Celebrating cocktails, culture and creativity
Singapore is getting a brand-new cocktail festival this summer — and it’s not confined to just one venue. The inaugural Singapore Cocktail Crossover (SGCX) will take over the city from June 9–14, 2026, bringing together top bars, guest bartenders and creatives for a six-day celebration of drinks, art, music and lifestyle.
With the tagline ‘Cocktails x Lifestyle – As One’, the event will transform neighbourhood bars and heritage districts across Singapore into immersive cocktail destinations, inviting guests to explore the city’s thriving drinks culture in a fresh and interactive way.
Rather than taking place in a single festival venue, SGCX will unfold across the city through a rolling programme of pop-ups, collaborations and creative activations.
For the first four days, participating bars and lifestyle partners will host experiences that push cocktails beyond the bar counter. Expect collaborations that blend drinks with food pairings, art showcases, sensory workshops and live music sessions, all designed to spotlight flavour and creativity in new ways.
Each day will focus on a different heritage neighbourhood, shining a spotlight on Singapore’s diverse hospitality scene while encouraging visitors to explore the city through its cocktail culture.
The final two days of the festival will culminate in a large-scale experiential event at METT Singapore, bringing together the energy built across the city into one immersive space.
Here, guests will find a curated line-up of internationally acclaimed bars, chefs, artists and designers, creating cross-disciplinary experiences that blur the lines between nightlife and culture.
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Several award-winning bars from The World’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Bars lists are already confirmed to take part, including Bar Leone (Hong Kong), Zest (Seoul), Hope & Sesame (Guangzhou), Sip & Guzzle (New York), G.O.D. (Bangkok), Drywave Cocktail Studio (Bangkok)and Caretaker’s Cottage (Melbourne). Organisers expect the festival to welcome more than 2,500 guests across the six-day programme.
SGCX is the brainchild of four industry figures spanning hospitality, bartending and events: Vijay Mudaliar, Peter Chua, Henry Stonham and Caryn Cheah.
Mudaliar, the founder of acclaimed Singapore bars Native and Analogue Initiative, says the event was born from a desire to expand how cocktails are experienced. The goal, organisers say, is to weave cocktail culture into a broader lifestyle context — connecting drinks with art, music, food, fashion and design.
As Singapore’s reputation as one of Asia’s leading cocktail capitals continues to grow, SGCX aims to create a new platform for both industry professionals and curious drinkers.
Built around the ethos ‘By the community. For the community’, the festival hopes to spotlight established names alongside emerging voices while making craft cocktail culture more accessible to a wider audience.
If all goes to plan, this could soon become one of the region’s most exciting new drinks festivals — and a must-visit date on the global cocktail calendar.
Image credit: Supplied/@sgcx.sg on Instagram
Curious, expressive, and always chasing new ideas, Zainab sees creativity as a way of life. She thrives on discovering new perspectives, connecting with people, and turning inspiration into something tangible. Her work and her world reflect a balance of intuition, imagination, and authenticity.
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