The SCA has been slow rolling the announcements for the 2026 US Coffee Championship season for a little over a month now. First it was Coffee in Good Spirits and Latte Art, then it was Roasters, then Brewers Cup, then Cup Tasters. It’s been both excruciating and exciting. And it’s all been culminating toward the announcement of the main event, the US Barista Championship.
And at long last, we now know the date and location. The 2026 US Barista Championship is heading to Denver, Colorado in late June.
Denver is no stranger to hosting Coffee Championship events, having hosted USBC Qualifying Events in prior years, but 2026 marks the first time the Mile High City will be the home of the national round of competition.
Announced via Instagram, the 2026 USBC will be held at Huckleberry Roasters’ HQ roasting facility from June 187th through 21st and will feature a whopping 36 total competitors from around the country. Like with other competitions, this year’s USBC will reserve spots for prior years’ Finalists. But unlike the other comps, which only held six spots, the USBC will reserve a whopping 12 for the 2024 and 2025 Finalists, meaning all of the final six from each year have a spot waiting for them. The spots will be held until March 31st, and if not claimed, will be made available for open registration.
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Registration for the 2026 US Barista Championship begins April 3rd and can be done via Eventbrite, linked here. Coffee Champs will also be hosting an online learning session for all interested parties; the time and date of the session is to be determined.
So there you have it. The 2026 season is set. Now for the fun part. For more information, visit the US Coffee Championships official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
