The Organizing Committee of the Havana Festival announced this Tuesday the definitive cancellation of the 26th edition of the event, citing the need to preserve "the standards of excellence that distinguish this renowned international gathering" in light of the deteriorated "current context" in Cuba.
The official statement from Habanos S.A. does not mention at any point the devastating energy and economic crisis paralyzing the island, but the euphemism is transparent: Cuba is experiencing power outages of up to 22 hours daily in Havana in 2026, along with an electricity generation deficit of up to 2,000 megawatts, which barely meets 55% of the demand.
This is the second cancellation in the history of the festival. The first occurred in 2020 and 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the XXIII edition for two consecutive years.
The event had already been indefinitely postponed on February 14, just ten days before its original date, scheduled for February 24 to 27. The final cancellation comes five months later, with no alternative date announced by the Organizing Committee.
"The Organizing Committee will remain attentive to the evolution of the context with the aim of holding a future edition when conditions allow for the Festival to be presented with the excellence, reach, and quality that have made it an international reference," the statement notes.
The suspension deprives Cuba of the substantial income generated by the traditional Humidor Auction, the highlight of the most recent event, held in February 2025, which raised a record of 17.94 million euros —around 19.5 million dollars— that the regime claims is allocated to the public health system, although there are no audits or verifiable evidence to support this.
The festival typically brings together over 1,300 participants from seventy countries, including enthusiasts, distributors, merchants, and specialized journalists, and serves as the world's main showcase for premium Cuban cigars.
The contrast between the luxury of the event and the daily misery of Cubans has always generated criticism. In the 2025 edition, while 600 select guests dined in the Salón de los Pasos Perdidos of the Havana Capitol, the population endured blackouts of up to twenty hours and paid as much as 1,500 pesos for a pack of tobacco in the informal market.
The cancellation of the Festival del Habano adds to a series of cultural suspensions in 2026: the International Book Fair of Havana was postponed in January and the Grand Prix de Ballet de La Habana was suspended in May, both occurring within the context of the same crisis that now compels the cancellation of the world's most important tobacco event.
Despite the festival's suspension, the statement clarifies that the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of Cohiba (1966-2026) will continue with an international agenda. The first major milestone will take place on October 7 in London, with the global launch of the Cohiba Talismán, which will be added to the brand's Classic Line.
"The Organizing Committee thanks the understanding, trust, and ongoing support of distributors, business partners, media, and fans worldwide," concludes the statement from Habanos S.A., a mixed-capital company in which the Cuban regime owns 50% and whose global sales reached a record of 827 million dollars in 2024, according to Reuters.
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