Partners22 June 2026

Mestalla swaps NFL for Smash Burgers at new event

The Champions Burger comes back to Mestalla in July

The Champions Burger returns to Mestalla with a completely revamped concept next month. From July 1st to 12th, Valencia CF's stadium trades classic burgers and American football for smash burgers and the spirit of the US West Coast.

California Dreaming is the new theme of The Champions Burger, the country's biggest food festival, which arrives in Valencia to choose the "Best Smash Burger in Spain."

Following the success of The Big Game, with its NFL-inspired atmosphere, the festival now offers a different experience: a reinvented setting and smash burgers created especially for this route and cooked using the famous technique of pressing meat onto a high-temperature griddle, immediately searing it, and creating a golden, crispy crust. This concentrates the flavour and keeps the meat juicy inside.

Premium meat, artesanal breads, and surprising combinations all continue to feature. In addition, there is a commitment to being a 100% music-free gastronomic event and a 600-metre LED strip which rewards attendees who respect peace and quiet with discounts.

STREET FOOD 

Mestalla will host 22 leading restaurants competing for the title of best smash burger in the country. Among the standout entries will be Valencian restaurants Beak & Trotter, with a glazed black brioche bun and premium fat smash beef; El Poble, featuring ribeye steak, shredded rib, and crispy pink bacon; and Burgaccia, with red bread, aged beef, and carbonara sauce. Also participating will be Muralla, from Castellón, winner of the "Best Burger in Spain" title in 2023, with a Grana Padano and white gold brioche bun topped with ribeye steak, along with Delicious, which will showcase Galician beef and Parmesan cheese.

The public can vote for their favourite burger using a QR code, evaluating aspects such as the bun, the meat, the combination of ingredients, presentation, and originality. The three highest-scoring burgers will take their places on the podium, and the local favourite will receive a special mention. At the end of the national tour, only one will be crowned the "Best Smash Burger in Spain."

The experience will be completed with the food trucks provided by Ybarra and Cheeck’s, in addition to Ioan’s donuts and popular cheesecakes from Las Tartas de Julita.

100 % MUSIC-FREE

Throughout the entire championship, there will be no music: the only sound will be that of the public enjoying the gastronomic experience, giving centre stage to the burgers and the great atmosphere. The goal is to ensure a harmonious environment throughout the event, in a peaceful, accessible, and respectful setting.

a pioneering technology with a local touch will continue to operate. As long as the established limits for peaceful coexistence are maintained, a traffic light will remain green at the venue, and visitors can benefit from a 20% discount on drinks and fries. If the noise level rises and approaches levels that could disturb residents, it will turn red, and the discount will be temporarily suspended.

The organisers have also widened the exit routes and reorganised the access points to facilitate the flow of attendees during the festival.

Consult the list of participants HERE. 

Copyright 2013-2025 Valencia CF. The use of the editorial content of the article is permitted as long as the source gets the credit and contains the following link: www.valenciacf.com. Photographs by Lázaro de la Peña, reuse is not permitted.

Related news Ver todas

Latest news Ver todas