Panama City, Panama · 24 Oct 2026
World Barista Championship 2026 Semi-final
16 of the 51 national champions compete today, 24 October, in Panama City for six places in Sunday's final — who they are, and the cafés, roasters and farms they represent.
News ·
Today
Round one is over: of the 51 baristas who competed on Thursday and Friday, sixteen are through — the top fifteen scores and one wildcard. Today each of them serves a full fifteen-minute routine again, and the six highest scores go to Sunday's final.
The first routine starts at 9:52 and the last ends at 15:52, Panama time (14:52–20:52 UTC). The six finalists are named at 16:45.
What it is
The World Barista Championship is the top title in espresso. Once a year the national champions of more than fifty countries meet on one stage, and each has fifteen minutes to serve a panel of judges four espressos, four milk drinks and four signature drinks of their own invention.
2026 is the 26th edition, and the first in Central America. It is the headline of the first World of Coffee Panama, at the Panama Convention Center in Panama City, 22–25 October — in the country that made the Geisha variety famous.
The championship is run by World Coffee Championships, the competition arm of the Specialty Coffee Association. A barista earns a place by winning their country's national championship.
Watch it
Every routine streams free, live and on replay, on the World Coffee Championships YouTube channel — no sign-up. On social media the event runs under #PanamaWBC.
Who competes
16In the order they take the stage, with the café, roaster or farm each one represents — linked where it is on Good Cup. Times are local, in Panama City. Photos: World Coffee Championships.
Sat 24 Oct
- 9:529:52
Represents Fika & Co.
- Fika & Co. Cafe · Bangkok · Excellent
Co-founder of Fika & Co. in Bangkok; her second World Barista Championship after 2023.
@jn_ on Instagram ↗ - 10:1510:15Jervis TanSingapore
Represents Oaks Coffee Roasters
- Oaks · Singapore · Solid Specialty
- Roaster Oaks Coffee · Top roaster
Singapore Barista Champion 2025; five-time Singapore Latte Art Champion and a World Latte Art finalist in 2017 and 2023, sixth the second time.
@baristartist on Instagram ↗ - 10:3810:38
Represents Parking Coffee
- Parking Coffee · Hangzhou · Excellent
Twice China's barista champion; runs Parking Coffee and his own roastery in Hangzhou.
@ruffianpan2 on Instagram ↗ - 11:0111:01
Represents Veneziano Coffee Roasters
- Veneziano Coffee Richmond · Melbourne · Outstanding
- Veniziano - North Adelaide · North Adelaide · Excellent
- Veniziano - Surry Hills · Sydney · Excellent
- Roaster Veneziano Coffee Roasters · Top roaster
Australian Barista Champion 2026 after finishing second in 2022, 2024 and 2025. Australia has won the world title four times, last in 2025.
@gabrel.tan on Instagram ↗ - 11:2411:24
Represents Monogram Coffee
- Monogram - Altadore · Calgary · Excellent
- Monogram - Fifth Avenue Place · Calgary · Excellent
- Monogram - University District · Calgary · Excellent
- Roaster Monogram · World-class roaster
and 1 more café
- Monogram - Britannia · Calgary · Solid Specialty
Canadian Barista Champion 2020 and 2026, Canadian AeroPress Champion 2016, and a world semi-finalist in 2021.
@jillhoff on Instagram ↗ - 11:4711:47Keisuke HonmaJapan
Represents Saza Coffee
- Saza Coffee Main Store · Hitachinaka · Excellent
- Roaster Saza Coffee · World-class roaster
Japan Barista Champion 2025, runner-up in 2016 and 2017.
@keisuke_honma_yma on Instagram ↗ - 12:1012:10
Represents One Half Coffee Roastery
- One Half Coffee Roastery · Petaling Jaya · Outstanding
- One Half · Petaling Jaya · Excellent
- Roaster One Half · World-class roaster
Malaysian Barista Champion 2025.
@shing_win on Instagram ↗ - 12:3312:33Federico PinnaItaly
Represents Urban Cafe – Bugan Coffee Lab
- Urban Cafe · Treviglio · Excellent
- Roaster Bugan Coffee Lab · Top roaster
Italian Barista Champion 2026 and a world semi-finalist in 2024; owner and head barista of Urban Cafe in Treviglio.
