Introduction: A City That Loves to Raise a Glass
Dubai is famous for record-breaking towers, golden deserts, luxury malls and some of the most ambitious restaurants in the world. In recent years, another side of the city has been getting just as much attention: its mixed drinks scene. Behind elegant doors and on high floors above the skyline, bartenders are treating cocktails as a serious craft. They think about balance, technique, storytelling and presentation as carefully as any chef plates a dish.
One of the best ways to experience this scene is during Cocktail Week at ICD Brookfield Place in DIFC. This week-long festival gathers some of the district’s best venues under one roof and invites everyone, from curious beginners to dedicated cocktail enthusiasts, to taste, learn and enjoy. The most recent edition, the fourth, ran from 11 to 17 May 2026. It marked the occasion with menus, masterclasses and workshops led by leading bartenders and brand partners.
This article explores what makes the festival special, which venues take part, what kinds of experiences to expect, and how to plan your own cocktail week.
What Is Cocktail Week?
Cocktail Week is an annual celebration of mixology, craftsmanship and community. It is timed around World Cocktail Day on 13 May, but the organisers stretch the occasion into a full seven days. Instead of a single night out, you get a week in which each participating venue offers something different, whether that is a special menu, a limited-edition drink or a themed event.
The idea is simple and clever. Rather than travelling across the city, you stay in one building and move between venues that each have their own mood. One may feel like a glamorous speakeasy, another like a relaxed French bar, and another like an Italian dining room. The change of atmosphere is part of the fun, and it lets you compare styles without leaving the building.
Festival editions have followed a similar pattern. The third edition, held in June 2025, also brought together seven venues, with exclusive menus, limited-edition drinks and a lineup of events. The festival has built a reputation for being casual and creative. You do not need to be a cocktail expert to enjoy it. You only need to be willing to try something new.
The Venues: Seven Spaces, Seven Personalities
The 2026 edition spread across seven venues in ICD Brookfield Place: 1920, Bar des Prés, Il Gattopardo, La Niña, Lulu & The Beanstalk, Josette and The Guild. Each reflects its own identity through its drinks.
1920
Perched on the 52nd floor, 1920 is a glamorous speakeasy that treats cocktails like artwork. A hidden-bar atmosphere, a high-altitude setting and carefully presented drinks make it a natural choice for a special night. It suits anyone who wants their cocktail with a sense of occasion and a view.
Josette
Josette brings a French sensibility to the festival. French-style cocktails and elegant interiors make it an easy stop during the week. It is a good place to slow down, talk and enjoy lighter, more refined flavours.
Il Gattopardo
An Italian venue is a natural home for aperitivo culture, and Il Gattopardo is where one of the festival’s headline events took place. Italian cocktail traditions rely on bitter, herbal and citrus notes, which makes it a fitting setting for the Negroni, one of the most loved classic cocktails in the world.
Bar des Prés
Bar des Prés adds a stylish, contemporary dining-and-drinks feel to the lineup. It appeals to guests who enjoy a polished setting and a menu with a clear point of view.
La Niña
La Niña brings energy and a lively mood. It is the sort of venue where a cocktail feels like part of a larger night out, with food, music and conversation all in the mix.
Lulu & The Beanstalk
Playful and creative, Lulu & The Beanstalk has hosted some of the festival’s most memorable experiences, including a cocktail pairing in 2026 and a poetry-and-vinyl night in 2025. Its creative approach shows how cocktails can sit alongside art, music and storytelling.
The Guild
The Guild is a bartender-focused space, and it hosted the 2026 Guest Shift. Guest shifts are a favourite of the bar world. A visiting bartender takes over for the night and brings new ideas, techniques and personality to the menu.
Events and Experiences: More Than Just Drinks
What separates a festival from a regular night out is the programme. Cocktail Week offers experiences designed to teach, entertain and bring people together.
Masterclasses
The 2026 edition featured a Negroni Masterclass at Il Gattopardo on Tuesday, 12 May, from 6pm to 7pm. Masterclasses like this are ideal for anyone who wants to understand what goes into a great drink. Participants usually learn how ingredients work together, why proportions matter and how small changes in technique can transform the final result. The Negroni is a perfect teaching drink because its three-part structure looks simple but rewards precision.
Guest Shifts
On Wednesday, 13 May, from 7pm, The Guild hosted a Guest Shift, coinciding with World Cocktail Day. Guest shifts let guests taste the work of bartenders they might not otherwise meet. They also let local teams exchange ideas with visiting talent, which keeps the city’s bar scene fresh.
Cocktail Pairings
On Friday, 15 May, Lulu & The Beanstalk ran a cocktail pairing experience from 6pm to 10pm. Pairings are one of the most interesting developments in modern drinks culture. Instead of treating a cocktail as something you have before or after dinner, pairings treat it like wine. The right drink can sharpen the flavours of a dish, cut through richness or add a contrasting note.
Creative Evenings
Earlier editions show how wide the festival’s imagination can be. The 2025 programme included a hands-on mixology masterclass at Josette, a friendly “Bartenders Battle” and a Poetry & Vinyl evening mixing spoken word, records and creative drinks. These evenings suggest that the festival is as much about community and culture as it is about what is in the glass.
