SANTIAGO, Dominican Republic — PROCIGAR officially inaugurated its 2026 Festival on Tuesday, Feb. 17, in Santiago de los Caballeros, marking the start of one of the most important celebrations of the Dominican tobacco industry. The event brings together manufacturers, retailers and cigar enthusiasts from around the world, reinforcing the country’s position as a global leader in premium cigar production, Feb. 17, 2026.
The Dominican Cigar Manufacturers Association, known as PROCIGAR, opened the festival with its “Retailers Exclusive” workshop at the Residence Inn by Marriott, where participating companies unveiled limited and special-edition cigars created specifically for the event.
The festival, scheduled for Feb. 17-20, includes guided tours of tobacco fields and cigar factories in Santiago, educational seminars, themed dinners and social gatherings designed to showcase the craftsmanship and tradition behind Dominican premium cigars.
Organizers said the festival not only promotes Dominican cigars in international markets but also contributes significantly to the local economy by generating tourism and strengthening commercial ties between producers and global distributors.
Founded in 1992 by the country’s leading cigar manufacturers, PROCIGAR works to protect and promote the reputation of Dominican premium cigars, which represent one of the nation’s most important export industries.
The 2026 edition continues the organization’s mission of highlighting quality, innovation and the cultural heritage tied to tobacco production in the Dominican Republic.
The opening of the Procigar Festival 2026 once again confirms the Dominican Republic’s role as the global epicenter of premium cigars. Over several days, manufacturers, farmers, distributors, and enthusiasts from around the world gather to celebrate an industry built on agricultural knowledge, craftsmanship, and tradition.
More than just an event, the festival organized by Procigar serves as a global window into the factories, tobacco fields, and people who have turned Dominican cigars into an international benchmark.
At Dominican Leaf, we will continue covering the key moments of the festival, factory visits, and the conversations shaping the present and future of the industry.
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