Mediterranean Bar Show: Nicosia becomes a beacon of Mediterranean bar culture

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AI translation – original text in greek

A fresh, two-day celebration dedicated to the bar and beverage industry is just around the corner. The Mediterranean Bar Show returns fully reimagined, placing hospitality at the heart of cultural expression.

This coming weekend, bartenders and drinks professionals will gather in Nicosia to connect with Cyprus’s vibrant local bar scene. Over the course of two days, they will spotlight the values of the modern global bar community, where innovation meets tradition, and storytelling brings to life the people and spirits behind the glass. A more inclusive, conscious, and authentic understanding of hospitality will be front and center — not as a trend, but as a natural evolution. Through a series of seminars, workshops, and immersive activations, the organizers promise 48 hours of education, creativity, and meaningful exchange, where responsible consumption is not a side note, but a core principle.

Mediterranean Bar Show: A new format for a new era

As the global bar scene continues to decentralize from traditional cocktail capitals, smaller, hyper-local communities are stepping into the spotlight. In Cyprus — a place rich in culture and hospitality — Nicosia is now positioning itself as a new hub for Mediterranean bar culture. The Mediterranean Bar Show brings together bartenders, brands, producers, and consumers in an event that highlights narratives, ingredients, and people worth studying and embracing in the 21st-century bar landscape.

This year’s show breaks away from traditional industry expo models. The format is hybrid and adaptive, designed to meet the needs of Cyprus’s dynamic but compact bar scene. Saturday is open to the public, with tastings, experiences, and direct interaction with brands. Sunday — traditionally a rest day for industry pros — is dedicated to both professionals and consumers alike, reflecting the growing importance of meaningful engagement between the trade and its audience.

Backed by the city — and built for the region

Following a deep understanding of the local market, and with the official support of the Municipality of Nicosia, the Mediterranean Bar Show aspires to become a standing institution at the heart of the city. The result is a festival that is both innovative and inclusive — a true reflection of the global bar community, tailored for the Mediterranean.

This year, the event takes place in the iconic Eleftheria Square — Zaha Hadid’s architectural tribute to Cyprus — and is free and open to all. The center of Nicosia will be transformed by cocktails, street food, music, and pop-up bars featuring talent from Cyprus, Greece, and across the world.

The people behind Mediterranean Bar Show

The Mediterranean Bar Show is co-organized by two major figures in the global bar world: Babis Kaidalidis and Yiannis Simantiras, the founders of the world-renowned Athens Bar Show, as well as the Salonica Bar Show, the Athens & Salonica Bar Weeks, and Bar Academy — the first school for bartenders and baristas in Greece.

Joining them is Dinos Constantinides of YourBartender Bar Services, a pioneer of the Cyprus bar scene. Back in 2007, he launched what was likely the island’s first mobile bar service. In 2013, he founded Lost + Found Drinkery, the first Cypriot bar to gain international recognition, earning a spot on both the World’s 50 Best Bars and the Top 500 Bars lists. Constantinides has also been shortlisted for Best Bar Mentor at Tales of the Cocktail, earned numerous regional awards, served as a judge in international competitions, and founded Cyprus’s first bartending school in 2008.

Bitterbooze will be there

Naturally, Bitterbooze.com — and myself personally — will be present at the Mediterranean Bar Show, proudly supporting both the event and Cyprus’s dynamic and promising bar scene.

For more updates, follow the Mediterranean Bar Show on social media — and stay tuned to Bitterbooze for exclusive photos and coverage straight from the heart of Nicosia.