Best Coffee festivals in Europe

The London Coffee Festival is a premier event that captivates the essence of London's dynamic coffee culture and its inventive subcultures, making it a must-visit for coffee enthusiasts and professionals. The festival is considered as the world’s greatest coffee and hospitality event. It draws around 20,500 visitors, showcasing the London's advanced coffee scene and top-tier hospitality. The festival features an impressive lineup of over 250 artisan coffee and gourmet food brands, along with tastings, demonstrations by world-class baristas, interactive workshops, street food, coffee-based cocktails, music, and art exhibitions. It also includes an educational Lab programme, making it a comprehensive celebration of coffee culture.

Adding to the allure are the Coffee Masters™ tournament and various experiential features like Latte Art Live, The Tasting Room, and The Roasters Village, among others. The London Coffee Festival offers something for everyone, from industry professionals with dedicated days to a full weekend for public celebration. The festival is not only a platform for tasting and learning but also for witnessing the thriving innovation within the coffee industry.

The Milan Coffee Festival is a grand celebration of Italy's rich coffee culture, taking place at Superstudio Più, a venue renowned for its creativity and innovative experiences. Attendees can look forward to live experiences from coffee, food, and equipment suppliers, endless free coffee tastings, interactive workshops, and demonstrations by world-class baristas. The festival beautifully combines the tradition of Italian espresso with the modernity of specialty coffee, providing a unique opportunity to explore the evolving coffee landscape.

Visitors to the Milan Coffee Festival will also enjoy delicious street food, coffee cocktails, and immersive experiences like meditative coffee-tasting sessions. This event is not just about coffee; it's a celebration of coffee as an art form, where tradition merges with innovation, marking the beginning of the festive season in Milan. The festival promises an unforgettable journey for all ages and is accessible to people with disabilities, making it a must-visit event on the international coffee calendar.

Le Paris Café Festival is a vibrant celebration of the specialty coffee scene in France and beyond. This festival brings together France's finest coffee beans, specialty coffee pioneers, talented roasters, and baristas under the brightly-lit halls of the Carreau du Temple for a weekend of conferences, tastings, competitions, and engaging activities around the coffee bean. Highlights include the opportunity for attendees to try their hand at Latte Art Live during workshops, explore dedicated exhibitions, enjoy the best coffees in the roasters' village, and experience live music that complements the festival atmosphere.

With a focus on showcasing the richness of specialty coffee and building a community that honors coffee culture, the Paris Café Festival also hosts the French Coffee Championships, organized by the French section of the Specialty Coffee Association. This competition promotes excellence in coffee and the advancement of the Barista profession, making it a unique event to witness. Additionally, this year's edition introduces a new food area, offering visitors a chance to sample a range of sweet treats paired with sublime coffees, enhancing the olfactory adventure and celebrating the artistry of independent artisans.

The Vienna Coffee Festival, a contemporary celebration deeply embedded in the fabric of Viennese life, stands as a testament to the city's rich coffee culture. Held annually at the Marx Halle, a converted 19th-century cattle market building. It offers a modern take on the traditional Viennese coffee house experience, showcasing a wide range of coffees from well-known brands and smaller independent roasters. The event is a vibrant mix of live music, street food, and coffee-related products, highlighting the art and lifestyle choice that coffee represents today. Attendees can enjoy demonstrations, professional competitions, and engage in conversations with exhibitors eager to share their passion and knowledge about coffee.

The Vienna Coffee Festival serves as a platform for both coffee enthusiasts and professionals to explore the multifaceted world of coffee. With its focus on innovation and quality, the festival includes the Austrian Coffee Championships, where baristas compete to showcase their skills, blending the realms of barista and bartender. The festival not only celebrates the diversity of coffee but also offers an immersive experience into its aromatic complexity through cupping sessions and tasting opportunities. It's an event where the traditional coffee culture of Vienna meets the contemporary, highlighting the city's ongoing love affair with coffee.

The Glasgow Coffee Festival, Scotland’s biggest coffee party, celebrates the rich specialty coffee scene in Scotland and beyond. With an exciting programme that includes over 50 coffee-focused stalls by local roasters and cafes, the festival offers an array of activities from coffee competitions to origin stories and career opportunities in the coffee industry. Attendees can look forward to experiencing a diverse world of coffee, interactive rooms, and learning from industry experts through a robust schedule of talks and demonstrations.

The festival has seen substantial growth since its inception in 2014, expanding from a single-day event to a two-day festival that welcomes over 2000 coffee enthusiasts. Emphasizing sustainability, the Glasgow Coffee Festival has adopted a single-use cup free approach, significantly reducing waste and carbon footprint. Profits from the festival support charitable initiatives, including a coffee scholarship with Hub International, aiming to foster young talent in the specialty coffee industry in Scotland.

The Ljubljana Coffee Festival represents the pinnacle of Slovenia's coffee culture and industry. Hosted at the Ljubljana City Museum, this event is hailed as the largest specialty coffee festival in Slovenia, offering a comprehensive program that includes lectures, workshops, competitions, and tastings led by international coffee experts, including world-renowned scientists, coffee estate owners, roasters, and baristas. The festival promises an immersive experience into the world of specialty coffee, with unlimited tastings from top Slovenian and international roasters, a vibrant exhibition space, and the thrill of competitive events like the Latte Art Throwdown and Barista Battle Challenge, drawing competitors and coffee aficionados from across Europe.

Aside from the rich educational content and competitive spirit, the Ljubljana Coffee Festival also offers a Street Food corner to delight the palates of its visitors with artisan food, premium desserts, and craft drinks. The festival is not only a celebration of coffee but also a significant contributor to the educational, economic, and touristic development of the coffee industry in Slovenia. By following the latest trends in the specialty coffee industry, it places Ljubljana on the map alongside Europe's major coffee festivals, making it an indispensable event for coffee industry professionals, cafe and restaurant owners, hoteliers, and all lovers of premium coffee.

The Birmingham Coffee Festival is a vibrant celebration that brings together coffee enthusiasts, industry professionals, and families for a weekend filled with all things coffee. Highlights of the festival include over 60 exhibitors showcasing top-notch coffee brands, the Extracted Development coffee competition, interactive workshops, and a Well-being Zone focused on body and mind. Attendees can also look forward to engaging talks and panels with industry experts, a guided sensory experience in the tasting room, and discovering crafty gems at the makers marketplace, all while enjoying delicious food in an eco-friendly, paper cup free environment.

This year's festival emphasizes a holistic approach to enjoying coffee, incorporating a Well-being Zone that encourages visitors to turn their coffee adventure into a zen experience. With an industry-only session, followed by public sessions on the next days, the festival caters to both professionals looking to network and coffee lovers seeking fun and immersive experiences. The festival's commitment to sustainability, community support through charity partnerships, and a diverse program of activities ensure a memorable experience for all attendees. The Birmingham Coffee Festival has evolved into a must-visit event for those passionate about coffee culture, sustainability, and community engagement.

The Manchester Coffee Festival event is a haven for coffee enthusiasts and industry professionals, featuring an array of activities including the Extracted Development competition, the UK Cup Taster Championship, insightful talks and panels, and a tasting room that offers a journey through coffee origins. The festival also boasts a Makers Marketplace, live music from Manchester's finest, and an inclusive LGBTQ+ family program.

The event includes workshops to learn new coffee skills, interactions with baristas and roasters through competitions, and a treasure hunt game for children, making it a family-friendly event. The Manchester Coffee Festival not only offers a chance to indulge in coffee delights but also serves as a platform for education, diversity, and sustainability in the coffee industry.