The 25th edition of the Festival Del Habano

From 24 to 28 February, Havana hosted the 25th edition of the Festival Del Habano. Between experts, aficionados, trade professionals and curious visitors, those five days were eventful. A round-up of the Festival Del Habano 2025.

An event awaited around the world

Since it began in 1999, the Festival Del Habano has become the largest gathering devoted to the cigar in the world. As it does every year, it brought together distributors, retailers, producers and, of course, aficionados. Manufacturers usually take the opportunity to present exclusive new releases.

In 2025, the Festival Del Habano put three brands in the spotlight: H. Upmann, Romeo y Julieta and Cohiba. Sixty-one companies from 10 different countries were also present to show their latest work.

The high points of the Festival Del Habano 2025

As every year, the trade fair opened proceedings. It is a useful moment that allows manufacturers, craftspeople and professionals to meet in a smaller setting. The international seminar once again brought together many specialists from the cigar world. The Habanos World Challenge also gave the keenest enthusiasts the chance to test their knowledge.

For the first time in the history of the Festival Del Habano, professional torcedores competed against one another in the Gran Torcedor 2025 Contest. Throughout the event, special talks were given, both on the history of Habanos and on its traditions. Two were particularly well received this year: one on the 35 years of La Casa del Habano, the specialist franchise network, and one on the development of the Cohiba Linea Behike brand since it was created.

The Habanos Moments programme drew the crowds, all the more so since the organisers innovated this year by holding it in several different places around the capital. That made it possible to discover other parts of the city and, above all, gave a further tourist dimension to a festival centred on cigars. The usual visits to plantations and factories attracted professionals and the more curious aficionados as much as ever. Finally, the boldest were also able to try rolling their own cigar during visits to some of the factories.

The most memorable evenings of the Festival Del Habano 2025

These 5 days are packed and offer so many opportunities to see and to learn that it is difficult to choose among all the activities on offer. After the busy days came the evenings, with an atmosphere of their own. Here are the three that left the strongest impression.

The opening and welcome evening

On 24 February, the welcome evening marked the opening of the festival on a romantic note. It was held at the Salon de Protocolo Cubanacan, and the Romeo y Julieta brand was in the spotlight for its 150th anniversary.

The mid-week event night

Invited participants attended this private event at the Salon de los Pasos Perdidos, inside the National Capitol of Havana. This time it was the turn of the H. Upmann brand to take centre stage.

The closing evening of the festival

On the evening of 28 February, the gala dinner brought this eventful week to a close. It was built around the Cohiba Linea Behike brand which, for its 15 years, announced the release of a new cigar: the BHK 58. It was also the occasion to hand out the prizes to the winners of the various competitions held during the week. As is customary, a charity auction of humidors was held at the end, with the proceeds going to the Cuban public health system.