The Road to the 2026 EMEA Barista Championship
From the store to the big EMEA stage, the Starbucks Barista Championship is a journey of knowledge, skill and passion for coffee. This year, Greece continues that journey with Lampros, the 2026 Barista Champion of Greece, who will represent our market at the 2026 Starbucks EMEA Barista Championship.
The Starbucks Barista Championship is a Starbucks competition that celebrates a passion for coffee, the craft of our baristas and the values behind every meaningful customer connection.
The journey begins in our stores, continues through the district and national levels and leads to the selection of the National Barista Champions. From there, the winners advance to the EMEA level, bringing together top baristas from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with the journey continuing all the way to the Global Barista Championship.
Coffee craft at the heart of the competition
At the Barista Championship, participants are invited to showcase different aspects of their craft and the barista experience.
Coffee Storytelling, Signature Beverage, Latte Art and Store Rush are some of the key challenges through which they demonstrate their knowledge, technical skills, creativity and ability to create genuine connection.
It is about more than the final result in the cup. Every performance is an opportunity to tell a story about coffee and bring to life everything that defines the Starbucks Experience.
From Greece to the EMEA Barista Championship
This year, Greece will be represented by Lampros, the 2026 Barista Champion of Greece, who, after his own journey through the Championship, is now preparing for the next big step.
From 11 September, Lampros will join National Barista Champions from across EMEA on a coffee journey that begins in London, continues at the Amsterdam Roasting Plant and then returns to London for the Championship days.
Behind this moment are months of preparation, training, practice, coffee exploration and countless hours dedicated to the craft.
The EMEA stage
The Semi-Finals of the 2026 Starbucks EMEA Barista Championship take place on 16 and 17 September, while the competition reaches its peak on 18 September with the EMEA Finals.
There, the top performances will take to the big stage, leading to the crowning of the 2026 Starbucks EMEA Barista Champion.
The Championship is both a competition and an opportunity for partners to share knowledge, discover different approaches to coffee and celebrate their shared passion for the craft.
Follow the journey
Lampros’ journey has already begun, and we can follow it every step of the way.
Through @barista.champion.greece, he will be sharing moments from his preparation, behind-the-scenes content, coffee moments and everything happening along the way until he takes to the EMEA stage.
The Championship will also be broadcast via the Starbucks EMEA Retail – YouTube, while you can follow more content from the competition through @emeacoffeeteam and @starbucksgr.
A journey that began in the store and is now heading to the EMEA stage.
Good luck, Lampros.
Greece and all our partners are with you every step of the way. ☕💚🏆
Let the journey begin.