Aozihdi Goes All Coffee: Day brews & night shows

Kaohsiung’s Aozihdi Forest Park [凹子底森林公園] turned into the city’s outdoor living room on November 22–23, 2025. The Kaohsiung Coffee Festival paired with the Shennong Market [神農市集] brought specialty brews by day and a city-party route to evening concerts.

The outdoor living room effect

Under swaying trees and easy transit access, Aozihdi Forest Park became a social ground for young coffee lovers. The festival ran 3 pm to 9 pm, blending pour-over bars, desserts, lifestyle picks, cupping shares and latte-art demos into one scroll-stopping afternoon.

Cups, classes and champions

This year gathered over 60 coffee and dessert brands, from world-title baristas to Indigenous-origin beans. Short talks and hands-on tastings kept cups in hand and stories flowing. As Tourism Bureau’s 2024 launch message put it, “through expert sharing, Kaohsiung’s coffee image deepens.” CNA (original quote trimmed)

Day-to-night city rhythm

The city packaged an easy weekend SOP: sample champion roasts and Indigenous flavors at Aozihdi by day, then drift toward the National Stadium, Kaohsiung Arena or the harbor-side music halls after dusk. On the first day, organizers counted over 30,000 visitors. Nearby concert weekends have pushed citywide crowds above 180,000 and tourism output past NT$5 billion, amplifying the coffee-to-concert flow.

What people drank

Zero-alcohol lattes and sparkling coffee topped the heat-beater list. Mocktail-looking, no-ABV signatures became the preferred pre-party sipper before fans headed to evening shows. It looked festive without the crash.

Foguangshan’s coffee curveball

Foguangshan [佛光山] hosted a booth to preview the Sanhao Cup Coffee Brewing Competition [三好盃咖啡沖煮賽], with registration opening next month. As organizers say, “not just a contest, but a learning journey.” China Times

Why it matters

Kaohsiung Coffee Festival is shaping a new city habit: taste local beans by afternoon, ride the MRT, and close the night with live music. The format links mountain-grown origins to waterfront stages, boosts small vendors through discoverability, and adds a photogenic, budget-friendly social option. With over 60 vendors, big-weekend footfall and concert tie-ins, it is becoming a reliable weekend engine for the north-of-river neighborhoods and the city’s broader visitor economy.

Zoom-out

The festival’s second edition cements a simple truth: when a city makes tasting easy, the rest of the day plans itself. Aozihdi’s green space, MRT access and market synergy welcome newcomers without a pricey ticket, while concert gravity keeps the energy rolling past sunset. Expect this “coffee first, concerts later” routine to anchor many more Kaohsiung weekends.