Caffeine and Creativity Meet along the North Bund

​The 2026 Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival draws a big crowd during the May Day holiday. [Photo provided to China Daily]

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.

​A variety of latte art is showcased at the festival. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The niche Stockholm-based roaster has built a loyal following in Shanghai. "We are a small Swedish brand from the other side of the world, but people recognize us here, and I even sign autographs," he says, making no secret of his expectations for the Chinese market.

"I would love to open a shop here. We will soon have two locations in Stockholm, and Shanghai could definitely be our third."

Park Hyeri, co-founder of Aery, an 18-month-old specialty coffee brand from Busan, South Korea, made her festival debut.

"Shanghai's coffee culture is unique because every shop has its own signature pairing or combination," Park notes.

"That isn't very common in South Korea, so we introduced combo sets here to show Shanghai customers our personality, even though we don't offer them in our Korean stores."

Beyond industry insiders and hardcore enthusiasts, the festival drew a steady stream of casual visitors and expats.

Edvard Tadevosyan, a Swedish finance major at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, said he was surprised by the city's vibrant coffee scene. "I never imagined Chinese people would love coffee this much. The coffee shops here are amazing."

The festival's influence continues beyond the main event, with Shanghai rolling out a "one district, one feature" coffee culture map across all 16 districts and the Lin-gang Special Area in Pudong.

Nearly 50 flagship events and over 40 international professional competitions are planned in the coming months, alongside citywide promotions at more than 6,000 merchants.

Bookstores, cinemas, museums and commercial districts are also joining the festivities with themed activities and consumer incentives.