Edinburgh calls the bar world back for three days dedicated to the trade. From April 13 to 15, 2026, the Scottish capital hosts the third edition of the Edinburgh Bar Show—an event that, in just a few years, has secured a clear position on the international calendar.
Growth Measured in Numbers
The scale of the Edinburgh Bar Show is reflected in its figures. In 2025, the event drew more than 1,400 industry professionals, with 25 seminars and 26 events spread across the city’s bars. It is a format that works because it bridges education with the day-to-day reality of bar life. For 2026, the programme expands further, retaining its structure of accessible content and a distributed network of participating venues.
Edinburgh Bar Show, A Project Built by Bartenders
The Edinburgh Bar Show was founded by Iain McPherson—bartender and entrepreneur behind Panda & Sons—together with Gary Anderson and Jamie Faulds, the former a hospitality and events professional, the latter co-founder of Edinburgh Cocktail Week. Three figures with a deep understanding of both the local and international scene, who have shaped an event with a clear operational aim: to circulate knowledge and create tangible opportunities for connection.
Free entry, reserved for industry professionals, remains a defining feature. It broadens participation and brings in younger bartenders, smaller teams and professionals in the early stages of their careers, reinforcing the event as a platform for exchange.
The Programme of the Edinburgh Bar Show
The full schedule will be released closer to the event, but several key directions are already clear. Seminars focus on practical themes such as flavour construction, service, storytelling and cocktail list development. Alongside education, bar takeovers turn the city into a dynamic map, with local venues and international guests working side by side for a night.
Among the most anticipated moments is the return of Pitch It, a format that gives bartenders a stage to present new ideas—developed and delivered directly to the community.
Three Days of Mixology Across the City
Voodoo Rooms, the event’s central hub located in the heart of Edinburgh just steps from Princes Street and Waverley Station, anchors the daytime programme with seminars, tastings and networking sessions. Beyond it, the city becomes part of the experience. Bars host events, collaborations and guest shifts, creating a route that moves across neighborhoods and styles.
Over the three days, the programme unfolds on two parallel tracks. On one side, seminars and tastings; on the other, the work inside bars, where discussions turn to drink structure, service management and menu development—led by the bartenders who operate behind the counter every night.
In the evenings, the same themes carry into venues such as Bramble and The Old Pal. Speakers from the daytime sessions step behind the bar for guest shifts, putting their ideas into practice. Meanwhile, the audience moves through the city—observing, tasting and seeing how those techniques perform in real service. Tastings follow the same rhythm, tied to menus, collaborations and the pace of work both behind the bar and on the floor. Everything unfolds across three days, from April 13 to 15, in Edinburgh.
