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Pensacola is getting a new waterfront festival this September, and this one comes with a mission.

The 2026 FWC Pensacola Lionfish Invitational takes over Plaza De Luna September 25 through 27, bringing divers, local businesses, conservation groups and the public together to help remove invasive lionfish from Gulf Coast waters.

Along with the tournament, the weekend includes a free public festival with vendors, educational activities, waterfront entertainment and local chefs showing visitors how lionfish can go from invasive species to dinner.

Here is everything to know before you go.

Pensacola Lionfish Invitational 2026

September 25 through 27, 2026

Public Festival:

Saturday, September 26
10 AM to 6 PM

Sunday, September 27
10 AM to 5 PM

Plaza De Luna on Palafox Pier

Downtown Pensacola

The tournament itself runs throughout the weekend, while the public portion of the event takes place Saturday and Sunday at Plaza De Luna.

What Is the Pensacola Lionfish Invitational?

The Pensacola Lionfish Invitational is built around one of the Gulf Coast’s biggest invasive species problems.

Lionfish are not native to Gulf waters and can negatively affect native fish populations, reef ecosystems and commercial fisheries.

The tournament encourages divers to remove as many lionfish as possible while turning the weekend into a larger community event focused on marine conservation and education.

Tournament categories include competitions such as Most Lionfish Harvested and Largest Lionfish.

Watch Divers Bring in Their Lionfish

One of the more interesting parts of the weekend is simply seeing what local divers bring back from Gulf waters.

Divers participating in the tournament will be harvesting invasive lionfish throughout the event while competing for prizes.

That gives visitors a chance to see the conservation effort happening in real time instead of only hearing about invasive lionfish in a classroom or aquarium.

For anyone interested in diving, fishing or marine life around Pensacola, this should be one of the more unusual events happening downtown this fall.

Try Lionfish Prepared by Local Chefs

Yes, you can eat lionfish.

The festival will feature cooking demonstrations from local community chefs showing how lionfish can be prepared as seafood.

Organizers describe lionfish as a versatile seafood option, and the demonstrations are designed to help visitors understand that harvesting the invasive fish can benefit Gulf ecosystems while also putting a locally caught fish on the plate.

That should be one of the most interesting parts of the event for anyone who has never tried lionfish before.

Vendors, Education and Waterfront Activities

The public festival is designed to be much more than a tournament weigh in.

Visitors can expect vendors, educational activities and waterfront entertainment throughout the weekend at Plaza De Luna.

The event is intended to be family friendly, making it easy to stop by even if nobody in your group dives or fishes.

It is also a chance for kids and adults to learn more about invasive species, reef conservation and the marine ecosystems surrounding Northwest Florida.

Why Are Lionfish a Problem?

Lionfish are an invasive species in Gulf Coast waters.

According to the event organizers, they pose a threat to native marine life, coral reef ecosystems and commercial fishing industries throughout the region.

Events like the Pensacola Lionfish Invitational create an incentive for divers to actively remove them while helping the public understand why controlling the population matters.

That combination of competition, education and food is what makes this event different from a typical fishing tournament.

Where Is the Festival?

The public festival takes place at Plaza De Luna on Palafox Pier in downtown Pensacola.

The waterfront park sits at the end of Palafox Street overlooking Pensacola Bay, making this an easy event to combine with lunch, dinner or other downtown plans.

Because the public festival runs from 10 AM to 6 PM Saturday and 10 AM to 5 PM Sunday, visitors can stop by for an hour or make it part of a full downtown day.

Is the Pensacola Lionfish Invitational Family Friendly?

Yes.

Organizers specifically describe the festival as a family friendly weekend centered around conservation, community and Gulf Coast flavors.

You do not need to be a diver or know anything about lionfish before attending.

Between the cooking demonstrations, vendors, educational activities and opportunity to see the tournament catches, there should be plenty to check out without participating in the competition itself.

Businesses Can Still Get Involved

The tournament is also seeking support from local businesses and community partners.

Organizers are accepting cash sponsorships and in kind donations.

Cash sponsorships help fund tournament prize purses, while donated products may be used for raffle prizes, tournament swag bags and participant rewards. Depending on sponsorship level, businesses may receive benefits including logo placement on tournament shirts, social media recognition and booth space during the public award ceremony.

Businesses interested in supporting the event can contact:

Stacy Fields
Assistant Tournament Director
816-510-0134
stacyafields@outlook.com

What to Know Before You Go

The tournament runs September 25 through 27.

The public festival is Saturday and Sunday only.

Saturday festival hours are 10 AM to 6 PM.

Sunday festival hours are 10 AM to 5 PM.

The festival takes place at Plaza De Luna on Palafox Pier.

Expect lionfish tournament activity, chef demonstrations, vendors, educational activities and waterfront entertainment.

Make a Weekend Out of It

The Pensacola Lionfish Invitational gives locals and visitors something a little different to do on the downtown waterfront.

You can watch divers bring in invasive lionfish, learn why removing them matters, see local chefs turn the catch into food and spend a few hours around Plaza De Luna.

And because the public portion is concentrated into Saturday and Sunday, it is easy to fit into a larger weekend downtown.

For more festivals, concerts and things happening around Pensacola, check the Must Do Pensacola Events Calendar.

If this guide helped you plan your trip, you can support Must Do Pensacola by grabbing a sticker.

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Pensacola Lionfish Invitational Brings Lionfish, Food and Conservation to Downtown Pensacola