This paper proposes a fractional-order L \(_1\) adaptive controller with a model-based feed-forward component (FOF-L \(_1\) ) for the VELOCE Parallel manipulator control. The proposed decoupled architecture of the L \(_1\) control and the feed-forward term aims to effectively cancel most of the nonlinearities, reducing the adaptive controller’s effort. Our simulations demonstrated that the FOF-L \(_1\) adaptive controller achieved precise tracking in both joint and Cartesian spaces, even with fast displacement times. Under payload variations, the FOF-L \(_1\) adaptive controller maintained system performance, with minimal deviations from reference tracking errors. The FO adaptive mechanisms proved more effective in disturbance attenuation, offering faster and more precise convergence to reference trajectories. Overall, the FOF-L \(_1\) adaptive controller demonstrated robustness and flexibility, making it suitable for dynamic environments and varied control requirements.