@_federicopinna on Instagram ↗ - 12:5612:56CP WongHong Kong SAR
Represents Knockbox Coffee Company
- Knockbox - Central · Hong Kong · Solid Specialty
- Knockbox - Mong Kok · Hong Kong · Solid Specialty
- Knockbox - Shenzhen · Shenzhen · Solid Specialty
- Roaster Knockbox Coffee · Top roaster
and 3 more cafés
- Knockbox Coffee Company · Hong Kong · Solid Specialty
- Knockbox Coffee Company · Hong Kong · Solid Specialty
- Knockbox Coffee Company · Hong Kong · Solid Specialty
Third at the Hong Kong Barista Championship 2024.
@cpwong.1225 on Instagram ↗ - 13:1913:19Edilberto ZapataMexico
Represents Casa Cardinal / Ensambles
- Cardinal - Hipódromo · Mexico City · Excellent
- Cardinal - Roma Norte · Mexico City · Excellent
Mexican Barista Champion 2025.
@shakzapata on Instagram ↗ - 13:4213:42Nikola SunkoIreland
Represents Bell Lane Coffee
- Roaster Bell Lane · Top roaster
Thirteen years in coffee, competing since 2025.
@nikolasunko on Instagram ↗ - 14:0514:05Nicolas VargasBolivia
Represents Alquimia Specialty Coffee Shop
- Alquimia · Santa Cruz de la Sierra · Excellent
Bolivian Barista Champion 2025 and a co-founder of Alquimia in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
@barista_nicovaroch on Instagram ↗ - 14:2814:28Chiara NicoliniPeru
Represents Punto Café
- Punto Café · Lima · Excellent
Peruvian Barista Champion 2025. She represented Spain at the 2007 world championship in Tokyo and is back 19 years later, coached by 2015 champion Saša Šestić.
@chiaranico_ on Instagram ↗ - 14:5114:51Benjamin RoquePanama
Represents Altieri Specialty Coffee
- Altieri · Los Naranjos · Excellent
The host country's champion — competing at home.
@Benjamin_saith17 on Instagram ↗ - 15:1415:14
Represents Benchmark Coffee
- Benchmark · Sharjah · Outstanding
- Roaster Benchmark Coffee · Top roaster
The UAE's barista champion 2026; works at Benchmark Coffee in Sharjah.
@rubenadam on Instagram ↗ - 15:3715:37Michał CiupińskiPoland
Represents Błysk Espresso Bar
- Błysk Espresso Bar · Warsaw · Outstanding
Polish Barista Champion 2025; eighth in the world at Coffee in Good Spirits in 2025 and 2026.
@michalciupinski on Instagram ↗
A short history
The first World Barista Championship was held in Monte Carlo in 2000, with baristas from 14 countries; Norway's Robert Thoresen won it. The Nordic countries took six of the first seven titles.
Australia and Denmark have won it most often, four times each. Latin America has four champions: Alejandro Méndez of El Salvador (2011), Raúl Rodas of Guatemala (2012), Diego Campos of Colombia (2021) and Boram Um of Brazil (2023). The 2020 championship was not held.
Some of today's sixteen have been here before: Italy's Federico Pinna reached the 2024 semi-final and Canada's Jill Hoff the 2021 one; Peru's Chiara Nicolini first competed at this championship in 2007, for Spain.
Updates
2- Finalists named · Sun 25 OctSix of the 16 are through to today's final — marked on the line-upThe final runs from 10:22 to 15:37 Panama time on Sunday 25 October; the champion is named at 16:45.
- Happening today · Sat 24 Oct16 semi-finalists compete for six places in the final — see who, and the cafés, roasters and farms they representThe semi-final runs from 9:52 to 15:52 Panama time (14:52–20:52 UTC); the six finalists are named at 16:45. Every routine streams free on the World Coffee Championships YouTube channel.
Links
- The championship's own page ↗
- Livestream on YouTube ↗
- World of Coffee Panama ↗
- Semi-final schedule (PDF) ↗
- The full line-up of 51 ↗
The line-up, schedule and what each competitor represents are the organiser’s; the titles beside them are from Good Cup’s championship records.