A new trend of “Diet Coke parties” has exploded across bars and restaurants in India, fueled by a shortage of the popular soda due to the Iran war.
Coke connoisseurs are shelling out up to $16 for tickets to Diet Coke-themed events, where attendees can sip on “Coke-tails” and even enter raffles to win some of the bubbly beverage to take home.
However, Diet Coke fans worldwide shouldn’t be soda-pressed.
Unlike most other markets, Diet Coke is sold exclusively in cans in India, making it particularly vulnerable to supply chain disruptions caused by the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
At a party in the capital city, New Delhi, revelers mixed the diet cola with local spices, jalapeños and honey.
In Mumbai, ticket prices doubled after organizers offered a raffle for 50 Diet Coke cans.
“We had a cocktail menu, which we call Coke-tails. The idea was to bring fans together,” said 25-year-old marketing executive Ishika Gupta, who calls herself a “big Diet Coke fan.”
She claims to have hosted the first Diet Coke party last week and has been in conversations with officials at Coca-Cola.
“The company reached out to see if more events can be done,” she told Reuters.
A Ninecamp Ventures restaurant is hosting a party near New Delhi next week, where it will offer “Diet Coke on the house” with snacks for $16.
Ninecamp CEO Chaitanya Mathur said the organizers requested 500 Coke cans, which the company had in stock.
“For the young people, it’s about scarcity being a premise of the entire event. That’s where the fun is — the less there is of something, is when they want more of it,” said Mathur.
Soft drink titans Coca-Cola and Pepsi consider India a major growth market for their products.
While other Coke products come in plastic bottles, the diet version is only available in India in aluminum cans.
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Diet Coke is immensely popular as an alcohol mixer in India, where it is typically paired with rum. It is also a favorite among health-conscious consumers.
The shortage has become a joke on social media, which has been flooded with memes showing people hoarding the cans.
Retail chain Broadway is promoting an upcoming New Delhi event, saying, “In light of the great Diet Coke shortage of 2026 … we’re turning our space into a full-blown Diet Coke experience.”
For a $10 ticket, Diet Coke fans can get cans of the soda, burgers, vintage art and custom T-shirt painting, according to Broadway CEO Sankalp Kathuria.
“It’s a love letter to the cult of Diet Coke,” he said.
One wonders whether news of the shortage has reached the ears of President Trump, who has a Diet Coke button on the Resolute Desk to call for his favorite beverage.
With Post wires
