Malaysia’s largest café and beverage trade show, the International Café and Beverage Show (ICBS) 2026, will return for its fifth edition from 7 to 9 May at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, introducing for the first time a dedicated tea segment. The milestone edition reflects the event’s continued growth, with expanded international participation, new industry competitions and an increasing focus on positioning Malaysia as a leading café hub in Southeast Asia.
Over three days, ICBS 2026 is expected to bring together a dynamic global community, featuring 650 brands alongside 1,000 baristas and 2,000 café owners, with an estimated 13,000 attendees from 55 countries. As the country’s only dedicated café and beverage trade show, ICBS has evolved from a niche industry platform into a key indicator of trends shaping café culture both locally and across the region.
Organised by Montgomery Asia in partnership with Barista Guild Asia, Eciatto and HJC Global Tea Fair, this year’s edition introduces several new developments that reflect the evolving beverage landscape. Among the most notable is the debut of a dedicated tea segment, developed in collaboration with HJC Global Tea Fair. This marks the first time tea is given a focused platform at ICBS, highlighting its growing importance as it transitions from a supporting offering to a central component of modern café menus in Malaysia and beyond.
Project Director of Montgomery Asia, Alun Jones, said ICBS has become a catalyst for Southeast Asia’s beverage economy, serving as a platform where ideas are exchanged, partnerships are formed and businesses discover new growth opportunities. He noted that as the show marks its fifth edition, it is not only reflecting industry developments but actively shaping them. He added that while coffee remains the foundation of café culture, there is increasing momentum in specialty tea, ready-to-drink beverages and mixology-inspired concepts, all of which are prominently featured at ICBS 2026.
The event comes at a time of strong growth in Malaysia’s foodservice sector, which is valued at USD 14.75 billion in 2025 and projected to reach USD 27.50 billion by 2030. Within this landscape, demand for premium and functional beverages is rising rapidly, with the ready-to-drink tea segment alone expected to grow by USD 32.4 million between 2025 and 2030. These trends reflect changing consumer preferences in how Malaysians dine, socialise and explore new experiences, reinforcing ICBS as a key platform for industry players to respond to these shifts.
A major highlight of the event is the Malaysia Open Coffee Championship (MOCC), which will feature 38 competitors across three categories: the Malaysia Open Brewers Cup, Malaysia Open Latte Art Championship and Malaysia Open Barista Championship. Beyond showcasing technical skills, the competition serves as an important platform for nurturing talent and elevating standards within Malaysia’s barista community.
In addition, ICBS 2026 will continue to highlight creativity within the local beverage scene through the Unite Malaysian Taste Challenge 2026. The competition brings together both emerging and experienced mixologists to create story-driven mocktails inspired by Malaysia’s diverse flavour heritage, transforming local ingredients into unique beverage concepts. This initiative reinforces ICBS’s role as a platform for showcasing homegrown innovation to both industry stakeholders and the public.
Alun Jones further noted that Malaysia’s café scene has matured significantly over the past decade, evolving beyond chain coffee into a vibrant landscape of independent cafés, specialty roasters and concept-driven spaces, supported by a growing consumer base that actively seeks out unique café experiences. He added that ICBS sits at the heart of this ecosystem, serving not just as an exhibition but as a platform where new ideas in Malaysian café culture often emerge.
Entry to ICBS 2026 is free, with registration now open. The exhibition will run from 7 to 9 May, welcoming trade visitors throughout the event, while opening to the public on 9 May to allow visitors to explore the latest innovations in coffee, tea and beverages firsthand. For more information on ICBS 2026, including exhibition opportunities, partnerships and visitor registration, members of the public are encouraged to visit the official website.
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