Glasgow Coffee Festival 2026: Dates and ticket prices as top roasters compete to be crowned UK’s best
The search for the UK’s finest coffee roaster is underway, with the winner set to be announced on the final day of the Glasgow Coffee Festival, which is back for its twelfth year in April.
After a sell out success welcoming more than 2,000 coffee aficionados old and new last year, Glasgow Coffee Festival is going even bigger this year.
Glasgow Coffee Festival 2026 dates
Now in its 12th year, the festival will return to the Briggait on April 18 and 19, expanding for the first time into the newly-opened neighbouring Clydeside Halls.
The expansion means the festival will have the capacity to double the number of vendors and increase capacity by almost 40 per cent, with almost 3,000 tickets available across the weekend.
Founder Lisa Lawson believes the event comes at the perfect time to provide a much-needed boost for the sector.
She said: “The past year has been an incredibly tough time for both the coffee and hospitality industries. Costs are rising across the board, margins are tightening and many independents are under a real pressure.
“Expanding the festival this year felt important. By doubling the number of vendors and opening the doors to more people than ever before, we’re creating space for the industry to come together, support one another and celebrate the quality and creativity that defines the Scottish coffee scene.
“Glasgow’s coffee community continues to show real resilience. Despite the hardships the industry faces, people are choosing to do things sustainably and with passion. I think that's something worth celebrating.”
The move marks a major step forward for Scotland’s largest celebration of speciality coffee with organisers promising a lively weekend packed with expert-led talks, workshops, tastings and competitions from specialists across the industry.
It is believed to be the world’s most sustainable coffee festival, with single use cups banned since 2017.
This year’s event will bring the city’s hottest coffee talent together, with national UK coffee competitions, including the SCA UK Brewers Cup Championship.
Established in 2014 by Dear Green founder Lisa Lawson, the festival has grown from a grassroots gathering into a key fixture in the UK speciality coffee calendar.
She added: “The festival has helped to support independent roasters and cafes while showcasing Glasgow as genuinely one of Europe's most exciting cities for specialty coffee.
“Aside from showcasing the best coffee professionals and businesses in the industry, sustainability will once again sit at the heart of the festival, with the event designed to minimise waste at every stage and remaining entirely single-use cup free. But it’s also designed to help coffee businesses raise their profile and build a long-term sustainable business.”
The 2026 Glasgow Coffee Festival has already secured headline partners including leading espresso machine manufacturers, La Marzocco, pioneering Scottish dairy, Mossgiel Organic Farm, and award winning specialty roasters, Dear Green.
Ticket prices
Tickets are from £17 and are available via the Glasgow Coffee Festival website.
Best Roaster UK competition
As the festival prepares to expand into the Clydeside Halls in The Briggait, the UK’s Best Roaster competition will take centre stage for the first time ever.
The competition – which features roasters from London to Aberfeldy – will showcase the precision and expertise behind the perfect bean.
Each finalist is required to roast an identical coffee to their own specifications, while also submitting a sourced coffee of their choice to represent their brand’s style.
A blind, peer-assessed cupping will take place on April 17. All coffees will be available for festival goers to taste and judge. The winner will be announced on April 19 – the festival’s final day.
The 2026 finalists are a who’s who of the UK’s coffee scene, including a pair of Glasgow roasters: Dear Green and Thomson’s.
Making the trip from England will be Chipp Coffee Co from Leeds, London’s Carnival Coffee Roasters and Lincoln and York (Brigg).
Tilted Coffee Roasters will be flying the flag for Wales, while Aberdeen’s Figment Coffee, Gatehouse Coffee roasters and Rise & Grind Roastery from Paisley, as well as Aberfeldy’s Glen Lyon make up the rest of a strong representation from Scotland.
Ms Lawson said of the competition: Roasting requires knowledge, skill and scientific approach; it's a key link in the specialty coffee industry's supply chain.
“By bringing the Best Roaster UK competition to GCF26, we’re celebrating the resilience and passion of the people who make Glasgow and the UK one of the most exciting coffee destinations in the world.
“We always said this year was going to be bigger than ever and this is one of the biggest updates to the Festival in years.
“The competition is fierce this year, featuring some of the most respected names in the industry. To see these roasters go head-to-head is going to be a real highlight for coffee lovers.”
Festival-goers will be able to enjoy the competition coffees at the Best Roaster UK stand, and be part of the competition by voting for the Public's Choice live at the fest.
The announcement of the Best Roaster UK winner will be a cornerstone of the Sunday programme, alongside a weekend packed with expert-led talks, workshops, and tastings.
The inaugural Best Roaster UK competition has the invaluable support of Ordna Event Agency, along with industry partners Falcon Micro, ROEST, Espresso Solutions and Dog & Hat.
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