The 25th edition of the Festival del Habano has come to a close after a week filled with events in Havana, Cuba, running from February 24 to 28, 2025.

This year’s festival celebrated the iconic brands of Cohiba, H. Upmann, and Romeo and Julieta, drawing experts, aficionados, specialists, enthusiasts and tastemakers from all over the world to take part in the festivities.

This prestigious event showcased exciting product launches, vibrant parties, and exquisite dinners, alongside trade fairs and international seminars.

Attendees enjoyed pairings at various La Casa del Habano locations and took in tours of the famous plantations in Vuelta Abajo.

The experience was further enriched with visits to renowned factories, including El Laguito (Cohiba), La Corona, Partagás, H. Upmann, and Carlos Baliño.

During the Habanos Festival, Habanos, S.A. announced impressive financial results for 2024, reporting $827 million in revenue—a significant 16% increase from the previous year. This news was covered by international press outlets, including Reuters.

The company highlighted its top five markets, which included China, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Germany, with Europe accounting for 54% of total sales. The Asia Pacific region closely followed at 24%, while America contributed 12%, and Africa and the Middle East comprised the remaining 10%. Enhancing its commitment to innovation, Habanos introduced 33 new products in 2024, catering to the rising global demand for premium cigars.

Pre/Post-festival gatherings

In the lead-up to and during the festival, numerous gatherings took place across Havana, Cuba, as seen across social media footage from the event. These were held alongside the official festival activities. One such event was the Habanos Ambassadors party at Malecon 663, hosted by La Casa Bonn Germany, with notable guests including Kirby Allison and Jasim Ahmed.

Additionally, Hunters & Frankau hosted a Flor De Cano Selectos No 3 lunch in Cuba, which was attended by Masters of Habanos and representatives from UK cigar shops, including owners and staff from James Barber Tobacconist and Cigars Unlimited.

Welcome Evening | 150th Anniversary of Romeo y Julieta | February 24, 2025

The official festival kicked off with a spectacular Welcome Evening, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Romeo y Julieta at the exclusive Salón de Protocolo Cubanacán in Havana. The event, attended by 1,200 guests, evoked a Venice-inspired ambiance and featured the world premiere of the Romeo y Julieta Amantes, a new vitola.

This medium-strength cigar pays homage to the brand’s storied history and is available in two exclusive formats: a box of 20 and a special 5-pack for gifts.

Brand: Romeo y Julieta
Vitola: Amantes
Factory name: Sobresalientes
Ring gauge: 53
Length: 153mm
Format: Special boxes of 5 units each
Strength: Medium

The Co-Presidents of Habanos, S.A. expressed their gratitude to supporters and unveiled the nominees for the 2024 Habanos Awards.

Guests were treated to captivating performances by Trío Tradicional Feeling, Rakatán, Yarima Blanco, Ernesto Oliva, and the Orquesta Aragón.

Mid-Week Evening | A Tribute to the H. Upmann Brand | February 26, 2025

Midway through the week, a special event held at Havana’s National Capitol (which looks a bit like St Paul’s Cathedral) honoured the H. Upmann brand, featuring the world launch of the H. Upmann Magnum 50 Gran Reserva Cosecha 2019.

José María López Inchaurbe of Habanos, S.A. highlighted the meticulous craftsmanship behind this vitola. Aged for five years, this cigar is known for its smoothness and complexity.

Brand: H. Upmann
Vitola: Magnum 50, Gran Reserva Cosecha 2019
Factory Name: Magnum 50
Ring Gauge: 50
Length: 160mm
Format: Special boxes of 3 units each
Strength: Light to medium

The evening included a curated dinner with expertly paired wines and spirits.

Complemented by performances from Annys Batita and the Cuban Television Ballet.

Gala Evening | 15th Anniversary of Cohiba Línea Behike | February 28, 2025

The Gala Evening, held at the Pabexpo Convention Center, celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Cohiba Línea Behike.

This highlight of the festival featured the world premiere of the Cohiba Behike 58 vitola, a full-strength addition to the collection.

The BHK 58 is crafted with rare Medio Tiempo leaves and comes in refreshed packaging with NFC technology. Habanos, S.A. also launched a special 15th-anniversary pack that includes all four Behike vitolas.

Brand: Cohiba Behike
Vitola: Behike 15th Anniversary Selection
Dimensions of the BHK 58:
Ring Gauge: 58
Length: 178mm
Format: Special boxes of 4 units each
Strength: Full

The internet was buzzing over this hilarious take on the latest addition to the Behike family, which quickly went viral on social media after the announcement 👇

Back at the Gala dinner a standout moment of the evening was the auction of the Humidor Cohiba Behike 15 Aniversario, which raised an astonishing €16,410,000 to benefit the Cuban Public Health System.

The auction featured exclusive humidors from prestigious brands like Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Partagás, Hoyo de Monterrey, and H. Upmann.

The Cohiba Behike 15 Aniversario humidor, crafted by Humidores Habana, set a world record by achieving the highest bid ever for a humidor, selling for €4,600,000.

Check out the creations by Massimo of DeArts – many of you might recognise his name, as he’s the mastermind behind some of London’s most impressive walk-in humidors in our cigar shops and lounges.

Romeo y Julieta – Sold for €1.9 million

Hoyo de Monterrey – Sold for €1.7 million

At the Gala dinner, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel was also seen enjoying a fine cigar during an exclusive auction, embracing the country’s rich tobacco tradition.

The evening also celebrated the winners of the Habanos Awards.

Winners included:

– Alain Proietto (Business)
– Aleksandar Stipcic (Communication)
– Reynier Lázaro (Production)
– Brisael Perdomo Lazcano from La Corona factory was crowned Gran Torcedor 2025
– Matthew Edward Castillo and Alexei Vladimir Sleur emerged as champions of the Habanos World Challenge

The evening concluded with performances by international artists like Manolito Simonet’s Orchestra, Waldo Mendoza, Max Max, Alain Pérez, and even Earth, Wind & Fire – a memorable night for all attendees.

Unfortunately, there was no mention of the rumoured Cohiba Behike 59 limited edition cigar, nor any updates on the host city for the upcoming Habanos World Days event. However, we’ll be eagerly awaiting those details. As for the cigars, we’ll have to be patient until they reach our shores, but it’s definitely something to look forward to!

Check out other reports from the festival at
Half Wheel
Cigar Aficionado

Credits:
PR Newswire