Tickets and Pricing: Good Value in a Premium City
Dubai’s premium venues can be expensive, so the festival’s pricing is a major attraction. A Cocktail Week ticket gives access to half-priced cocktails at participating venues, with prices starting from AED 30. It also includes cocktail-and-bites pairings from AED 60. On top of that, every ticket comes with one complimentary cocktail at the venue of your choice.
That structure encourages exploration. Because the cost of trying a drink is lower, you are more likely to order something unfamiliar. You might pick a cocktail with an ingredient you have never heard of, or visit a venue you would normally save for a special occasion. For residents and visitors alike, it is an affordable way to sample the high end of Dubai’s bar scene.
Tickets are sold through Platinumlist, and it is wise to check the event page for current availability, since specific masterclasses and experiences can have limited places.
What Makes Dubai’s Cocktail Scene Special?
Dubai’s drinks culture has some unusual strengths.
A global talent pool. The city attracts bartenders, chefs and hospitality professionals from all over the world. That diversity shows up in menus that borrow from many traditions, from French and Italian classics to modern, experimental styles.
A love of spectacle. Dubai does presentation well. Cocktails are often served with dramatic garnishes, interesting glassware or a sense of theatre. At the same time, the best venues back this up with real technical skill.
Spectacular settings. Few cities can offer a cocktail on the 52nd floor with the skyline spread out below. The architecture and atmosphere are part of the experience.
Growing craft awareness. Guests are increasingly curious about how drinks are made, which is why masterclasses and workshops are so popular. People want to understand the story behind the glass.
Inclusivity. The modern cocktail scene is not just for experts. Many venues now offer approachable menus, thoughtful low-alcohol and alcohol-free options, and staff who enjoy guiding newcomers.
How to Plan Your Cocktail Week
A little planning can turn a good week into a great one. Here are some practical tips.
- Buy your ticket early. The offers are tied to the ticket, and popular events can sell out.
- Pick your priorities. Decide which venue or event matters most to you. If you want to attend a masterclass, build your evening around it.
- Do not try to do everything in one night. Seven venues is a lot. Choose two or three per evening so you can enjoy each one properly.
- Eat as you go. The bites pairings are not just good value. They also help you pace yourself and appreciate the drinks more.
- Use your complimentary cocktail strategically. Save it for the venue whose atmosphere you most want to experience.
- Ask the bartenders questions. Festival weeks are when bartenders are at their most talkative. Ask about the inspiration behind a drink or how it is made.
- Go with friends. Comparing favourites across venues is half the fun. Sharing tastes lets you try more without ordering more.
- Drink responsibly. Pace yourself, drink water between cocktails and arrange safe transport home. Dubai has strict laws about alcohol and driving, so plan ahead.
A Note for Those Who Prefer Not to Drink Alcohol
Mixology is no longer only about spirits. Across Dubai, bars and restaurants have invested in sophisticated alcohol-free drinks that use house-made syrups, fresh herbs, spices and creative techniques. If you do not drink alcohol, it is worth asking each venue what they can offer. Many bartenders enjoy the challenge of building a layered, complex drink without spirits, and they are happy to do so on request.
The Bigger Picture: Why Festivals Like This Matter
Events like Cocktail Week do more than fill tables for a few nights. They help build a local culture around craft. When bartenders have a platform to show their skills, they push each other to improve. When guests learn about technique and ingredients, they become more discerning customers, which raises standards across the industry. And when venues collaborate rather than simply compete, the whole district benefits.
For Dubai, a city that is always looking to add depth to its reputation, a cocktail festival is a way of saying that its hospitality scene is not only about size and spectacle. It is also about skill, creativity and enjoyment of the small details.
FAQs: Discover Dubai’s Mixed Drinks Scene During This Week-Long Festival
Dubai Cocktail Week is an annual week-long festival at ICD Brookfield Place in DIFC that celebrates mixology, craftsmanship and community. Participating bars and restaurants offer special menus, limited-edition drinks, masterclasses and themed events.
The fourth edition ran from 11 to 17 May 2026. It was timed around World Cocktail Day on 13 May. Dates can change each year, so check the official ICD Brookfield Place website for the next edition.
It takes place at ICD Brookfield Place, 312 Happiness Street, Trade Centre, DIFC, Dubai. All participating venues are inside the same building, so you can move between them easily.
The 2026 edition included seven venues: 1920, Bar des Prés, Il Gattopardo, La Niña, Lulu & The Beanstalk, Josette and The Guild.
A ticket gives you half-priced cocktails at participating venues, starting from AED 30. It also includes cocktail-and-bites pairings from AED 60 and one complimentary cocktail at the venue of your choice. Tickets are sold through Platinumlist, so check the event page for current prices.
Conclusion: Come Curious, Leave Inspired
Cocktail Week at ICD Brookfield Place captures what makes Dubai’s drinks scene so appealing. It is stylish without being stuffy, creative without being intimidating and social without being overwhelming. You can learn to make a Negroni, watch a guest bartender take over the bar, pair cocktails with food or simply enjoy a drink with a great view.
As one local guide put it, the week begins innocently with “just one cocktail” and ends three venues later, with friends comparing their favourites. That is exactly how it should feel. If you are in Dubai around the time of the next edition, or planning a trip, keep an eye on the ICD Brookfield Place website and Platinumlist for dates, tickets and programme details. Bring a curious palate, an open mind and good company, and let Dubai’s mixed drinks scene show you what it can do.
