Dubai is about to raise the bar again. The Gulf Bar Show returns for its second annual edition on March 30 & 31, 2026, taking over the Madinat Jumeirah Conference & Events Centre for two days of thought-provoking talks, innovative tastings, and international takeovers, celebrating the bar industry and community across MENA.
Running daily from 12 PM to 9 PM, GBS remains the first and only dedicated bar and beverage trade show in the MENA region, and in its second year it’s coming back bigger, louder, and more ambitious. The 2026 theme, “The Bar Craft”, puts the spotlight on the skill, creativity, and precision that go into making great drinks, building unforgettable bars, and shaping the culture around them.
Built around the pillars of Culture, Craftsmanship, and Community, The Gulf Bar Show is where the global drinks industry meets the region’s most exciting hospitality scene. This professionally curated trade show is designed to drive commercial growth and facilitate strategic partnerships, with a strong educational backbone. After a successful debut in 2025, the event is expanding significantly this year, doubling its exhibition space to 8,000 sqm, welcoming more than 175 exhibitors, and expecting over 3,000 visitors travelling in from MENA, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.
“The Gulf Bar Show is about stands and showcases, of course, but it’s really about energy as well, the kind you get when the people shaping the industry are in the same room,” said Hugo Goncalves, GBS Co-Founder. “This year, ‘The Bar Craft’ will come to life through immersive exhibitor activations designed to highlight technique, storytelling, hospitality, innovation, and the details that separate a good drink from a great one,” he explained.
The program will run across Monday and Tuesday with an educational line-up featuring more than 20 seminars, workshops, and talks, plus over 12 guided tastings led by some of the most respected names in the industry.
“After the first edition, I truly saw what we brought to the region and how the entire industry came together in a way that had never happened before,” shared Sebouh Tato, GBS Co-Founder. “This year feels different in the best way possible — the trade itself is reaching out, asking what’s coming next. It’s clear that everyone understands we are doing something meaningful and important for the industry as a whole,” he added.
Key industry partners taking part include BACARDÍ, Campari Group, Brown-Forman Corp., Diageo, Pernod Ricard, William Grant & Sons, and Heineken amongst many others. With category sponsors including Red Bull, NUDE Glassware, Franklin & Sons, and Surgiva Water. These partnerships are delivered in collaboration with MMI and A&E, reinforcing GBS’ commercial relevance and its role as the primary regional gateway for global beverage brands.
For this year, the speaker line-up is outstanding, raising the bar higher and higher. A-list legends like “The Maestro” Salvatore Calabrese will once again take the GBS stage with interesting seminars, alongside returning educators, brand makers, and industry shakers Philip Duff, Lauren Mote, and Ed Cottrell. New faces will join them too, with Executive Director of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Charlotte Voisey, award-winning author and bartender Tristan Stephenson, world’s only Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, and class-A industry figures like David Rios, Márcio Silva, Margarita Sader, and many more soon to be announced.
And the show doesn’t stop at Madinat. GBS 2026 will expand across the city with a Dubai-wide program of more than 20 guest shifts and events, turning the weekend into a true celebration of bar culture. Expect takeovers, collaborations, visiting bartenders, and special one-off moments across some of Dubai’s best on-trade venues, a rare chance for the wider community to experience international-level talent, right on their doorstep.
This year’s edition will also bring expanded activations and major global collaborations, including the World Class Regional Final, as well as a joint activation with Tales of the Cocktail and the Spirited Awards, strengthening Gulf Bar Show’s international relevance and reinforcing Dubai’s growing position on the global bar calendar.
“I am especially thrilled that Spirited Awards and Tales of the Cocktail are partnering with us, recognizing and appreciating what we achieved last year. Together, we are set to do even bigger and more impactful things. With major global and regional competitions such as World Class taking place, my excitement grows day after day, knowing that we have built something rooted in unity, community, and education,” commented Tato.
Ticket sales are now open for industry professionals, bar teams, hospitality leaders, and beverage enthusiasts on Platinum List. For registrations, exhibitor opportunities, and partnership enquiries, please visit gulfbarshow.com or contact exhibitors@gulfbarshow.com. For the latest updates, follow @gulfbarshow on Instagram and Gulf Bar Show on LinkedIn.
