Drink Las Vegas cocktail festival hits MGM’s Strip resorts Sept. 24-27 with mixologists, chefs, tastings, and speakeasy pop-ups. Here’s everything you need to know.
Las Vegas has mastered the art of spectacle. World-class restaurants, legendary bars, cellar programs that would humble a Burgundy négociant.
But a dedicated, premium festival built entirely around beverage culture?
That was the one thing missing. Until now. The inaugural Drink Las Vegas cocktail festival arrives September 24 through 27, spreading across four of the most iconic luxury resorts on the Strip.
Hosted by MGM Resorts International, this is not another generic tasting event. It is a full-scale celebration of what happens when serious craft meets serious fun, in the city that never runs dry.
Four Resorts, Fifty-Plus Events, Zero Boring Evenings
The festival spans Bellagio, ARIA, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and Park MGM, four addresses that collectively represent the highest concentration of hospitality excellence on earth. Over 50 dynamic events will unfold across this four-resort footprint, designed for everyone from the seasoned sommelier to the enthusiastic home bartender who finally bought the good ice.
The programming is genuinely varied. An opening night experience sets the tone with high energy. Signature tastings put leading wine, spirits, and beverage brands in front of attendees alongside chef-driven culinary moments. Intimate dining experiences pair renowned cuisine with expert mixology in settings that feel nothing like a convention hall. Speakeasy takeovers and late-night pop-ups are scattered throughout the city for those who believe the best conversations happen after midnight. Education sessions, master class seminars, and panels round out the schedule with substance.
“DRINK Las Vegas is all about celebrating the innovators and leaders who are pushing the beverage world forward,”
Ryan Abboushi
President of Entertainment for MGM Resorts
“We’re bringing together incredible talent, from global drink visionaries to chefs who truly honor the craft, to spark conversations, share ideas and highlight the creativity happening in this space.”
For cocktail enthusiasts who have attended events like the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival or the New York City Wine and Food Festival, the Drink Las Vegas cocktail festival has a similar ambition but a distinctly Vegas scale. There is no other city on the planet that can throw a party across four luxury resorts simultaneously and make it feel seamless.
The Team Making It Happen
MGM Resorts didn’t build this alone. The festival is produced in collaboration with a21, the experiential event agency behind the Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival, the Los Angeles Wine and Food Festival, and Whiskies of the World national tours, among many others. These are people who know how to fill a room with the right talent and send guests home with stories worth telling.
Sports and entertainment management company PRP, founded by Las Vegas native Perry Rogers, rounds out the production partnership. PRP’s fingerprints are on projects ranging from brand strategy for global athletes to the Emmy-nominated docuseries SHAQ. Their involvement signals that Drink Las Vegas is thinking beyond the industry trade crowd and reaching for genuine cultural moment status.
“Where else but Las Vegas,”
Brett Friedman,
CEO and founder of a21
“With our partners at MGM, we have identified that the liquor industry has an insatiable demand for a premium focused libation initiative, which combines an industry and trade emphasis with a consumer fusion to indulge in.”
That combination, industry credibility meets consumer access, is exactly what separates a great festival from a glorified sales conference.
What to Expect on the Floor and at the Bar
Strip away the superlatives and what remains is a very compelling lineup of experiences. Signature cocktail events will spotlight cutting-edge techniques and ingredients that are reshaping what ends up in your glass. Think fermented shrubs next to aged Japanese whisky, or a mezcal negroni built tableside by someone who trained in Oaxaca. The flavor possibilities across 50-plus events are the kind that make a cocktail enthusiast’s weekend plans write themselves.
Chefs and mixologists sharing the same stage is also worth noting. The collaboration between the kitchen and the bar has never been more sophisticated, with bartenders now thinking in terms of acid balance, umami layering, and seasonal sourcing the same way a Michelin-starred chef does. Drink Las Vegas appears built around that partnership, not as a novelty but as a genuine programming philosophy.
VIP and premium experiences will offer elevated access and curated moments for those who want the unfiltered, front-row version of everything. Details on specific talent and ticketing are still forthcoming, but the framework is already impressive. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, premium and super-premium spirits now account for the majority of industry revenue growth. A festival built for that audience, in that city, with that production team, has every reason to succeed.
FAQ: Drink Las Vegas Sept 24 – 27
Q: When and where exactly is Drink Las Vegas taking place? A: The inaugural festival runs September 24 through 27, 2026, across Bellagio, ARIA, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and Park MGM on the Las Vegas Strip.
Q: How do I buy tickets or find more information? A: Visit drinklasvegas.com for details. Ticketing, talent announcements, and room packages are expected to be announced soon. Following @drinklasvegas on Instagram is the fastest way to stay current.
Q: Is this event right for someone who is not a beverage industry professional? A: Absolutely. The festival is specifically designed for enthusiasts at every level, from industry insiders to curious consumers who simply love great drinks and great food.
Start Planning Now, Thank Yourself in September
Las Vegas in late September means the desert heat has softened, the summer crowds have thinned, and the Strip is primed for exactly this kind of elevated long weekend. Four resorts, fifty events, the best mixologists and chefs in the business, and a city built to host it all without breaking a sweat. The Drink Las Vegas cocktail festival is the kind of inaugural event that sells out before most people realize they wanted a ticket.
Visit drinklasvegas.com, follow along, and get your calendar marked. September just got significantly more interesting.
