The organisers of SISGA’26 are looking for people willing to help between 24 and 27 September. No previous experience is required, nor is it necessary to be available for all four days: shifts can be adapted to each person’s availability, with roles ranging from public assistance and support for international producers to photography, video, social media and logistics.
There are many ways to take part in the International Hall of Gala Ciders, but one of them offers a particularly close-up experience of SISGA: joining the team that makes it possible.
The organisers of SISGA’26, which will take place from 24 to 27 September with activities in Xixón, Villaviciosa and Nava, have now launched their volunteer campaign. They are looking for 14 people, with applications open until 17 September. The greatest need for volunteers will be on Saturday 26, during the Open Tasting for the Public.
The programme has been designed so that volunteering does not mean having to commit to all four days. People can participate by day and by shift, indicating their availability on the application form, and the exact duration of each collaboration will be agreed individually with the organisers.
That makes it possible both for those who want to become deeply involved in SISGA and for those who can only offer a morning or an afternoon.
Much more than simply “helping out”
Volunteering offers access to a side of SISGA that ordinary visitors do not usually see: preparing the venues, welcoming producers, managing accreditations, coordinating activities and all the work required to make an international event run smoothly.
The roles are also highly varied. The organisers are looking for volunteers to help with reception and accreditation, information and public assistance, support during the Open Tasting, assistance for international producers, visits, presentations and tastings, communication, photography, video, social media and logistics. Roles will be assigned taking into account each person’s interests, experience and availability.
There is no need to be a cider expert or to have previous experience. Skills in languages, public service, event organisation, communication or knowledge of the cider sector are especially welcome. Languages are particularly useful at an event that welcomes producers and guests from different countries, allowing volunteers to assist them directly.
And that is precisely one of the main attractions of the programme: it is not just about working at an event, but about becoming fully immersed in SISGA’s international atmosphere, meeting people connected with different cider cultures and experiencing from the inside a few days in which Asturias becomes a meeting point for cider producers, professionals and enthusiasts.
The official @sisgacider channels on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook have been showing exactly this side of the event: producers, tastings, awards, meetings and the atmosphere that grows around SISGA.
Saturday: the main day for volunteers
The day on which the greatest number of volunteers will be needed is Saturday, 26 September, during the Open Tasting for the Public at the Luis Adaro Exhibition Centre Conference Hall in Xixón.
There will be two sessions, from 12:00 to 15:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00, featuring participating ciders, producers serving the public directly, guided tastings and pairings with products from Alimentos del Paraíso. Before opening, between 10:00 and 12:00, the stands will be set up, while dismantling will take place after the afternoon session.
It is therefore the day when SISGA shows its most open and lively side, and also one of the best opportunities to discover first-hand the extraordinary diversity of cider now being produced both in Asturias and abroad.
Accreditation, insurance and certificate
Volunteering is not merely an informal commitment. SISGA provides prior information, volunteer accreditation and all the necessary materials for the assigned tasks. It also includes accident insurance and a certificate of participation.
Meals are partially covered depending on the duration and schedule of each shift, and when activities require travel to Villaviciosa or Nava, transport will be organised by SISGA.
The only general requirement stated on the form is that volunteers must be over 18 years old.
Registration can be completed directly at sisga.info, in the Volunteering section, indicating available days and shifts, languages, previous experience —if any— and the areas in which each person would prefer to collaborate. The organisers will then contact applicants individually to agree on their role and timetable.
For anyone interested in cider, events, communication, languages, or simply meeting people and taking part in a different kind of experience, SISGA offers an unusual opportunity this year: not just to watch it from the outside, but to become part of it.
