Pipe Smokers’ World Cup 2026: a meeting in Italy

The pipe world will meet in Italy at the end of October. The 2026 Pipe Smokers’ World Cup will take place on Sunday 25 October in Abano Terme, a spa town near Padua, in Veneto.

Organised around the international slow-smoking competition, the gathering will in fact run over the whole weekend of 24 and 25 October 2026. An exhibition of pipes, accessories, manufacturers, meetings between enthusiasts and tastings will accompany the competition.

The 2026 World Cup organised in Abano Terme

The Alexander Palace Hotel in Abano Terme will host this edition of the Pipe World Cup. The hotel stands at 24 via Martiri d’Ungheria, a few kilometres from Padua.

The event is organised under the Committee International of Pipe Clubs (CIPC), the international organisation that brings together pipe smokers’ clubs from different countries. The CIPC’s mission includes setting common rules for international competitions and encouraging exchanges between clubs, pipe-makers and enthusiasts.

The Italian edition is thus set to bring together participants from many countries, along with collectors, artisans, manufacturers and enthusiasts from the world of the pipe.

A slow-smoking competition on Sunday afternoon

The main event of the weekend will take place on Sunday 25 October, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the World Cup competition itself.

In this type of contest, the result does not depend on speed. It depends on the participant’s ability to keep the pipe lit for as long as possible while following the rules of the competition. Patience, technique and a steady pace are therefore essential.

To put the competitors on an equal footing, a set pipe and a set tobacco are used. For this 2026 edition, the competition pipe was made specially by the Italian manufacturer Savinelli. Participants will also use Peterson Sherlock Holmes as the competition tobacco.

Once the contest is over, the final assessment and the prize-giving ceremony are scheduled between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Two days devoted to the world of the pipe

The World Cup will not be limited to the competition tables. The organisers have planned a weekend devoted to the pipe and to pipe-making.

From Saturday 24 October, an international exhibition will bring together pipe manufacturers, pipe-makers, tobacco brands and accessory specialists, among others. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Several names in pipe-making are among the exhibitors announced by the organisers, alongside international artisans and professionals. An area devoted to Italian specialities, to mixology and to “slow smoke” is also planned.

2026 is also the year of Savinelli’s 150th anniversary, and part of the event’s thematic space will be devoted to it.

The programme for Sunday 25 October

Before the World Cup begins, registration will stay open on Sunday morning, with closing announced for 11 a.m. The international exhibition will continue alongside it through the day.

• 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.: final registrations for the World Cup;
• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: international exhibition devoted to pipes, tobaccos and accessories;
• 10:30 a.m.: tasting organised as part of the event;
• 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.: 2026 Pipe World Cup competition;
• 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: results and prize-giving ceremony;
• 8 p.m.: closing evening.

An international meeting for pipe enthusiasts

Beyond the ranking, this World Cup brings together the international community of pipe smokers.

The CIPC was created to bring clubs closer together and to preserve traditions linked to the pipe. The meeting in Abano Terme is therefore meant to name the competitors who finish in the lead and to bring together enthusiasts, artisans and collectors.

Pipe World Cup Italy 2026 will be held on 24 and 25 October 2026 in Abano Terme, in Italy. For the competitors, the decisive moment is set for Sunday afternoon: the contest consists of keeping their pipe lit longer than the other participants, under the rules of the competition.