By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Festival postponed: The 2026 Habanos Festival, set for Feb. 23 in Havana is delayed due to an ongoing fuel and infrastructure crisis.
- Travel disruptions cited: Aviation fuel shortages and blackouts affected international travel; organizers to “guarantee excellence” by postponing.
- No new date yet: Habanos S.A. says a rescheduled date to highlight Cohiba’s 60th anniversary will be announced “soon.”
The 26th edition of the Habanos Festival, Cuba’s flagship premium cigar event, has been postponed as the island grapples with a worsening fuel and infrastructure crisis that has disrupted international travel.
The 2026 Festival was scheduled to begin on February 23 in Havana. In a statement issued on February 14, Habanos S.A., the joint venture between state-owned Cubatabaco and a Hong Kong-based company that oversees the global distribution of Cuban cigars, confirmed the delay.
“The priority of the Habano Festival is to offer its participants a comprehensive experience at the height of the relevance and prestige that this event represents internationally,” the company said. “The postponement of its celebration is a measure aimed at protecting this experience and guaranteeing its excellence.”
No new dates have been announced. Habanos S.A. said it would communicate a rescheduled timeline “in a timely manner.”
The postponement comes amid acute fuel shortages, widespread blackouts, and mounting transportation challenges in Cuba. Cuban authorities have warned international airlines that jet fuel supplies are constrained, prompting several foreign carriers to suspend or reassess routes. The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advised against all but essential travel to Cuba this week, citing “severe and worsening disruption to essential infrastructure, persistent nationwide power outages and fuel shortages.”
Cubatabaco attributed the situation to “the complex economic situation the nation is facing, as a result of the intensification of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade by the Government of the United States against Cuba.”
The 2026 Festival was expected to be especially significant for the global premium cigar trade, with programming centered on Cohiba’s 60th anniversary, widely regarded as Cuba’s flagship brand. The event traditionally features factory visits, product launches, seminars and a high-profile gala dinner that draws retailers, distributors and collectors from around the world.
This is not the first disruption in recent years. The Festival was canceled in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned in 2023. The 2020 edition took place just before global lockdowns took hold.
