areas. Rodríguez described the goal this way: "We want them to walk through, to discover, to taste, to live Sabor a Cabo."
The theme fits that plan. A verbena is a traditional Mexican street fair, and organizers have named this edition "La Gran Verbena Sibarita," pairing a fair's casual mood with a gourmet tasting. Each participating restaurant brings a representative sample of its menu, so the evening works as a showcase of what Los Cabos kitchens are cooking right now. Restaurant and bar registration has closed, so the lineup is set.
What Fills the Grounds
With fewer restaurants, more of the space goes to wine, cocktails and local makers. The Gringo Gazette's event listing counts more than 40 stands of restaurants, bars, spirits and tastings, spread across named zones.
- Gourmet Street, where the restaurant stands are set up
- Wine Garden, with more than 40 wineries and an emphasis on Mexican wine from several of the country's producing regions
- Mixology Garden, for cocktails and spirits
- Chef's Plaza
- Sybarite Market, with goods made in Los Cabos by local artisans and producers
- A dessert area
The market is the newest piece. CANIRAC lists the local producers' market as appearing for the first time this year. In the Wine Garden, the launch coverage says guests can talk with sommeliers, winery representatives and producers about the labels they're pouring, so it's set up for conversation as well as tasting.
The Ticket Math
Prices are lower too. The table below sets the 2026 tiers next to the ones announced at the July 2025 press conference.
| Tier | 2025 edition, as announced July 2025 | 2026 edition |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest ticket including the food | from MXN 5,000 | General, MXN 3,250 |
| VIP | MXN 6,500 | MXN 5,600 |
| Concert-only access from 9 p.m. | MXN 3,000 | Not offered as a tier |
| Platinum VIP area for 10 | MXN 88,000 | Not offered as a tier |
The 2026 General ticket costs MXN 250 more than last year's concert-only ticket, but it covers the whole evening. Compared with the lowest 2025 ticket that included food, it's MXN 1,750 less. VIP is MXN 900 lower. In 2025, the cheapest way in was to arrive at 9 p.m. for the music. In 2026, the entry-level ticket starts at 5 p.m. and includes the tastings. Both 2026 prices appear in El Mundo Digital's October 7, 2026 announcement and on the Visit Los Cabos listing.
How the Evening Runs
The evening starts at 5 p.m. CANIRAC lists the food and drink portion from 5 to 9 p.m. Visit Los Cabos lists the event as running from 5 p.m. to midnight. La Única Internacional Sonora Santanera closes the night. Past closing acts listed on CANIRAC's page include Lila Downs, Miguel Bosé, Maluma, Juanes and Yuri.
For Medano residents, the festival is now in their own town, with no drive up the Corridor to a San José golf course. If you have guests staying in December, it's an easy Saturday evening plan.
Where the Money Goes
Part of the festival's proceeds goes to the Cabo San Lucas Fire Department and Cruz Roja Mexicana. Martín Antonio Alcázar Castañeda, president of the Patronato de Bomberos de Cabo San Lucas, spoke at the October launch about how much the festival can raise. The fire department's link shows up in where tickets are sold, too: the Cabo San Lucas fire station is one of the sales points.
Getting Tickets Before December 5
El Mundo Digital lists four places to buy tickets:
- Online at Kboletos, the festival's official ticket seller.
- In person at the Cabo San Lucas fire station.
- At the CANIRAC Los Cabos offices. The chamber answers questions on WhatsApp at 624 239 9396 or by email at [email protected].
- At Nicksan Palmilla in San José del Cabo, for anyone already on the Corridor side.
Festival night is a little over two weeks away. Buy the tier you want ahead of time; it's easier than sorting it out at the gate.
At Christie's Real Estate Cabo, December evenings like this one are part of what our clients mean when they talk about owning in Cabo San Lucas. If you'd like to know more about life on Medano Beach, or about Villa La Estancia itself, start your Cabo search with us.
