Chefs, a rescue vessel, and childhood culinary memories: the “Souvenirs d’enfance” festival returns to Marseille from November 9 to 15, 2026. For its third edition, the Marseille-based association EBULLITION is supporting SOS MEDITERRANEE, the NGO that rescues people in distress at sea. Since 2016, 24% of those rescued have been minors, 665 of whom were under the age of five at the time of the rescue.
The opening dinner, November 9 at Les Grandes Tables
The festival kicks off at the Friche de la Belle de Mai, at Les Grandes Tables, with a gala dinner for 300 guests. Six chefs will each create a dish inspired by their childhood memories, presented in six gastronomic courses. Testimonials and speeches by experts will punctuate the evening to explain the NGO’s missions.
The lineup includes, among others: Julien Diaz, a Michelin-starred chef, teaming up with Sébastien Cortez, a traveling chef; Jérôme Raffaelli, pastry chef at Oh Faon; Khadija Rahimi, an Afghan cook; Lauris Navarro, former chef de partie at the two-star restaurant Patrick Guilbaud; Khouloude Ben Thayer, a nomadic and private chef and winner of the Time Out 2025 “Du Turfu” Award; and Laurene de Souza, a nomadic and private chef with Diners Insolites. Each is partnered with a witness or an individual committed to supporting SOS MEDITERRANEE. Among the guests was Wilson Fache, a war correspondent and winner of the 2023 Albert Londres Prize, who boarded the NGO’s ship, the Ocean Viking, in August 2024.
Prices:
€75 for the six-course dinner; €100 with wine pairings; €1,000 for a table of 10 with wine pairings, with tax-deductible options available for companies. Tickets for the gala dinner are now on sale.
The proceeds will fund the NGO’s missions, with each day at sea costing 24,000 euros. The organization is also seeking corporate partners to raise additional donations.
A week of events throughout the city
At the movies: The film *Mothership*, which delves into daily life aboard an SOS MEDITERRANEE ship, will be shown on November 12 at La Baleine cinema at 7:00 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. You can reserve your seat online.
On the menu: about twenty Marseille restaurants are offering a charity dish. A surcharge added to the regular price of the featured dish will be donated to SOS MEDITERRANEE. Participating restaurants include: Robato, Fava, Ciel Rooftop, Matza, and the Café du Fort (Mucem), Sofrati, Bonne Garde, Khantok, Ripaille, Chez Adèle, El Gouffa, L’Îlot Central, La Marmitte Joyeuse, and La Baleine.
On stage: The festival also features a “Mets en scène” evening, which pairs dishes with films.
Childhood Memories: A Festival Born in 2024
Louis Petre leads the project with a team of volunteers from Marseille, who have been organizing charity dinners for several years. The concept behind “Souvenirs d’enfance,” created in 2024, is to raise funds for a cause through dishes that evoke childhood memories. The first edition supported UNICEF; the second, the fight against pediatric cancers.
With SOUVENIRS D’ENFANCE, EBULLITION transforms cooking into a true bridge between memory, tradition, and commitment. The flavors of childhood become the common thread of a unique dialogue between gourmet chefs, eyewitnesses, experts, and the general public. For this third edition, the project takes on a particularly human significance by supporting SOS MEDITERRANEE and its vital fight for rescue at sea. Join us November 9–15 in Marseille for an inspiring week where gastronomy, memories, and solidarity come together for a common cause.
