Unmissable spirits events in 2026
As a new year of spirits shows ensues, which ones are worth marking your calendars to attend? From New York and London to India and South Africa, these are the 2026 events you won’t want to miss.
Every year the spirits industry calendar is bustling with plenty of trade shows, cocktail festivals and educational conferences across the world.
One new edition for 2026 is Barcelona’s first cocktail festival while several bar shows will return including BCB London (this time without all the heat), Ajabu and India Bartender Show.
Some notable omissions from the list include The Whisky Exchange’s annual Whisky Show (2-4 October) in London and the return of its agave spirits show (15-16 May) for the second year, alongside the second edition of Dublin Cocktail Week (5-14 June).
The Rum Lab has also announced six events for 2026, including in Puerto Rico, New York and Spain. For rum fans in Florida, there’s also the upcoming Miami Rum Congress (6-8 February), plus London’s RumFest (17-18 October).
Scroll on to see our pick of the best events to mark in your diaries for the next 12 months.
WSWA Live
Las Vegas, Nevada
25 February
The Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) is heading to Las Vegas for its annual conference. Held at Caesar’s Forum, this year’s event will feature NFL icon and Bradshaw Bourbon founder Terry Bradshaw as its keynote speaker. Returning to the show will be a trends update and projections from WSWA’s SipSource tool.
accesslive.wswa.org
Wine Paris
Paris, France
9-11 February
Vinexposium’s flagship event is back in February with a new dedicated alcohol‐free space, called Be No, alongside the return of the Be Spirits area. There’s also an unmissable schedule of seminars including one hosted by The Spirits Business’s editor‐in‐chief, Melita Kiely, and a panel discussion about tariffs and their impact on the spirits sector, featuring trade‐group representatives from the UK, Europe and the US.
wineparis.com
India Bartender Show
Delhi, India
20-26 February
Formerly known as India Bartender Week, India Bartender Show will be back for its second edition, with “bigger spaces, deeper conversations, and more opportunities for discovery”. Returning for 2026 is the India Bar Summit from 25 to 26 February at Le Méridien in Gurgaon. Before that, Beverage Week will run from 19 to 24 February, with cocktails crafted with Indian ingredients.
indiabartendershow.in
Ajabu
Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa
8-11 March (Johannesburg) and 11-16 March (Cape Town)
Serving as a platform for the African hospitality industry, Ajabu is a biannual, week‐long festival held every March and November (latter dates to be confirmed). The event brings together bartenders from the best bars around the world with local venues to connect and collaborate on cocktails, alongside workshops and seminars.
ajabufestival.com
ProWein
Düsseldorf, Germany
15-17 March
If city vibes are your thing, then don’t miss trade show ProWein’s evening schedule, where visitors to the wine and spirits fair can head out after hours for a programme that will include a speed‐ dating event and a cinema night. During the day, visitors can expect a greater focus on spirits, which will occupy two halls for the first time.
prowein.com
Summit of the Americas
Orlando, Florida
29-31 March
One of the most important events in the travel retail calendar, the International Association of Airport and Duty Free Stores’ (IAADFS) annual conference will take place in Orlando over three days. The fair promises that there will be plenty of networking opportunities, drinks for attendees to sampling, and educational sessions for them to visit.
summitoftheamericas.org
Gulf Bar Show
Dubai, UAE
7-8 April
After its 2025 debut, the only dedicated bar show in the region will return with a packed schedule of seminars and exhibitors. The inaugural event welcomed big names from the on‐trade scene including acclaimed bartender Salvatore Calabrese. The location of the next show is set to be two times bigger than the last, with the Madinat Jumeirah Conference centre spanning 8,000sqm.
gulfbarshow.com
Barcelona Cocktail Fest
Barcelona, Spain
18-19 April
Curated by Giacomo Giannotti with ItalSpirits, the new festival brings together top global and Barcelona bars for tastings, pop‐ups, and masterclasses exploring the future of cocktails, sustainability, and innovation.
barcelonacocktailfestival.com
BCB London
London, UK
11-12 May
RX Global’s revamp of Imbibe Live to its well-known Bar Convent format was hailed a hit last summer, despite the scorching heat. With Tobacco Dock back as its home, the organisers have smartly moved the 2026 event to May to avoid another heatwave. From a dedicated craft section to many masterclasses and cocktails, we expect more of the same at this year’s show.
barconventlondon.com
TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference
Singapore
10-14 May
The Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre will once again play host to the Tax Free World Association’s (TFWA) annual Asia Pacific event, where brands and buyers across the travel retail sector will converge for the latest innovations, workshops and networking opportunities. Last year saw 54 new brands exhibiting, including Japanese whisky producer Nikka.
tfwa.com
Bar Convent Brooklyn
Brooklyn, New York, US
9-10 June
The 2025 Bar Convent Brooklyn show welcomed a record number of exhibitors to Industry City, including spirits from Austria, Italy, Japan, Peru, and beyond. It also had a star showing with rapper Ja Rule, and actors Dolph Lundgren and Ian Somerhalder showcasing their spirits. Visitors to the next edition of the show can expect a broader exhibitor line‐up and a fresh programme.
barconventbrooklyn.com
Tales of the Cocktail
New Orleans, US
19-24 July
One of the biggest events in the on‐trade calendar is the Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) festival, which will focus on ‘spark’ as its 2026 theme. The previous festival held more than 400 events, including bar pop‐ups and parties, culminating in the Spirited Awards ceremony. And if you can’t make it to New Orleans, this year a small‐scale version of TOTC will head to Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Miami.
talesofthecocktail.org
TFWA World Exhibition & Conference
Cannes, France
27 September-1 October
The TFWA’s annual conference in Cannes has long been a staple event among the travel retail sector. Major spirits players are usually in the mix, including Diageo, Brown‐Forman, and Moët Hennessy, which will bring their latest products to thousands of visitors. Don’t miss The Spirits Business’s annual Beach Party on the Monday night.
tfwa.com
BCB Berlin
Berlin, Germany
12-14 October
Last year more than 12,000 visitors took over Germany’s capital for the world’s biggest trade show for the bar community. In 2025, the show introduced a trio of daily themes: ‘low/no’ on the Monday, ‘classic cocktails’ on the Tuesday, and ‘next generation’ on the Wednesday. The show will be back for its 20th anniversary in 2026, and we expect the organisers to pull out all the stops.
barconvent.com
London Cocktail Week
London, UK
October
Back under the ownership of its former owners, the powerhouse duo of Hannah Sharman‐Cox and Siobhan Payne, London Cocktail Week has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of the on‐trade community. As is the norm, expect discounted cocktails from some of the leading bars across the city and the return of the ‘Bartender Knowledge Exchange’.
londoncocktailweek.com
The Spirits Business Awards ceremony
London, UK
November
Grab your glad rags in November because The Spirits Business is already preparing for its next awards ceremony. Revamped into a black‐tie event in 2024, the event has already seen TV presenter Claudia Winkleman and stand‐up comedian Rob Beckett host the proceedings. Details are under wraps for now, but you can expect a three‐course meal and cocktails aplenty, followed by an iconic after‐party.
awards.thespiritsbusiness.com.
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