KL Cocktail Week 2026: The Annual Celebration of Mixology Returns for its Third Year

Your comprehensive guide to everything KL Cocktail Week 2026, from important dates to new events and how you can get tickets. 

The cat’s out of the bag! KL Cocktail Week 2026 is officially a go and we have all the details you’ll need to start planning your crawls. In its third edition, this week-long celebration 28 April to 3 May) of mixology is first and foremost an initiative to highlight the local cocktail scene alongside regional stars of the industry. Not only does it serve as a spotlight for the talents behind the bar, but also as a medium of connection and community amongst cocktail lovers, travellers, party seekers, flavour aficionados, and so much more. 

This year, the festival returns with a whole new roster of visiting bars, even more exciting dinner pairings, an upgraded Festival Village experience, and its inaugural day-long conference, Tipple Talks. Built around the theme of “Show Up”, KL Cocktail Week 2026 is all about bringing ourselves to be theReady to start planning? Find out everything you need to know below! 

SIX DAYS, FIVE ZONES

For this year’s KL Cocktail Week 2026, the Klang Valley will be divided into five zones, making planning (and drinking) a breeze. They are: Bangsar, Petaling Jaya/TTDI, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, and Damansara Heights. Each evening of guest shifts and pairing dinners will be organised according to region, so guests won’t have to travel far in between events. 

ON THE SETLIST

At the core of KL Cocktail Week 2026—as with its prior editions—are the local bars and the people behind them opening their doors (and arms) to the global names landing in the city just for the festivities. The roster includes: Amazonas, Bā by Kinugawa, B.E.D., Bar None, Bar Trigona, Cabinet 8 KL, Concubine, Cacao Mixology & Chocolate, Frank’s, Four Siblings, Humboldt, Ikiya 2.0, Joloko, JungleBird, Lavantha, Lane 23, Moonbar, Penrose, Reka:Bar, RAW, Remedy, Soma, Three X Co, Up & Away, and Wet Deck.

On the other hand, the bars looking adding Kuala Lumpur to their passports are: Aqua (Bangkok), Asian Flush (Shanghai), Bar Benfiddich (Tokyo), Bar Raion (Manila), Bar Us (Bangkok), Boilermaker (Goa), Carrots (Jakarta), CMYK (Changsha), COA (Hong Kong), Cosmo Pony (Jakarta), Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (Bangkok), Gong Gan (Seoul), HiBoRu (Taipei), Hope & Sesame (Guangzhou), LE ROOM at MAD HOUSE (Taipei), Montana (Hong Kong), Native (Singapore), Origin Bar (Singapore), Punch Room (Tokyo), Quinary (Hong Kong), Raw + Atelier (Ho Chi Minh City), Salty Fish (Jakarta), Somewhere Quiet (Manila), Tell Camellia (Hong Kong), VIRTÙ (Tokyo), Wing Lei Bar (Macau), Workshop 14 (Hanoi),  Zest (Seoul), and ZLB 23 (Bengaluru).

* Stay tuned for the full schedule! 

DINKS & DRINKS

Kicking off KL Cocktail Week 2026 will be a Pickleball Opening Party, held at PLAYA Racquet Club @ PARC Subang on 19 April. The main event on the agenda is the community open play for local bartenders and industry members to put their pickleball skills in the spotlight. Served alongside the gameplay are cocktails by the participating bars, acting as some liquid courage and confidence for the courts. 

FESTIVAL VILLAGE IS BACK

The grand not-so-finale of every KL Cocktail Week is none other than the Festival Village. This year’s event returns to Sentul Depot on 2 May for 10 hours of live music, games, food, masterclasses, performances, and—of course—drinks. It is the ultimate opportunity to get a sampler of the bartenders’ creations and rub shoulders with members of the industry as well as other like-minded foodies and drinkers. 

THE DEBUT OF TIPPLE TALKS

In the spirit of spreading the lore of mixology and all its dimensions, KL Cocktail Week 2026 will also be the debut stage for Tipple Talks, its new food and beverage-focused conference.The programme includes talks and panel discussions, all led and moderated by figures in the industry. Attendees can expect to have their horizons broadened across topics such as the role of AI, the growth of modern hospitality, the influence of creators, and more. 

GOOD THINGS COME IN PAIRS

A major pillar in the KL Cocktail Week festivities is its series of cocktail pairing dinners, featuring some of the city’s top restaurants. This year’s dining lineup features Akar, Barkar, Bistro Lea, Fifty Tales, Ling Long, Nadodi, Pickle Dining, Roost, Tangram, Terra Dining, Topshelf, and Yellow Fin Horse.

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