The niche Stockholm-based roaster has built a loyal following in Shanghai. "We are a small Swedish brand from the other side of the world, but people recognize us here, and I even sign autographs," he says, making no secret of his expectations for the Chinese market.

"I would love to open a shop here. We will soon have two locations in Stockholm, and Shanghai could definitely be our third."

Park Hyeri, co-founder of Aery, an 18-month-old specialty coffee brand from Busan, South Korea, made her festival debut.

"Shanghai's coffee culture is unique because every shop has its own signature pairing or combination," Park notes.

"That isn't very common in South Korea, so we introduced combo sets here to show Shanghai customers our personality, even though we don't offer them in our Korean stores."

Beyond industry insiders and hardcore enthusiasts, the festival drew a steady stream of casual visitors and expats.

Edvard Tadevosyan, a Swedish finance major at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, said he was surprised by the city's vibrant coffee scene. "I never imagined Chinese people would love coffee this much. The coffee shops here are amazing."

The festival's influence continues beyond the main event, with Shanghai rolling out a "one district, one feature" coffee culture map across all 16 districts and the Lin-gang Special Area in Pudong.

Nearly 50 flagship events and over 40 international professional competitions are planned in the coming months, alongside citywide promotions at more than 6,000 merchants.

Bookstores, cinemas, museums and commercial districts are also joining the festivities with themed activities and consumer incentives.

Li Junfeng contributed to this story.