Running daily from 12-9pm, the 2026 theme ‘The Bar Craft’ will highlight the skill, creativity, and precision that goes into making drinks, building bars, and shaping the culture around them.

After a successful debut in 2025, the event is expanding this year, doubling its exhibition space to 8,000 sqm, welcoming more than 175 exhibitors, and expecting over 3,000 visitors from MENA, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. 

“After the first edition, I truly saw what we brought to the region and how the entire industry came together in a way that had never happened before. This year feels different in the best way possible - the trade itself is reaching out, asking what’s coming next. It’s clear that everyone understands we are doing something meaningful and important for the industry as a whole,” said Sebouh Tato, GBS co-founder.

The programme will see an educational line-up featuring more than 20 seminars, workshops, and talks, as well as over 12 guided tastings led by industry stalwarts.

The lineup will see Salvatore Calabrese take the GBS stage with seminars, alongside returning educators, brand makers, as well as industry leaders Philip Duff, Lauren Mote, and Ed Cottrell. 

New faces will join too, such as executive director of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Charlotte Voisey, author and bartender Tristan Stephenson, rum ambassador Ian Burrell, and David Rios, Márcio Silva, Margarita Sader, and more to be announced. 

GBS 2026 will expand across the city with a Dubai-wide programme of more than 20 guest shifts and events, as this year’s edition will also bring expanded activations and collaborations, including the World Class Regional Final, and a joint activation with Tales of the Cocktail and the Spirited Awards.