Five things to do at Glasgow Coffee Festival 2025

THE GLASGOW Coffee Festival was founded in 2014 with a mission to bring people together over great coffee, to celebrate Scotland’s coffee scene, and spark better conversations about how it’s sourced, served, and shared. More than a decade on, it’s one of the UK’s leading specialty coffee events.

Ahead of this year’s festival on April 26–27 at The Briggait, Coffee Services Specialist & Event Coordinator Gill McIntyre, a coffee trainer and barista who’s been working in the industry for more than 20 years, shares her can’t miss moments – from powerful rituals to competitions.

1. Ethiopian coffee ceremony with The Coffee Legends

“This is one of the most powerful things we’ve ever had at the festival. If you think coffee’s just something you grab on the way to work, this will make you think differently about it.

“This ceremony will take you right back to coffee’s roots: its people, culture, and history. The Coffee Legends are on a mission to share Ethiopian coffee culture as it is experienced daily in the country where coffee was discovered – as a ritual of connection and respect. It’s humbling, it gives you a total shift in perspective. Everyone should see it at least once.”

2. SCA UK Cup Tasters championship final

“This is where the best tasters in the country go head-to-head to pick the odd cup out from a set of three. The tasters taking part have trained their palates to a ridiculous degree. It’s pure sensory skill and it’s amazing to watch. This will give you a real respect for how much work and craft goes into tasting and identifying quality control.”

3. Roast Hero competition

“We’re so excited to bring back this great competition, during which roasters are given the same raw coffee to roast to create the ultimate cup of coffee for festival goers and coffee professionals to taste! . It’s judged blind, so it’s all about who can unlock the most flavour, the most balance. Last year, the standard blew me away. It’s coffee stripped back to basics – it’s just about who’s the best roaster, nothing more.

4. Latte Art Competition - for home baristas!

“So many new people have grown an appreciation for coffee since the festival began. We’re all about removing boundaries and making amazing, specialty coffee more accessible. This latte art competition will be open to all – whether you’re trying it out for the first time or you’ve been pouring tulips for years – and it’s a bit less serious. For me, it captures the spirit of the festival. It shows how coffee is growing and touching new people every day.”

5. Home brewing demos

“If you’re just starting in specialty coffee, these sessions are ideal. You’ll learn how to dial in your brew at home, without needing loads of fancy kit. It’s about making the most of what you’ve got. There’s no judgment, no sales pitch. Just great coffee and advice to make it well.”

Gill concluded: “We’ve built this festival around community and the love of coffee– but also around responsibility. From banning single-use cups to becoming a B Corp and joining 1% for the Planet, we’re serious about doing better by people and planet. Coffee’s future depends on it. Come and experience amazing coffee and coffee culture – leave with a bigger sense of what you’re part of.”

Sponsors backing this year’s event include Dear Green, La Marzocco, Brew-it Group, Oatly, Mossgiel Organic Farm, The Social Hub Glasgow, PR agency Story Shop, Brewed by Hand and BWT.

Tickets are on sale now at glasgowcoffeefestival.com. Follow @glasgowcoffeefestival on Instagram for all the latest updates.