During the May Day holiday, the 2.3-kilometer riverfront at Shanghai's North Bund in Hongkou district was filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee as crowds flocked to the 2026 Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival.
Nathan Manfredi, marketing director of Phil & Sebastian, a specialty coffee roaster in Canada, attended the festival for the first time, and was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm.
"We're sharing coffee stories and learning about local coffee culture, and we can see people in China are crazy about coffee," Manfredi says.
Running from April 30 to May 4, the festival's main venue hosted nearly 300 brand booths and over 20 international coffee brands. The event was divided into international, industry chain, cross-border integration, and interactive experience zones.
Standout draws included a slate of Shanghai-style signature coffee creations from Jin Jiang International Holdings' luxury hotel portfolio: the Hudec Orange Sparkling Iced Americano paired with Park Hotel Shanghai's iconic palmier and the nostalgic Lacovo (Le Kou Fu) Mocha from Golden Tulip Shanghai Rainbow, both emerging as the event's most popular photo spots.
"Shanghai's coffee festival is more than a local celebration; it serves as a global bridge, connecting the world's top coffee players with China's booming market and reflecting the city's inclusive and open character," says Xu Jian, deputy dean of the China Institute for Urban Governance at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Xu unveiled the 2026 China Urban Coffee Development Report at the opening ceremony.
According to the report, China's coffee industry reached 354.9 billion yuan ($52 billion) in 2025, marking a 13.3 percent year-on-year increase. Shanghai alone now has 10,336 coffee outlets, surpassing the 10,000 mark.
"In 2017, Shanghai had 5,500 coffee shops, already the highest number in the world. By 2025, the figure had almost doubled in less than 10 years, and the city has consistently remained at the top globally," Xu says.
"Coffee shops have become part of daily life in Shanghai, as common as convenience stores."
The festival has also become a core gateway for global specialty coffee brands to enter the Chinese market, attracting coffee professionals from around the world.
Oskar Garberg, co-founder and CEO of Standout Coffee and a Swedish barista champion, was among the festival's notable guests.
"I've been to numerous coffee shops, and the standards are extremely high here. People in Shanghai have grown up with a deep knowledge of tea from childhood, and they have embraced coffee remarkably well," Garberg says.
