On the evening of 29 April, the 5th annual Shanghai International Coffee Cultural Festival opened its doors to visitors from across China and beyond. The latest data shows that Shanghai has 9,115 coffee shops as of 2024, making it the city with the most coffee shops in the world. So if you’re visiting the city for its vibrant coffee culture, you don’t have to travel all over Shanghai to find your favourite brew, because with over 350 stalls, almost anyone who is anyone in the coffee world will be present at the festival.
The official opening of the festival, which is located on the North Bund, took place on 30 April and will remain open until 2 May. The event, along with a city-wide “coffee plus” campaign, hosts not only nearly 100 coffee brands across the globe, but also cultural stands including performances, sports, intangible cultural heritages (ICHS), an outdoor cinema and, of course, food stalls.
Caffè Carraro brings Luigi Lupi, the “father of latte art”, to perform live latte art. While other brands like Lavazza are bringing new products to the festival. Another highlight this year is the rise of Yunnan coffee beans. In recent years, Yunnan coffee has risen from a niche option to one of the premium choices. Data shows that the sales of Yunnan coffee reached a 3-year high on Taobao and Tmall at 417 million RMB (57.35 million USD).
Coffee festivals are popping up across China in recent years, especially in higher-tiered cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. However, with the 9.9 RMB (1.37 USD) pricing from large chains like Luckin Coffee and premium coffee chains such as Manner Coffee, it is hard for independent coffee shops to thrive. Meanwhile, for some influencer shop owners with social media celebrity status, coffee festivals are starting to become “fan meetings”. As tea chains like Goodme also tap into the coffee market, how the coffee industry goes from here is certainly worth watching.
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