The Maybe Cocktail Festival will return for its fourth year from 14–19 April 2026, featuring 25 of the world’s most talked about bars and bartenders.

Among the bars attending this year are Tres Monos (Buenos Aires), Alquímico (Cartagena), Connaught Bar (London), Locale Firenze (Florence) and New York’s Sip & Guzzle – all currently featured on the 2025 World’s 50 Best Bars list. Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy — named The World’s Best Bar in 2024 — also joins the line-up.

Several more sit within the extended 51–100 rankings. From Brooklyn, Bar Madonna channels a distinctly Italian-American spirit, while San Francisco institution Trick Dog adds West Coast pedigree to the mix. Mexico City arrives in further force via Kaito del Valle. There’s Berlin’s Guste & Johanna, Sri Lanka’s spice-led Smoke & Bitters and Johannesburg’s Sin + Tax, alongside Hong Kong’s Daiquiri-driven Montana, the sister bar to 2025’s World’s Best Bar, Bar Leone. Singapore’s grand Art Deco temple Atlas rounds out the mix.

Australia is also well represented, with Melbourne institutions Above Board, Byrdi and Caretaker’s Cottage among the 22 bars taking part.

The festival will unfold across venues including Maybe Sammy, Dean & Nancy on 22, El Primo Sanchez, Maybe Frank, El Vista at Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour, Bar Allora, bar tilda at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, Cibaria at Manly Pacific MGallery. Expect guest shifts, one-off collaborations and walk-in events that place globally recognised talent directly behind local bars

Beyond the nightly guest shifts, this year’s program also makes room for a handful of more food-led moments, pairing serious drinks with everything from a pizza party at Maybe Frank with Mario La Pietra, Cicerone and Redfern’s Regina La Pizzeria, to a four-course lunch at Flaminia matched with Maybe Sammy Cocktails, the bottled cocktail collection from the team behind Maybe Sammy, and a brunch at El Primo Sanchez poured alongside drinks from three of Melbourne’s best bars: Caretaker’s Cottage, Byrdi and Above Board. There will also be a live broadcast from prominent Italian community radio station Radio Italiana 531, airing direct from Bar Allora.

Festival Director Stefano Catino said: “Each year we’ve tried to lift the standard while keeping the spirit of the week intac

“It’s not about putting on a show for the sake of it. It’s about getting the bars that are setting the pace globally behind our own counters. Sydney knows a good drink when it sees one. This week just means you don’t have to scroll through a list or book a flight to try it.”

Maybe Cocktail Festival schedule

14 April
➔ 4 – 8pm // Hosted by Maybe Frank: Mario La Pietra x Cicerone x Regina Pizza Party. Presented by Boiron.
➔ 8pm – late // Hosted by El Primo Sanchez: Bar Madonna (Brooklyn, USA). Presented by Mr Black.

15 April
➔ 11am – 3pm // Hosted by El Vista: Panel talk with Boothby. Presented by Boothby.
➔ 4 – 7pm // Hosted by El Vista: Sketchy Bartender (United Kingdom). Presented by Cazcabel Tequila.
➔ 7 – 10pm // Hosted by Maybe Sammy: Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City, Mexico). Presented by Patrón
➔ 10pm – 1am // Hosted by El Primo Sanchez: Tres Monos (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Presented by Morris
Whisky.

16 April
➔ 10am – 12pm // Hosted by Bar Allora: Radio Italiana x Camatti Live Show. Presented by Camatti.
➔ 12 – 2pm // Hosted by Bar Allora: Radio Italiana x Camatti. Presented by Camatti.
➔ 2 – 5pm // Hosted by Bar Allora: Simone Rossi. Presented by Ratafia Rossi.
➔ 5 – 8pm // Hosted by Dean & Nancy on 22: Atlas (Singapore). Presented by Angel’s Envy.
➔ 8 – 11pm // Hosted by Maybe Sammy: Locale Firenze (Firenze, Italy). Presented by Club Suntory.
➔ 11pm – 1am // Hosted by El Primo Sanchez: Alquímico (Cartagena, Colombia). Presented by 1800 Tequila.

17 April
➔ 12 – 3pm // Hosted by Cibaria: Connaught Bar (London, United Kingdom). Presented by Vanguard Luxury
Brands (The Dalmore, Four Pillars & Planetary Rum).
➔ 4 – 7pm // Hosted by El Primo Sanchez: Smoke & Bitters (Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka). Presented by Herradura
Tequila.
➔ 7 – 10pm // Hosted by Maybe Sammy: Guste & Johanna (Berlin, Germany). Presented by Glenfiddich Whisky.
➔ 8 – 11pm // Hosted by bar tilda: Sin + Tax (Johannesburg, South Africa). Presented by Jack Daniel’s.
➔ 9pm – 12am // Hosted by Dean & Nancy on 22: Yoi (Taipei, Taiwan). Presented by Boiron.
➔ 11pm – 1am // Hosted by El Primo Sanchez: Sip & Guzzle (Manhattan, USA). Presented by Ocho Tequila & Elijah
Craig.

18 April
➔ 12 – 3pm // Hosted by Flaminia: Flaminia Long Lunch (Sydney, Australia). Presented by Maybe Sammy
Cocktails.
➔ 4 – 7pm // Hosted by Maybe Sammy: Bar Montana (Hong Kong, China). Presented by Grey Goose Vodka.
➔ 5 – 8pm // Hosted by El Primo Sanchez: Kaito Del Valle (Mexico City, Mexico). Presented by Cointreau.
➔ 8 – 11pm // Hosted by Maybe Sammy: Trick Dog (San Francisco, USA). Presented by Tromba Tequila.
➔ 11pm – 1am // Hosted by El Primo Sanchez: Benja (Mexico City, Mexico). Presented by San Cosme Mezcal.

19 April
➔ 1 – 4pm // Hosted by El Primo Sanchez: Brunch with Caretaker’s Cottage x Byrdi x Above Board (Melbourne,
Australia). Presented by Ketel One Vodka.
➔ 6pm – late // Hosted by El Vista: Festival Final Party

Learn more here.