Buon Ma Thuot coffee festival targets international scale in 2027

The festival, themed “Buon Ma Thuot – The World’s Robusta Coffee Capital”, was discussed at the first meeting of the Dak Lak provincial steering committee on October 31.

A total of 22 launch and supporting activities are planned from December 15, 2026, to April 4, 2027. The opening ceremony is scheduled for the evening of March 7 at March 10 Square in Buon Ma Thuot ward.

Expanded programme connects the highlands with the coast

Unlike previous editions, which concentrated most events within a single week, the main programme is expected to run for a month, allowing visitors greater flexibility and helping ease local congestion.

The festival’s footprint will also extend beyond the Central Highlands to Tuy Hoa, connecting coffee-growing areas with coastal destinations through cultural, tourism and entertainment activities.

Planned highlights include a coffee blossom festival in Ea Knuec commune, a traditional rượu cần rice wine festival in the Lak area, an elephant festival in Buon Don, the Robusta Rock Fest, a light festival in Buon Ma Thuot ward and an airboat racing event on Ea Kao Lake. Tuy Hoa is also expected to host photo opportunities and artistic performances linking the highlands with the coast.

Organisers aim to attract around 1.3 million visitor arrivals for sightseeing, overnight stays and other experiences.

At the meeting, Dak Lak People's Committee Chairman Do Huu Huy called for comprehensive improvements in the festival’s organisation, communications and financial management. He emphasised the importance of engaging local residents and ensuring the programme resonates with the community.

From a festival to a global coffee industry platform

Dak Lak Party Committee Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet described the festival as a major political, economic, cultural and tourism event for the province. He stressed that its organisation should be professional and systematic, with ambitions to achieve international stature while delivering tangible benefits for the coffee industry and local people.

He called on organisers to assess the festival against seven groups of performance indicators and identify concrete outcomes that would endure after the event.

Priorities include increasing the value of coffee beans, promoting coffee culture, strengthening economic partnerships and attracting international business partners, with the longer-term ambition of hosting an international coffee fair in Buon Ma Thuot.

The province also plans to develop tourism itineraries linked to certified ecological coffee farms and accelerate the completion of the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Street project.

The broader goal is to turn the festival into more than a seasonal attraction by creating lasting links between coffee production, processing, trade and tourism. By connecting the region’s coffee heritage with new business opportunities and visitor experiences, Dak Lak aims to strengthen the Buon Ma Thuot coffee brand and ensure that local growers, businesses and communities share in the benefits.

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