Here’s a sneak peek of Starbucks holiday cups

It’s OK, you can look now! The holidays arrive in U.S. Starbucks stores on Nov. 2, and we’re here to tell you all about this year’s bright and beautiful collection of holiday cups, along with many of your favorite holiday beverages and food including the new Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai. 

The cup collection is clad in holiday red and Starbucks greens and a mood-boosting magenta, each one accented with sparkles for a bit of magic. “When we were looking at trends when designing this year’s holiday, we kept seeing bright, bold, uplifting colors,’” said Kristy Cameron, creative director at Starbucks. “We found that magenta alongside the holiday reds and greens lifts the traditional holiday colors and makes the red look even brighter.” 

“This year’s holiday theme is ‘Share the Joy,’” said Cameron. “It’s our shared human experience and togetherness that makes the season special.” 

“Starbucks red cups are like little wrapped gifts for our partners and customers,” Cameron said. “My hope is that they feel excitement and joy when they see the cups, and that they want to share them with family and friends.” Each cup features a gift tag to write notes or share a seasonal sentiment.  

Unwrapping this year’s cup designs 

Bridget Shilling, who designed the 2023 holiday cup collection, shares the story behind each one:  

Party Plaid 

The idea for this design began with a warm woolen winter plaid. “I was thinking about a classic plaid scarf, but I wanted it to feel a bit more modern,” Shilling said. “So, I played with an unexpected palette and added geometric sensibility for elevated flair.” 

Peppermint Swirl

The iconic Starbucks Peppermint Mocha was the inspiration for this design, with swirling waves of color that seem to move. “This illusory cup design is inspired by sensorial movement and evokes the familiarity of tissue paper and the swirling shapes of peppermint candies,” she said. “I wanted it to feel inviting for customers to pick it up, spin it around and watch the design come to life.”  

Ribbon Spool

This design features a cup wrapped with colorful ribbons. “I wanted it to feel joyful and a bit imperfect, similar to how you might store your ribbons for holiday wrapping,” she said.  

Bauble Wrap 

This cup is Shilling’s favorite, with festive ornament shapes to create a bold, mod print, wrapped around the cup at an angle as a play on gift wrap. “There’s a subtle tilt to the pattern that plays well with our tapered cup shape and brings to mind a uniquely wrapped gift,” she said. 

Frosted Bauble

This year’s holiday cold cup features playful baubles and sparkles in a snowy white, perfect for sipping an icy Cold Brew (above) or the new Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai.

For all the latest news and stories of the season, visit the holiday highlights page on Starbucks Stories.