Coffee Plz 2026 returns to Ayala Malls Circuit in Makati from 4 to 6 September. Entry is free, and the festival will bring together a large group of Philippine coffee businesses with 29 international roasters from 10 markets. Visitors can buy ₱100 tokens for small tastings, purchase full drinks and products directly from merchants, or simply walk around before deciding where to begin.
Coffee Plz is for everyone. Including experienced home brewers, casual café visitors and anyone who arrives knowing very little about specialty coffee.
All you need is curiosity.
Coffee Plz 2026 event details
- Dates: 4 to 6 September 2026
- Hours: 10am to 10pm daily
- Venue: Activity Center and Breezeway, Ayala Malls Circuit, Makati
- Admission: Free
- Tasting tokens: ₱100 each
- International roster: 29 roasters from 10 markets
- Instagram: @coffeeplz.world
The festival nearly ended after its first year
Coffee Plz began in 2025. The first edition brought together 35 merchants, including 17 Philippine roasters and seven international roasters. The public response was encouraging.
“We genuinely thought it might be a one and done,” says Andre Chanco, one of the festival’s founders. “We loved what happened and were incredibly grateful for how people responded, but we also knew how much work it took to make it happen.”
For a while, nobody knew whether Coffee Plz would return.
Then roasters began asking about another edition. Some had taken part in 2025 and wanted to come back. Others had watched from outside and wanted to join. Interest arrived from overseas as well. In fact, there was so much demand the second Coffee Plz will be around three times the size of the first.
Whose idea was this anyway?
Coffee Plz was founded by Andre Chanco and Tricia Eusebio Locsin, who first worked together at Yardstick Coffee. Chanco is one of Yardstick’s co founders, while Eusebio Locsin previously served as its Community Manager.
Samantha Carreon later joined the team after working with Yardstick on the Philippine AeroPress Championship. She now leads partnerships for the 2026 festival.
Built around discovery
During a visit to Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Andre noticed that while it was the famous that drew people to the event, the names they discussed afterwards were often the musicians they had discovered once they arrived.
“What stayed with me was that a great festival isn’t only about seeing the biggest names,” he says. “You go because of the headliners, but you leave talking about someone you had never heard of before. Discovery is a huge part of what makes a festival exciting.”
Coffee Plz applies the same idea to roasters.
A visitor may come because they already know Yardstick, Good Cup, H Proper, Kurasu, ST ALi or Common Man Coffee Roasters. Once inside, people will discover smaller Philippine businesses, roasters visiting from other parts of Asia and coffees they may never have considered ordering.
The international roster for 2026 includes businesses from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. They will join a substantial Philippine group that includes established roasters, newer businesses and operators based outside Metro Manila. Matcha merchants, bakeries and equipment companies will also take part.
Coffee Plz remains primarily invitation based. Curation is super important to the team.
“We don’t think everyone at a coffee festival should look or taste the same,” Chanco says. “A new roaster can coexist with an institution. Robusta can coexist with arabica. Light roast can coexist with dark roast. Matcha can coexist with coffee.”
That breadth feels closer to the way people actually drink. Some visitors will look for rare coffees and delicate flavours. Others will want something sweet, familiar or cold. Many will switch between the two depending on what catches their attention.
Nobody needs to choose a coffee identity before entering. I love that.
How Coffee Plz works
The festival will occupy the Activity Center and Breezeway at Ayala Malls Circuit. Rather than placing every merchant along one continuous row, Coffee Plz will divide the venue into smaller neighbourhoods.
Philippine roasters based north of the Pasig River will appear in NoPa. Those to the south will gather in SoPa. Roasters from beyond Metro Manila will sit among the Out of Towners. International participants will appear across Japan Town, Korea Town and an International Roaster Lane. Matcha, bakery and equipment merchants will be placed in areas called Coffee Break.
A festival passport and map will encourage visitors to move between those areas.
Visitors can purchase tokens for ₱100 and exchange them for servings of around 30 to 50ml from participating merchants. The organisers reimburse businesses for the tokens they collect.
Visitors can also skip the tasting tokens and purchase directly from merchants. Admission remains free either way.
Coffee without the entrance exam
The vocabulary around specialty coffee is detailed. Professionals talk about varieties, processing, roast development, water and extraction. Because those details affect the cup.
The trouble begins when customers feel they must understand that language before asking a question.
“We want somebody who doesn’t know much about specialty coffee to feel just as welcome as somebody who can talk about processing methods for an hour,” Chanco says. “You don’t need to know the right words. You just need to be curious.”
A newcomer may only know that they prefer coffee with milk. They might want something sweet or dislike drinks that taste acidic to them. Whatever their preference, Coffee Plz is the place to have that conversation without the jargon.
A different place in the coffee calendar
The Philippines already has trade shows, competitions and professional gatherings. Those events help businesses meet suppliers, give competitors a stage and create room for technical discussion.
Coffee Plz serves another part of the same community: the customer. Much like what I’m trying to do with the Home Barista Show.
That customer own coffee gear, keep detailed brewing notes, visit cafés twice a month or order online. They already buy the coffee. They should have somewhere to meet the people producing and roasting it.
I’m excited to see what people find
“If you come because you recognise five names but leave excited about five names you didn’t know before, then we’ve done our job,” Chanco says.
I like that as a measure of success.
Coffee Plz was supposed to happen once. This September, it returns three times bigger, with enough variety for experienced coffee people, casual drinkers and anyone who simply wants to see what tastes good.
This looks like a very good weekend to drink coffee in Manila.
I can’t wait to see what people discover.
Frequently asked questions
What is Coffee Plz 2026?
Coffee Plz 2026 is a consumer focused coffee festival bringing Philippine and international roasters together with matcha merchants, bakeries and coffee equipment companies. The event is designed for casual coffee drinkers, home brewers and industry professionals alike.
When and where is Coffee Plz 2026?
Coffee Plz takes place from 4 to 6 September 2026 at the Activity Center and Breezeway of Ayala Malls Circuit in Makati, Philippines. The festival runs from 10am to 10pm each day.
Is Coffee Plz 2026 free to attend?
Yes. Admission to Coffee Plz 2026 is free. Visitors only pay for the tasting tokens, drinks, coffee beans, food, equipment or merchandise they choose to purchase.
How do the Coffee Plz tasting tokens work?
Each tasting token costs ₱100 and can be exchanged for a small serving from a participating merchant. Portions are generally between 30 and 50ml, allowing visitors to try several coffees or other drinks without buying a full serving at every booth.
Which roasters are attending Coffee Plz 2026?
Coffee Plz 2026 features a large roster of Philippine coffee businesses and 29 international roasters from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
Is Coffee Plz suitable for people who are new to specialty coffee?
Yes. Visitors don’t need to understand coffee varieties, processing methods or brewing theory. Merchants can recommend drinks according to familiar preferences, such as sweetness, roast style or whether somebody normally drinks coffee with milk.
How is Coffee Plz different from a coffee trade show?
Coffee Plz is organised around the public experience of tasting and discovering coffee. Trade shows usually serve professional relationships, equipment sales and industry education, while Coffee Plz gives everyday drinkers direct access to roasters and their products.
Discover more from FLTR Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
