After months of anticipation, tonight sees the Cohiba Talismán 2026 World Launch take place at The Orangery at Kensington Palace.
The excitement has been building across London over the last few days, with guests arriving from around the world to attend tonight’s main event.
Cigar merchants and retailers have also been hosting some very special events ahead of the launch.
Omar from Edmundos last night celebrated the official launch of his new Taj Hotel cigar lounge.
Images from social media footage thanks to stjctaj.
Guests were handed specially made ‘Edmundos’ Cohiba Talismán Edición Especial cigars from 2017.
Meanwhile, Ajay and Rehka Patel at No6 Cavendish have been celebrating Cohiba’s 60th anniversary by opening some seriously special boxes of vintage cigars for their customers, including Cohiba Robustos from 2000, Siglo V from 2001 and Genios from 2007.
There has also been renewed interest in the 2017 Talismán, with new boxes bearing a 2026 EMS (English Market Selection) stamp reportedly reaching UK retailers and commanding prices of around £4,000–£5,000 per box of ten.
The three-cigar gift boxes of the new Cohiba Talisman 2026, which will be handed to guests at the event, have also started appearing on the websites of some UK retailers. The boxes are available to order from retailers for dispatch from 8 October.
Tonight’s launch
Tonight, around 400 guests are expected at The Orangery at Kensington Palace for the official launch, which runs from 6:30pm until 9pm.
The evening is also part of the celebrations marking 60 years of Cohiba, alongside a charity raffle being organised by Hunters & Frankau in support of the Cuba Vive Medical Aid and Food Appeal.
There are six lots with a combined starting value of £30,700, including vintage Cohibas, luxury accessories and Box No. 1 of the new Cohiba Talismán 2026 in 10s, donated by Habanos S.A. and the Cuban tobacco industry.
Hunters & Frankau are also contributing £25,000, with the aim of raising more than £50,000 for essential food and medical supplies for Cuba.
Here are the lots:
Lot 1 – Cohiba Lanceros 25s & S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 — £3,700
Lot 2 – Cohiba Behike 15 Aniversario Gift Set & Nobdesigns Katana Cutters — £3,500
Lot 3 – Cohiba BHK 52 & Eminente 14 Year Old Rum — £5,000
Lot 4 – Cohiba 1966 Limited Edition 2011 & S.T. Dupont Le Grand — £6,500
Lot 5 – Cohiba Talismán Limited Edition 2017 & Raching Desk Humidor — £5,500
New Cohiba Talismán 2026 in 10s & The Dalmore 30 Year Old — £6,500
Hopefully the weather behaves itself too. There could be some light rain showers around the start of the evening, but the forecast looks much better from around 7pm onwards.
On a personal note, tonight is particularly meaningful for me.
When Habanos World Days last took place in London, I remember following the event from home, watching everything I could find online and reporting on what was happening. Tonight, I have the opportunity to experience an event like this in person, which is something I’m very grateful for.
I’m really looking forward to the evening and to seeing everything unfold.
If you’re at the event tonight, please do come and say hello. It would be brilliant to meet some of you in person!
Follow me on social media for updates throughout the evening:
I’ll be posting throughout the night, and of course I’ll do a full write-up and debrief after the event here on the site.
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