The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta returns in 2026, naming Cebu as its first host city outside Metro Manila under a new rotating host-city program that will bring the festival to a different Philippine destination each year. This year’s edition takes place November 13 to 15, 2026, with industry-only events on November 12 and 16.
The announcement comes alongside the launch of Fiesta Exchange, a new Asia-wide guest shift program connecting Filipino bartenders with leading bars across the region.
The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta, launched in 2025 through a partnership between DrinkCollectiv and Drinks Be With You (DBWY), has grown into one of the country’s largest cocktail festivals. Its inaugural edition brought together nearly 100 participating bars across 10 cities in Metro Manila, with over 40 guest shifts and cocktail events featuring bartenders from around Asia as well as locally from Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, Iloilo, La Union, Palawan, and Siargao.
Among them were 38 award-winning bars from across Asia, alongside international media and hospitality professionals, helping position the Philippines as a growing destination for cocktail culture, culinary tourism, and hospitality.
For its first host city outside Metro Manila, The Fiesta chose a destination where history, food, tourism, and hospitality meet an emerging cocktail scene ready to be discovered by the region.
Cebu’s appeal lies in both the range of experiences it already offers and the possibilities still ahead. Its mix of food, nightlife, heritage, tourism, and island hospitality gives the destination the potential to become an important cocktail hub in Asia. A single visit can include a hidden cocktail bar in Cebu City, a neighborhood pub or live-music venue, locally brewed beer at a casual taproom, dinner at a Michelin-recognized restaurant, drinks at a rooftop hotel bar, and a beachfront cocktail in Mactan, alongside lechon, grilled seafood, and pusô at a local institution.
This range, with food and drink running through Cebu’s heritage and island life, makes it the right destination to open the festival’s next chapter. The 2026 Fiesta will unfold across Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Mactan, bringing together urban nightlife, local communities, and island hospitality. ‘Cebu is the natural next step for the festival,’ says festival director Tatum Ancheta. ‘The Fiesta has always been about celebrating talent across the country.’
‘Moving the festival allows us to introduce international bars, media, and hospitality professionals from across Asia to different destinations in the Philippines, giving them the opportunity to experience each city’s food, drink, and culture firsthand,’ Ancheta further noted.
‘It also strengthens connections between local bar communities and creates opportunities that extend beyond Metro Manila. Manila will continue to play a major role, with its bartenders, bars, brands, and hospitality community joining delegates from Cebu, Davao, La Union, Siargao, and other parts of the country.’
The 2026 edition will also introduce a Bar Congress, a dedicated industry program featuring masterclasses, panel discussions, and roundtable conversations for bartenders, bar owners, hospitality professionals, and brand partners. Dates and the full schedule will be announced in the coming months.
Fiesta Exchange Takes Filipino Cocktail Culture Across Asia
Fiesta Exchange builds on the festival’s regional foundation. The program sends Filipino bartenders to leading bars across Asia and invites host venues to participate in The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta in return, creating a two-way exchange between local and international bar communities.
The first Fiesta Exchange took place on May 13 at Sidecar in New Delhi, bringing together Cedric Mendoza of ReCraft, Lemuel Calma of Southbank Café + Lounge, and Icy Mariñas, co-founder of DrinkCollectiv and Program Manager of The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta.
The program continued on July 7 at Moga in Singapore, featuring Kenneth Bandivas of The Grasshopper, Rian Asiddao of Bar by East and The Jury, and Aaron Aw of The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta and Drinks Be With You (DBWY).
The next shift lands in Hong Kong on July 26, ahead of Asia’s 50 Best Bars celebration, with A Night in Manila at Filipino bar and restaurant Dara. Guest bartenders Billy Ranchez of Analog, Ian Libang of Malagihay Cocktail Club, Richard Palabasan of Opal Bar, and Sed Figueroa of BRB will join Dara’s Jon Bunoan and Jay Brodit behind the bar.