The press briefing announces the inaugural edition of the festival. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Nearly two centuries of Việt Nam’s coffee heritage will be brought to life at the 2025 Global Coffee Heritage Festival, where visitors can explore the story of the country’s first plantations and the evolution of its iconic phin-brew culture.

The information was shared at a press briefing in HCM City on November 25 to announce the inaugural edition of the festival, which is jointly organised by the Lâm Đồng People’s Committee and TNI (King Coffee). Taking place in Đà Lạt from December 18, 2025 to January 2, 2026, the event is designed as an international cultural, tourism and trade festival, aiming to become a new cultural–economic symbol for Việt Nam’s coffee sector.

Lê Hoàng Diệp Thảo, CEO of TNI Group shared at the press briefing. VNA/VNS Photo

Opening the event, Lê Hoàng Diệp Thảo, CEO of TNI Group and widely known as the “Queen of Vietnamese Coffee,” traced the long journey of the Vietnamese coffee bean - from its early days in the Central Highlands to Việt Nam’s rise as the world’s second-largest coffee producer.

“I have spent nearly 30 years travelling to more than 43 countries and attending over 120 international conferences to prove the quality of Vietnamese coffee, pushing back against long-standing prejudice and the ‘concealment’ of the robusta name that once suppressed prices,” she said. “The turning point came in 2021 after the Dubai Expo and three world records were recognised. Since then, Việt Nam’s robusta price has surged from VNĐ35,000 per kilo to between VNĐ130,000 and VNĐ135,000. This is long-overdue recognition and fairness for Vietnamese coffee farmers.”

According to Thảo, this year’s Global Coffee Heritage Festival marks a strategic step to reaffirm Việt Nam’s status as a robusta powerhouse and its ambition to serve as a global hub for coffee heritage and innovation.

Phạm S, former Vice Chairman of the Lâm Đồng People’s Committee delivered a speech at the event. VNA/VNS Photo

Phạm S, former Vice Chairman of the Lâm Đồng People’s Committee, noted that around 70 countries cultivate coffee worldwide, with average yields of 0.9 tonnes per hectare. “Việt Nam’s output reaches 2.5 tonnes per hectare - three times the global average,” he said. Lâm Đồng alone has 41,700 hectares under coffee cultivation, producing 120,000 tonnes. “The province accounts for 43 per cent of the area but 58 per cent of national output. This proves that Lâm Đồng is not only Việt Nam’s coffee capital, but a global one. Through this festival, we aim to elevate coffee from an agricultural commodity into a cultural, economic and tourism heritage asset.”

Festival Director Nguyễn Thị Xuân Hương said the event will welcome coffee enterprises and associations from major coffee-producing nations including Brazil, Ethiopia and Indonesia, opening new opportunities for trade, export and creative collaboration across the industry.

The festival will feature a series of flagship events, including an international coffee conference where the Việt Nam–World Coffee Alliance (GCA) will be launched; an exhibition of a restored 1932 heritage train carriage; the Global Coffee Journey Week; and the Coffee Music Night, blending traditional and contemporary performances. Organisers expect the festival to become a sustainable tourism and economic brand for Đà Lạt, while strengthening Việt Nam’s global image as a coffee nation with a story, culture and long-term vision.

Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc, Deputy Director of Lâm Đồng’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stressed that the festival reflects Việt Nam’s pioneering role in hosting a global-scale coffee event that connects the past, present and future of the industry through the lens of heritage and sustainability.

“The festival is built around three core goals,” she said. “Honouring the past - paying tribute to the land, people and stories behind the coffee heritage; connecting the present - creating a space for cultural, commercial and knowledge exchange among coffee nations; and shaping the future - promoting sustainable practices and technological innovation to help chart a prosperous and responsible future for the global coffee sector.”

As part of the programme, the International Barista Competition will be held under the theme “Honouring Talent – Celebrating Heritage.” The competition will serve as a global stage for baristas - the storytellers and guardians of the craft - to showcase their creativity and contribute to the sustainable development of the coffee industry. — VNS