The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta invades Cebu
The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta 2026 is set to bring a new kind of festival experience to Cebu from November 13 to 15, combining a celebration of cocktail culture with opportunities to discover the island's food, heritage, coastal attractions, and local hospitality.
Taking place across Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Mactan, the festival will feature more than 25 guest bar shifts and cocktail-pairing experiences, alongside special menus, bar takeovers, masterclasses, and industry gatherings. Nearly 40 participating venues will welcome bartenders and hospitality professionals from the Philippines and across Asia.
Beyond its cocktail programming, the Fiesta encourages visitors to experience Cebu as a destination, whether that means exploring centuries-old landmarks, discovering regional specialties, enjoying the island's coastal attractions, or spending time in the neighborhoods surrounding participating venues.
With activities taking place across three distinct areas of Metro Cebu, the festival presents an opportunity for travelers to discover more to love about Cebu while supporting local businesses, restaurants, hotels, and hospitality establishments.
🍸Three destinations, one fiesta experience
The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta’s 2026 program is designed around Cebu’s different districts, allowing guests to combine festival activities with local exploration.
Mactan will open the main festival weekend on Friday, November 13, with participating hotels, resorts, restaurants, and bars hosting guest shifts and cocktail-pairing experiences.
Known for its beaches, resort destinations, and island-hopping activities, Mactan offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy Cebu’s coastal attractions before the evening's cocktail celebrations. Travelers can also visit the Mactan Shrine, which commemorates the historic Battle of Mactan in 1521.
On Saturday, November 14, the festival moves across Cebu City and Mandaue City, bringing visiting bartenders and cocktail collaborations to participating establishments.
In Cebu City, visitors can explore some of the Philippines’ most significant heritage landmarks, including Magellan's Cross, Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, Fort San Pedro, Casa Gorordo Museum, and the National Museum of the Philippines–Cebu. Carbon Market also offers a glimpse into everyday Cebuano life through its produce, food stalls, and local businesses.
Meanwhile, Mandaue provides another perspective on Metro Cebu through its dining establishments, neighborhoods, and longstanding traditions in craftsmanship and trade. Among the festival's scheduled experiences is a cocktail-pairing collaboration between Manila's The Grasshopper Bar and Balai Brunch by Cafe Plus.
The festival concludes on Sunday, November 15, at NUSTAR Resort Cebu, the Official Host Partner, with the inaugural Bar Congress followed by Asia Icons: The Fiesta Closing Party.
🎉 A celebration of Cebuano food and culinary creativity
Cebu's culinary traditions are another important part of the visitor experience.
From its celebrated lechon and puso, or rice cooked in woven coconut leaves, to seafood preparations such as sutukil and local snacks including ngohiong and otap, Cebu offers a wide range of flavors that reflect its regional identity.
The destination’s contemporary dining scene also continues to develop, with restaurants exploring Filipino ingredients, local produce, and modern culinary techniques. The MICHELIN Guide 2026 includes 18 restaurants in Cebu, six of which received Bib Gourmand distinctions.
Food will also play a central role in the Fiesta through four curated cocktail-pairing experiences, bringing together local chefs and visiting bartenders from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Manila, and India. Spanning Coastal Filipino cuisine, contemporary Japanese dining, Filipino comfort food, and New Mediterranean flavors, these collaborations showcase the diversity of Cebu's culinary landscape and its appeal to modern palates.
On November 13, from 6pm to 9pm, AKA Mactan at Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan will collaborate with MALTAIL from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. MALTAIL co-founder Tonic Liu will join AKA Mactan’s Executive Chef Masahiro Kinoshita for an experience pairing signature cocktails with contemporary Japanese cuisine, drawing on their shared appreciation for Japanese drinking and dining culture.
Also on November 13, from 7pm to 10pm, Davos at Fairfield by Marriott Cebu Mactan will welcome Hong Kong's Dara for a collaboration celebrating Filipino flavors. Dara's Head Beverage Manager Jon Bunoan and bartender Jay Brodit will work alongside Davos' Chef Marcel Ramos, bringing Filipino-inspired cocktails together with the restaurant's Coastal Filipino cuisine.
