Habanos SA will announce imminently that the 26th Habanos Festival is postponed indefinitely. Officially, it is not a cancellation, but there is no date set for its celebration either. This decision began to be considered quite some longer time ago, but was finalized more than a month ago, so the reason is not the recent news about the lack of fuel for airplanes. That is a fact that undoubtedly aggravates the situation, but one that could be overcome.
The reason for postponing the Festival is the general situation that the Cuban people have been experiencing for some time now, which neither allows nor makes it advisable to hold a festival that, moreover, is a benchmark in the world of luxury. The 26th Habanos Festival will be held when conditions in Cuba allow for hosting an event of this magnitude and importance, something for which, at the moment, there is no date.
The official announcement from Habanos, which was scheduled for February 12 at 6 p.m. Havana time, is still pending. It hasn’t been made yet, but it’s imminent because some of Habanos’ international distributors have already written to their clients announcing refunds for tickets sold for the festival, which has fueled all the rumors.
The Cuban people are likely suffering through one of the worst periods of recent decades. The country is experiencing a period of acute shortages, a circumstance that neither permits nor makes the celebration of the 26th Habanos Festival advisable. The people must come first. Everything else can wait.


