Barista League returns in 2026, and this year the global competition has a up-to-date look. This season, the Barista League is focusing on three key elements: concept, service and product, all while providing complete freedom to compete, and entries are now open.
The Barista League, announced at the beginning of the week, is moving away from the more technical side of barista competitions and towards services. What’s in the cup isn’t necessarily as essential as the overall experience. From the press release:
Baristas are the guardians of the coffee experience. Their task is not to grow, extract and roast coffee, but to convey to consumers the work, competences, skills, importance, culture and history of the coffee industry. Through serving and preparing drinks, the barista is responsible for actually delivering this experience to consumers around the world every day.
In scoring terms, this means that the concept and service make up 62% of the total score, with the product making up the remaining 38%. In other words, drink still accounts for the largest individual percentage at 38% because what is served still matters and theoretically you can have a bad idea with good service or vice versa, but it is these two things together that create a unique experience that can elevate any drink.
On the viewer side, this year our focus will be on creating an engaging and watchable product. To this end, both participants and judges will be equipped with microphones, and live commentary, interviews and scoring will be available to viewers both in person and during the live broadcast.
There will be a total of six events in 2026, one for each region of the world. They are as follows:
Europe – Prague – March 28
Latin America – Mexico – May 8
Asia – Tokyo – June 11
North America – Atlanta – September 3
Africa – Johannesburg – October 3
Pacific – Brisbane – November 13
To further remove barriers to entry, both the app and the competitions themselves are completely free. Everything teams need to compete will be provided by The Barista League. (Teams are welcome to bring their own glassware, cocktail/mystery drink ingredients, and any additional barista tools they want, but are not required.)
To enter, teams of two must prepare a written and video entry – no longer than 2.5 minutes – introducing the team and each participant, their coffee journey, what motivates them to compete, what they hope to achieve through competition, and any skills and style that make their approach to coffee unique. A panel of independent judges will select six teams for each event.
Winners of each Barista League stop will earn a chance to participate in a Mystery Coffee Vacation, “a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a secret coffee destination with all the other Barista League competition champions this year, traveling together on a coffee-fueled adventure to learn, inspire and connect.”
Applications are now open! For more information, to apply or for a complete list of rules and regulations, visit The Barista League’s official website.
