At the beginning of February, the world's most famous bartending competition will once again commence in Czechia. The Diageo World Class Competition 2026 is entering a new season, bringing with it a story that is rewritten every year – behind the bar, among the best bartenders, in a tension that can only be honed through practice. This year, the winner of the Czech round will not just be flying "for experience." The destination is Dubai: the World Class 2026 global final.
Key dates for World Class 2026
January: Invitation distribution
February 2: Official launch – Zacapa Entry Challenge
February 23: Community Day – 1. BAR Symposium
February 28: Application deadline
March 1–29: Zacapa Cocktail Presentations
March 31: Community Day – Boot Camp
April 1–10: Judging of registered bartenders
April 27: TOP 12 announcement – Cocktail Festival launch
May 4: Community Day – Spirited Women
May 26: National Final – selection of the TOP 3
June 22–24: European Final, Schiedam
September: Global Final – Dubai 2026
World Class is not just a competition; it has long since evolved into a platform where different styles, approaches, and opinions on bartending meet. Each year, it is created together with the bar community – from the ideas, energy, and stories that bartenders bring to it. This is what has made World Class one of the most respected bar projects in the world.
"World Class first forces you to think about the result. And then it subtly shows you that the most valuable things happen along the way – in the people, experiences, and moments that shape you," says Pavel Mandrla, Diageo Reserve & World Class Brand Ambassador CZ.
Participating in the competition can be an impulse that breaks even experienced professionals out of their routine. It offers feedback, new perspectives, and often uncomfortable but essential questions. A potential winner of the famous bartending competition must ask themselves: Where can I go from here? And do I even want to find out?
What's different this year? The competition is more behind the bar than on stage
The 2026 edition brings several fundamental changes – and they all have one thing in common: authenticity.
The proven Boot Camp continues this year. The intensive training program for all registered bartenders offers a solid foundation, practical know-how, and inspiration that bartenders cannot do without during the competition. World Class has long been based on education, not just performance on one evening.
A major change is the new format of the semi-finals. This year, the jury will come directly to the bartenders. To their bars. So, this year, the competitors will not have to travel from the outset, nor will they have to quickly familiarize themselves with an unfamiliar environment. Bartenders will be evaluated where they are at their strongest – behind their own bar, at their own pace, among their own people.
Another strong new element is the Spirited Women initiative, which aims to support women in the gastronomy and bar community. Community Day will provide a space for sharing experiences, inspiration, and building long-term relationships across the global scene.
This year's local finals will take place behind closed doors. No cameras, no stage, no distractions. Just skill, decision-making, and performance. For the first time in history, there will be no single winner, but a Top 3.
From Prague to Europe. And on to Dubai
This is where history is being made. Czechia will participate in the regional European finals for the first time. The top three from the national round will head to Schiedam in the Netherlands, to the legendary Ketel One distillery. An international jury will then select one name to advance to the global finals in Dubai.
The European finals are not just a stepping stone. They are a test. The atmosphere, the pressure, the world-class standards. Czech talent will meet bartenders from Spain, Italy, Norway, and thirteen other European countries.
"I believe this is another big milestone for us. The opportunity to move onto the European stage gives our bartenders a chance to grow, gain experience, and discover what it truly means to compete at a world-class level," says Pavel Mandrla.
The 2026 season thus opens a new chapter – ambitious, international, and challenging. But one that makes sense.
Winners of previous years of the Czech round of World Class
2014 – Jaroslav Janoušek
2015 – Vítězslav Cirok
2016 – Adrián Michalčík (later winner of World Class Norway and global champion – World's Best Bartender 2022)
2017 – Tomáš Melzer
2018 – Milan Zaleš
2019 – Tomáš Nyári
2020 – Anna Postníková
2021 – Vítězslav Cirok (second victory)
2022 – Jan Šebek
2023 – František Dandáš
2024 – Luca Cerqueglini
