Events
More Than a Cup of Coffee: Slow Coffee Festival
Have you ever wondered how much work and care goes into a single cup of good coffee? How many people's coordinated efforts are needed for coffee beans from distant plantations to bring out their purest and finest flavors in your morning cup? The Slow Coffee Festival in Bucharest is not just a simple coffee event or an ordinary fair. It is a special event that has fundamentally changed Romania's coffee culture over the past decade and raised the specialty coffee experience to a whole new level. The main goal of the festival is very simple, yet carries a profound message: it wants to help people slow down in their busy daily lives.
The anniversary Slow Coffee Festival awaits coffee lovers between September 25–27, 2026. The event takes place at one of Bucharest's best-known exhibition centers, ROMEXPO (Pavilion A), located at Bulevardul Mărăști 65–67. If you are in Bucharest over the weekend and love coffee, don't miss this event!
The History of the Festival
When the idea for the event was born, very few specialty coffee shops were operating in Romania. Although there were already enthusiastic roasters and professionals interested in new-wave coffee, there was a lack of a common platform where industry representatives and enthusiasts could meet.
The first festival was particularly small and intimate, bringing together only 15 exhibitors and around 500 visitors, with the main goal back then being simply to explain the concept of specialty coffee to the local public. Today, however, the event has reached a major milestone as the Slow Coffee Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary edition in 2026. In a decade, the event has grown into one of Eastern Europe's most important coffee festivals. Compared to the initial small fair, the anniversary event takes place on a massive scale of approximately 10,000 square meters, bringing together around 145 exhibitors from 23 countries—including England, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Cuba, Germany, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Poland, Peru, the Netherlands, the Republic of Moldova, Slovakia, Uganda, Hungary, and Romania.
The "Slow" Philosophy: Slowing Down and Environmental Protection
In today's world, coffee for many people is nothing more than a quick caffeine fix in the morning rush or on the way to work. The word "Slow" in the festival's name speaks against this superficial mindset, encouraging us to stop for a moment, take time to taste, and understand the work behind our coffee. From the beginning, the organizers have placed special emphasis on environmental protection and sustainability, as demonstrated by their well-known "Bring Your Own Cup" initiative. The core of this mindset is that the festival consciously wants to reduce the event's ecological footprint and the amount of disposable waste.
Main Program Highlights
During the three-day event, dynamic and diverse programs follow one another in Pavilion A at ROMEXPO, where professionals and home coffee enthusiasts alike will find something for themselves. The first day is dedicated specifically to the B2B sector, featuring professional lectures and networking opportunities. One of the most popular public events is the National AeroPress Championship, where baristas and enthusiastic amateurs compete to bring out the best in the popular AeroPress coffee maker.
(Source: Slow Coffee Festival)
Visitors also have the opportunity to participate in guided coffee tastings (cupping), where they can learn about the differences between various growing regions, processing methods, and roasting styles. On all three days of the festival, renowned local and international experts host lectures and workshops on coffee industry sustainability, the role of water quality, fine-tuning home brewing techniques, and the future of the green coffee market. Coffee shop owners and baristas also have a dedicated space to test the latest roasters, espresso machines, and grinders, as well as build business connections.
Culture, Art, and Family Programs
The organizers believe that coffee connects related fields and arts, which is why the Slow Coffee Festival has evolved over the years into a colorful, atmospheric cultural event. Alongside specialty coffee, fresh baked goods from artisan bakeries, delicious craft chocolates, naturally aged wines, and local craft beers await guests on site. The festival area also hosts exhibitions and markets by local artists. This year, the contemporary art project Mirare Gallery, founded by Luiza Nicolae, will be present to bring art closer to visitors through multisensory experiences.
The organizers have also thought of families and little ones: King's Oak International School sets up an interactive educational and play area based on the "Explore, Discover, Create" concept. Children can enjoy reading, building blocks, art activities, as well as coding and robotics while parents enjoy their tastings in peace.
(Source: Slow Coffee Festival)
Whether you have been a fan of specialty coffee for a long time or are just about to discover this world, the 10th anniversary Slow Coffee Festival is guaranteed to offer an unforgettable experience. This event shows that drinking coffee is not just an ordinary morning routine, but a great opportunity for connecting, learning, and recharging. Head to ROMEXPO in Bucharest on the last weekend of September, bring a cup with you, and celebrate quality coffee in a truly inspiring community! And if you are coming from further away, book your accommodation on
