This is the definitive guide to UK whisky and rum festivals for the rest of 2025 and into 2026.
The drinks festival is where spirits come alive. From masterclasses and music to mingling with makers, the calendar is absolutely heaving with whisky and rum events across the UK.
These whisky events and rum gatherings style themselves on camaraderie, conversation, and copious amounts of good spirit(s). Whether you’re after rare drams, new discoveries, or simply an excuse to call several days of drinking “research”, this list will see you through the busy schedule.
A guide to UK whisky and rum festivals
Dornoch Whisky Festival
Date: 24–26 October 2025.
Location: Dornoch, Scotland.
Highlights: A Highland gem that may be small but punches well above its weight. Expect big drams, bigger personalities, and a famously friendly atmosphere. The perfect whisky tasting festival if you prefer substance over spectacle.
The Whisky Lounge: York Whisky Festival
Date: 25 October 2025.
Location: York, England.
Highlights: A lively regional whisky festival returning bigger and better. Expect fun, flair, and a few surprises.
Scottish National Whisky Festival: Edinburgh Edition
Date: 25 October 2025.
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland.
Highlights: The capital’s flagship whisky event brings together hundreds of drams, masterclasses, and live music. Think Glencairns clinking to the sound of guitars.
The Whisky Show has just been and gone. What’s your favourite whisky festival?
Wales Whisky Fest
Date: 31 October – 2 November 2025.
Location: St George’s Hotel, Llandudno, Wales.
Highlights: Proof that great whisky events aren’t limited to Scotland. Wales Whisky Fest returns for its second year with more distilleries, more tastings, and that famous seaside hospitality.
Glasgow’s Whisky Festival
Date: 8 November 2025.
Location: Glasgow, Scotland.
Highlights: A celebration of the city’s whisky scene, its distilleries, and the independent bottlers who keep things exciting.
The World Whisky Experience
Date: 14–15 November 2025.
Location: Christ Church, Spitalfields, London.
Highlights: A global gathering of distilleries from New Zealand to Romania. Expect breadth, depth, and a touch of luxury.
Have you ever been to a whisky festival?
The Whisky Lounge: Manchester Whisky Festival
Date: 21–22 November 2025.
Location: Manchester, England.
Highlights: The north knows how to do a whisky festival. Expect the full range from cult favourites to household names, plus the usual Lounge brand of friendly chaos.
English Whisky Festival 2025
Date: 22 November 2025.
Location: The Bond, Digbeth, Birmingham.
Highlights: England’s whisky scene is thriving, and this festival proves it. Small producers, experimental casks, and plenty of conversation.
TB Watson Whisky Festival
Date: 25 November 2025.
Location: Dumfries, Scotland.
Highlights: Nearly 40 stands and 800 guests, plus rums, brandies, and other spirits alongside the main whisky focus.
Fife Whisky Festival is a favourite newcomer of whisky lovers
Kendal Whisky Festival
Date: 5–6 December 2025.
Location: Kendal, England.
Highlights: Friendly, inclusive, and full of character. A warm Cumbrian welcome for beginners and aficionados alike.
Scottish National Whisky Festival: Glasgow Edition
Date: 24 January 2026.
Location: Glasgow, Scotland.
Highlights: A fixture in the Scottish whisky calendar. Expect a huge variety of drams, masterclasses, and live acts.
Fife Whisky Festival
Date: 27 February – 1 March 2026.
Location: Cupar, Fife.
Highlights: Over 30 distilleries and independent bottlers descend on Fife for a weekend of whisky appreciation. Don’t miss the Friday opening dinner.
A snapshot of Whisky Live & Fine Spirits London 2025
The Whisky Lounge: Newcastle Whisky Festival
Date: 28 March 2026.
Location: Newcastle, England.
Highlights: Geordie charm, international whiskies, and a cracking atmosphere. Expect smiles, stories, and drams from as far afield as Japan and India.
Whisky Live & Fine Spirits London
Date: 27–28 March 2026.
Location: The Fireworks Factory at Woolwich Works, London, UK.
