Tulum Lobster Festival Draws Over 2,000, Generates 500,000 Pesos

Tulum, Quintana Roo — The 2026 Tulum Lobster Festival wrapped up Sunday after a three-day program that drew more than 2,000 people and generated an estimated 500,000 pesos in economic activity. More than 20 exhibitors, restaurants and chefs took part in the event.

The festival opened Friday, Aug. 21, in the coastal community of Punta Allen with an inauguration ceremony and a day of sports and recreation. Children and adults competed in soccer, beach volleyball, sack races and a traditional tug-of-war.

Food was a highlight from the start, with a lobster gastronomy contest, a lobster-cleaning competition and a costume contest using recycled materials. The first day ended with a performance by the group Cocoson.

On Saturday, Aug. 22, the action moved to Tulum’s municipal seat for the 5-kilometer “Run Tulum” race. Sunday’s gastronomy events were held on the esplanade of the municipal palace.

Sunday’s closing events included a lobster gastronomy contest where cooks, restaurants and chefs presented different preparations, along with a group bicycle ride, a dance party with a sonidero sound system, a lobster-cleaning demonstration, a children’s drawing contest, karaoke, country music with DJ Garton and a folk ballet performance.

The festival was organized to promote the consumption and commercialization of lobster, one of the region’s main seafood products, while boosting tourism and the economy of Punta Allen and Tulum. It brought together producers, service providers, restaurants and visitors around the area’s signature catch.