OceanFest 2026 at Oceanogràfic, Valencia

OceanFest 2026 is underway in València on Thursday, May 21, with Oceanogràfic and Visit València listing a week of exhibitions, talks, workshops and live programming tied to ocean conservation. The festival is being held from May 18 to May 24 across the Oceanogràfic, the City of Arts and Sciences complex and other sites in the city. Oceanogràfic said this year’s fourth edition focuses on polar ecosystems and is designed for broad public participation. ### When is OceanFest 2026 actually happening? Visit València lists OceanFest 2026 from May 14 to May 24, while Oceanogràfic’s presentation for the festival says the main program runs from May 18 to May 24 and includes activities in the city and at the aquarium. The standalone OceanFest site also describes the event as running from May 18 to May 24, with earlier linked activities beginning on May 12 and May 14. (visitvalencia.com) Oceanogràfic said the 2026 festival opens with urban art, photography, illustration and science outreach spread across venues including the Hemeroteca de València, Torres de Serranos, La Nau and the Oceanogràfic itself. The institution said the program is intended for “todos los públicos,” or all audiences. ### What is the 2026 edition about? Oceanogràfic said on May 5 that the 2026 festival puts “el foco en los ecosistemas polares,” focusing on polar ecosystems and their role in the planet’s balance. (visitvalencia.com) The aquarium said the program is built around art, conservation and public discussions about the poles. The OceanFest site says the festival combines “arte, ciencia, talleres y música” — art, science, workshops and music — as a way to connect the public with climate change, marine protection and the ocean environment. (oceanografic.org) The site describes the event as a week of exhibitions, conferences, workshops, live music and meetings with figures from outreach, art and marine conservation. ### What is on the schedule for Thursday, May 21? (oceanografic.org) OceanFest lists a live recording of the podcast WATIF on May 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Auditorio Mar Rojo in the Oceanogràfic. The festival says the episode will cover the geopolitics of the oceans, with particular attention to the Arctic, and will include science communicator Borja Fernández of Memorias de Pez and an expert from Fundación Oceanogràfic. (oceanfest.es) The same May 21 program also includes live music by The Shag Sharks at 8:30 p.m. on the Oceanogràfic’s Terraza de Flamencos, according to the festival schedule. OceanFest says the performance is part of the day’s closing activities. OceanFest’s listings for this week also point to other headline events around the festival, including “Guardianes de los Polos,” a public discussion featuring creators and science communicators including Anna Morales of Because Size Matters and José Luis Crespo, known as QuantumFracture. (oceanfest.es) The event page describes it as an open, participatory format rather than a traditional panel. (oceanfest.es) ### Which artists and speakers are involved this year? Oceanogràfic named Cachetejack, Sergio Izquierdo and Víctor Soler among the featured participants in the 2026 edition. The aquarium said Cachetejack’s mural in Patraix opened the festival’s urban-art component, while photographer Sergio Izquierdo and illustrator Víctor Soler lead exhibitions and workshops tied to marine and polar themes. (oceanfest.es) The OceanFest site also lists Watif TV, The Shag Sharks and ValenciaPhoto among the participants, alongside Fundación Oceanogràfic programming. Oceanogràfic said Izquierdo is the foundation’s 2026 ambassador and that Soler’s exhibition at the access building remains on view through the festival week. ### Where can visitors find tickets and the remaining program? Visit València directs visitors to OceanFest 2026 at the Oceanogràfic in the City of Arts and Sciences, while the OceanFest site carries the detailed agenda by day and event. (oceanografic.org) Several listings, including the May 21 WATIF recording, include a ticket prompt on the event page. OceanFest programming continues through May 24 in València, with additional workshops and public activities scheduled at the Oceanogràfic during the closing days of the festival. (oceanografic.org) The OceanFest site lists those workshops from May 22 to May 24, and Oceanogràfic says the broader 2026 edition remains focused on polar ecosystems through the end of the week. (oceanfest.es) (visitvalencia.com)