On November 14, from 5pm to 8pm, Balai Brunch by Cafe Plus in Mandaue City will host Manila's The Grasshopper Bar. Head Bartender Jonathan Matienzo will collaborate with Chef Joanne Sakai, combining Filipino comfort food with ingredient-driven cocktails that reflect The Grasshopper Bar's playful approach to mixology.
Completing the culinary lineup on November 14, from 7pm to 10pm, Anzani Restaurant in Cebu City will partner with Sidecar from New Delhi, India. Sidecar co-founder Yangdup Lama and Head Bartender Souvik Rana Lama will collaborate with Anzani’s Chef Chris Navarro, pairing contemporary Indian cocktail craftsmanship with the restaurant's New Mediterranean cuisine.
Together, these four experiences demonstrate the versatility of Cebu's dining scene, where local culinary traditions meet international influences and contemporary cocktail techniques. They also offer visitors an opportunity to discover the destination through different cuisines, creative collaborations, and the hospitality of its restaurants.
For more information on the festival's cocktail-pairing experiences, visit https://thecocktailfiesta.com/cocktail-pairing-dinners.
🏖️ Hotels and resorts join the Festival experience
The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta’s participating hotels and hospitality partners will provide accommodation and event venues throughout the weekend, helping visitors experience different parts of Metro Cebu.
NUSTAR Resort Cebu will serve as the festival's Official Host Partner, hosting the November 15 Bar Congress and Asia Icons closing celebration. Exclusive accommodation rates for Asia Icons guests are available at Fili Hotel and NUSTAR Hotel.
In Mactan, participating hotel partners include Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu; Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort; Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan; Tambuli Seaside Resort & Spa; Fairfield by Marriott Cebu Mactan; and Chateau by The Sea.
With hotel and resort activities taking place alongside the bar-hopping program, guests can combine festival activities with beachfront stays, dining experiences, and leisure activities.
Visitors are encouraged to explore available Fiesta accommodation rates and special offers when planning their trip.
🍹Bar Congress and Asia Icons bring the Festival to a close
The final day of The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta will bring the regional hospitality community together at NUSTAR Resort Cebu. The inaugural Bar Congress, scheduled from 10am to 4:30pm on November 15, will feature panel discussions, masterclasses, and The Philippine Craft Spirits Showcase. The program brings together bartenders, beverage professionals, hospitality leaders, and industry representatives for discussions and educational experiences.
Registration is free, subject to availability.
In the evening, Asia Icons: The Fiesta Closing Party will take over the Grand Ballroom at NUSTAR Resort Cebu from 7pm to 1am. The celebration will feature nine award-winning bars from Asia and the Philippines, including Hope & Sesame from Guangzhou, Bar Us from Bangkok, Coa from Hong Kong, Three X Co from Kuala Lumpur, and BOP from Singapore.
They will be joined by four Manila establishments: Problem Child, The Spirits Library, Recraft, and Raion.
Tickets are priced at P1,999 net, inclusive of unlimited beverages, with food available for purchase.
Tickets are available at: https://nstr.ph/AsiaIcons
✨ Discover more to love beyond the bars
Through its Cebu edition, The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta aims to encourage visitors to explore the destination beyond the festival's scheduled activities.
From a heritage walk through downtown Cebu City to a seafood lunch in Mactan, an afternoon by the beach, or an evening discovering independent bars and restaurants, the festival offers different ways to experience Cebu's local culture and hospitality.
To help visitors organize their weekend, the Fiesta has introduced an interactive Bar-Hopping Planner, allowing users to explore participating events by date, location, and starting time, create personalized itineraries, and share their plans.
The planner is available at https://thecocktailfiesta.com/plan-your-bar-hop
As the festival prepares for its first edition outside Metro Manila, The Philippine Cocktail Fiesta 2026 brings together the region's cocktail community while inviting visitors to discover more to love about Cebu, its people, its flavors, and the experiences that make the destination worth exploring. (PR)