Highlights: One of the UK’s premier whisky events and the perfect excuse to “network” with distillers, brand ambassadors, and anyone holding a pourer.
Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival
Date: 29 April – 4 May 2026.
Location: Speyside, Scotland.
Highlights: Hundreds of events, distillery open days, and whisky school sessions across Scotland’s most prolific region. It’s like Glastonbury, but for people who prefer their spirits aged in oak rather than enjoyed in a paper cup.
Scenes from Fèis Ìle 2025
Fèis Ìle – Islay Whisky Festival
Date: 23–31 May 2026.
Location: Islay, Scotland.
Highlights: The big one. A pilgrimage for peat lovers, a social event for locals, and a yearly reminder that the ferry to Islay should’ve been booked months ago. Distillery open days, music, and more smoky drams than you can shake a brick of peat at.
Clackmannanshire Whisky Festival
Date: 9 May 2026.
Location: Clackmannanshire, Scotland.
Highlights: A newer addition to the whisky map, founded with heart and charity in mind. Expect friendly faces, community spirit, and fantastic local whisky.
The Whisky Event
Date: 10 May 2026.
Location: UK (Venue TBA).
Highlights: A premium evening of whisky discovery featuring global whiskies, expert-led sessions, and a buffet that’s worth the ticket alone.
Are you looking forward to the Summerton Whisky Festival?
Summerton Whisky Festival
Date: 16 May 2026.
Location: Lower Red Lion, St Albans.
Highlights: Expect small brands, big flavours, and the kind of camaraderie that makes this one a perennial favourite.
Dundee’s Whisky Festival
Date: 13 June 2026.
Location: Dundee, Scotland.
Highlights: A growing city festival with a focus on accessibility and education. Expect distilleries, indie bottlers, and street food with flair.
The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show
Date: 2–4 October 2026.
Location: Old Billingsgate, London, United Kingdom
Highlights: The UK’s largest whisky bonanza, featuring over 1,000 whiskies and spirits, masterclasses, and exclusive tastings.
And the rum festivals
Whisky might hog the headlines, but rum festivals are filling up the UK calendar too. And who would say no to a festival of rum?
Rum Show London
Date: 10–11 July 2026.
Location: London, UK.
Highlights: The definitive rum event, boasting 300+ rums, masterclasses, and cocktail bars galore. Grab a Dream Tot token for a taste of something rare and possibly life-changing.
UK RumFest – 20th Anniversary
Date: 17–18 October 2026.
Location: London, UK.
Highlights: The world’s longest-running rum festival turns 20. Expect 400 rums, trade and consumer days, and enough Caribbean energy to light the city.
Come for the drinks, stay for everything else
Gin & Rum Festival – London
Date: 2026 (Exact dates TBA).
Location: St John’s Church, Hyde Park, London
Highlights: The UK’s biggest touring gin and rum celebration returns with over 120 spirits, DJs, immersive experiences, and possibly the odd spontaneous conga line.
Birmingham Rum Festival
Date: June 2026 (Exact date TBA).
Location: Birmingham, England
Highlights: A Midlands favourite mixing premium rums, street food, and live tunes. Sun, spice, and sugarcane.
Some quick tips for festival-goers
Book early: Tickets often have early-bird deals and tend to vanish faster than a free sample of 18-year-old single malt.
Plan your travel and accommodation: Especially for Speyside or Islay, nothing kills the buzz like realising how quickly taxi options vanish.
Pace yourself: The spittoon is your friend. Use it and you can taste everything and still remember what you liked.
Wise up at masterclasses: Learn something new while taking a welcome break from the madness.
Mix your schedule: Balance big headline festivals with smaller, more personal ones like Summerton or Dornoch. Variety keeps the palate (and the wallet) fresh.
Check for updates: “TBA” doesn’t stand for “To Be Avoided”. It means keep an eye on websites for confirmed details.
Stay safe & drink responsibly: You’re here for flavour, not for hospital stories. Hydrate, eat something, and pace those pours.
