Ragusa, Sicily — March 2026 — Five Seasons announces the inaugural edition of The Fifth Season, a five-day international gastronomy festival taking place 7–11 April 2026 at its venue on Strada Vicinale Coste in the Iblean countryside outside Ragusa. The festival convenes international speakers, Sicilian artisan producers, food entrepreneurs, young hospitality professionals, and industry figures for an integrated programme of panels, keynotes, workshops, masterclasses, and live dining experiences. Every session addresses a central question: what does the future of food look like, and what is Sicily's place in it?
The Fifth Season unfolds across five distinct themed days, each designed to engage specific audiences and explore different dimensions of food's future. Tuesday opens with a Supplier Showcase featuring eight to twelve Sicilian artisan producers. This session presents olive oil, wine, aged cheese, ancient grains, and ceramics to an international audience, directly connecting producers with buyers, journalists, and industry professionals. Wednesday hosts a livestreamed keynote addressing artificial intelligence, spatial audio, and the future of the dining experience. Five Seasons itself serves as the live case study, demonstrating how technology and narrative storytelling converge in contemporary gastronomy. This session is designed for international reach and industry perspective on emerging dining technologies. Thursday marks a shift toward economic and development themes. An open public forum on economic development in Ragusa runs free and open to all attendees, fostering community participation alongside a dedicated session on the real export potential of Sicilian agroalimentare—positioned as a direct resource for food entrepreneurs and regional stakeholders. Friday introduces the Five Seasons Academy officially, opening September 2026. A masterclass in narrative gastronomy, led by founder Mikko Rautiainen, provides practical instruction in the principles underlying Five Seasons' structured dining model. The Academy represents the first formalised education programme in the narrative dining framework. Saturday closes the festival with a public market—free and ticket-free—followed by a closing gala dinner exclusively for Insider pass holders. This final day balances community access with intimate celebration for full-access participants.
Thursday, 9 April hosts The Requiem Premiere, the festival's highest-access moment. Twelve seats accommodate ten invited guests and two Founding Guest seats, available as a maximum of three pairs. This represents the only occasion during the festival at which The Requiem—Five Seasons' signature four-hour, twelve-course narrative performance—will be presented to an invited audience. No photography inside. No replica. The experience is structured to preserve the integrity of the performance and maintain its position as a singular, unrepeatable event.
The Fifth Season operates across five distinct pass tiers, each calibrated to different participant needs. The Witness pass provides free access for press, media, and institutional representatives with accreditation. Press passes grant full Participant-level access across all five days, including all panels, keynotes, workshops, and public sessions. The Observer pass (€49) grants five days of daytime programming, accessible to participants interested in specific sessions without full-festival commitment. The Insider pass includes the complete festival programme across all five days, attendance at the gala dinner, Five Seasons Academy credit, and a signed festival publication—designed for professionals seeking deeper engagement and ongoing connection to the Five Seasons community. The Founding Guest pass, available for a maximum of three pairs, secures two seats at Thursday's Requiem Premiere, representing the festival's most exclusive and limited offering. A complimentary shuttle service operates daily from Ragusa Train Station for all pass holders. For complete details on the festival, pass structures, and booking information, visit the festival's announcement page at https://fiveseasons.sumupstore.com/page/whythisfestival.
Five Seasons is a narrative dining concept founded by Mikko Rautiainen in Ragusa, Sicily. Operating three evenings per week at twelve seats, Five Seasons presents a single menu that changes entirely with each season. The concept is built on the principle that a meal can be more than food—it can be a structured experience with a beginning, a development, and a conclusion. Every course, every sound, and every detail at the table forms part of a single coherent narrative. Nothing is decorative. Everything is intentional. The signature experience, The Requiem, delivers a four-hour, twelve-course performance with spatial audio, an original score, and narrated text. Guests are asked to arrive without expectations and leave with their own conclusions. Five Seasons does not operate as a traditional restaurant. There is no walk-in service, no printed menu at the table, and no repeat dishes across seatings. All reservations are fully prepaid, and all seats are limited. Availability is published in advance and closes when capacity is reached. Founded in 2025 and validated through eighteen pilot performances prior to commercial launch, Five Seasons has received 100% five-star guest ratings. The concept is positioned among the emerging generation of concept-led European dining experiences that prioritise intellectual depth over volume. In April 2026, Five Seasons extends this philosophy into its inaugural festival, hosting The Fifth Season—a platform for producers, chefs, industry professionals, and cultural figures to explore the future of food.
Press accreditation is available upon request. High-resolution images and a full press kit are available on request from the Five Seasons team. Filming and photography are permitted at all festival sessions except The Requiem Premiere. Interview requests with Mikko Rautiainen may be directed to [email protected]. For tickets, full programme details, and pass information, visit www.5seasons.fi. For press accreditation, contact [email protected]. Use #TheFifthSeason for social media promotion and coverage.
For more detailed context on why Five Seasons created this festival and its positioning within contemporary European gastronomy, read the complete analysis at https://fiveseasons.sumupstore.com/page/whythisfestival.
For additional details and analysis, visit [Five Seasons's announcement](https://fiveseasons.sumupstore.com/page/whythisfestival).
