On 21 and 22 August 2026, Maribor’s Central Market will once again come alive with local flavours, cuisine and socialising. The 4th Tomato Festival is returning to Maribor, joined this year for the first time by the culinary and social event ItaliAMO Fest.

The spotlight will be on the king of summer – the home-grown tomato. Visitors will be able to discover different varieties of locally grown tomatoes, watch the competition for the best and heaviest tomato in the city, and sample a large bowl of the festival’s tomato soup.

An extra invitation to all gardeners:
To mark the occasion, we invite all gardeners and lovers of home-grown tomatoes to pay special attention to their tomatoes over the coming weeks – water them diligently, tend to them, and even have a little chat with them. Perhaps this year’s winner is growing right there in their garden! Anyone who grows a tomato weighing more than 700 grams is invited to bring it to the Tomato Festival and take part in the competition for the heaviest tomato in the city. Every giant tomato weighing more than 700 grams will receive a prize, and after the announcement, all the competing tomatoes will be given a special purpose – we’ll use them to cook a huge pot of festival tomato soup for visitors to sample.

ItaliAMO Fest will add a touch of Italy with superb pizzas, fresh pasta, Italian desserts, gelato, music and a relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere.