by KHT Staff. Images via the KH City Tourism Bureau.
KAOHSIUNG — More than 70 milk tea and food vendors will gather in Yancheng District (鹽埕區) this weekend for the 2026 Kaohsiung Milk Tea Festival.
The festival will run from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday on the streets around Kaohsiung MRT Yanchengpu Station (捷運鹽埕埔站). Admission is free.
The event comes as Kaohsiung’s hand-shaken beverage industry continues to grow. Citing Ministry of Finance (財政部) figures, the Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau (高雄市政府觀光局) said the city had 3,043 beverage shops at the end of 2025, more than any other municipality in Taiwan and nearly one-fifth of the national total.
Those businesses generated more than NT$8.9 billion in revenue last year, according to the bureau.
Tourism Bureau Director Kao Min-lin (高閔琳) said the city is using food events to attract visitors into local commercial districts. This year’s festival is being held near Sinle Street (新樂街), traditionally known for its concentration of milk tea shops, as well as the Pier-2 Art Center and several restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide.
Kaohsiung had 57 restaurants included in the 2026 Michelin Guide, including six awarded one star.
Along with traditional milk teas and newer specialty drinks, vendors will offer festival-only foods including caramel milk tea cheese chicken cutlets and fries served with milk tea sauce.
The official program also includes music, magic and balloon performances, bubble tea-themed games and workshops where participants can make milk tea cupcakes or bubble tea-shaped bath bombs. Registration is required for the workshops, and space is limited.
The 2026 Lucky Cat Market (2026招財貓市集) will be held at the same time in the plaza outside Yanchengpu Station, with stalls featuring established local businesses, handicrafts and secondhand goods.
Visitors bringing reusable cups can receive discounts from participating vendors. Reusable cups will also be available to rent at the festival information desk.
The Tourism Bureau recommended using public transportation because of expected crowds. The festival can be reached from exits 1 and 4 of Yanchengpu Station or on foot from the C12 Dayi Pier-2 (駁二大義) and C13 Penglai Pier-2 (駁二蓬萊) light rail stations.
Further details are available through the Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau.
