A Richness of Whisky
Tickets £49.95. Afternoon 12.00 to 15.30, evening 16.30 to 20.00.
Saturday 13 February 2027
One room, over a hundred whiskies, and a town that has never done as it is told.
The Corn Exchange fills up, the glasses come out, and the people who actually make and choose the whisky are stood behind the tables ready to talk about it. No velvet rope, no lecture. Just a very good day out in the middle of February.
The Festival
An independent spirit
Lewes Whisky Festival is a single day, split into two sessions, in the grandest room in town.
Independent bottlers, distillers, importers and specialists bring what they are proudest of. Scotch, of course, but also English, Irish, Japanese, Indian and whatever has turned up from somewhere unexpected this year. Some of it you will know. A good deal of it you will not, which is rather the point.
You get a festival glass, a programme and the run of the room. Pour sizes are sensible, water available everywhere, and nobody will look at you strangely for asking a straightforward question.
What to Expect
Never been to one before?
Most people at their first whisky festival arrive slightly unsure how it works. It is simpler than you think.
You arrive
Show your ticket at the door and we hand you a festival glass and a programme. The glass is yours to keep. That is the whole check in.
You walk up and ask
Go to any table that looks interesting and ask for a taste. There is nothing to pay and no tokens to buy. Every pour in the hall is covered by your ticket.
You take your time
Measures are deliberately small so you can try plenty without regretting it. Water is there to add a drop or to rinse your glass between drams.
You ask the daft questions
The people pouring made or chose the whisky and would far rather explain it than nod at someone pretending to know. There is no wrong thing to say.
You do not need any knowledge, any particular vocabulary, or a view on peat. Turn up curious and the room does the rest.
In the Room
Who is pouring
Confirmed so far, with more to come. Every one of them will have somebody behind the table who can tell you exactly what you are drinking.
More names announced through the autumn.
What You'll Taste
Rather more than Scotch
A hundred whiskies is a lot of whiskies. Nobody is expecting you to get through them all, and the ones who try tend to regret it. Here is roughly how the room breaks down.
Scotch, properly
Single malts from every region, cask strength bottlings, a fair number of independent releases and mostly bottles you will not find on a supermarket shelf.
English & Welsh
The home distilleries have stopped being a curiosity and started being very good indeed. Several of them are within an hour of Lewes.
World whisky
Japan, Ireland, India, Denmark, and the occasional bottle that raises eyebrows on the label alone.
And one rum
Kakira, from Uganda, because it is far too good to leave at home on a technicality. Alongside single casks, small outturns and festival exclusives.
Food & Drink
Eat in Lewes
We are not putting food on in the hall, and that is deliberate.
Lewes has a great many good places to eat and they are all within a few minutes' walk of the town hall. Rather than compete with them for one Saturday, we would far rather you ate before your session or went out afterwards and left your money in the town.
Whisky on an empty stomach is still a poor plan, so do eat. Water is free and plentiful in the hall.
A list of local pubs, restaurants and cafés, including who is worth booking ahead, goes up here nearer the time.
The Venue
The Corn Exchange
Lewes Town Hall, Fisher Street, Lewes, BN7 2QS.
The Corn Exchange is the big room at the heart of the town hall, high ceilinged and handsome, about two minutes on foot from the High Street and seven minutes from Lewes train station. It has been hosting the town's arguments, dances and markets for well over a century, so a hundred whiskies should present no difficulty.
Step free access is available. If you have any access requirements at all, tell us when you book and we will sort it out properly.
Why Lewes
We wunt be druv
Lewes is a small county town with a castle, a ruined priory, a startling number of independent shops and a long habit of going its own way. Thomas Paine lived here and worked out most of what he thought before he went off to help start two revolutions.
It is the sort of place where a whisky festival that favours the independent and the unexpected fits without anyone having to explain it.
Visiting
Getting here
Come by train if you possibly can. It is a whisky festival.
By train
Lewes station is about a seven minute walk from the venue. Direct services run from Brighton, Eastbourne, Haywards Heath and London Victoria.
By bus
Regular services from Brighton, Uckfield and the surrounding villages stop within a few minutes' walk of the town hall.
By car
There is no parking at the venue. There are town car parks a short walk away, but the train is easier and it means you can actually drink the whisky.
Taxis
Book ahead for the end of the evening session. February in Lewes is not the night to chance it.
Where to Stay
Make a weekend of it
Lewes has a good spread of inns, small hotels and rooms above pubs, and Brighton is fifteen minutes down the line if you want more choice. February is quiet, but the festival weekend will not be, so book early.
Accommodation partners are listed here nearer the time.
While You're Here
Things to do
- Lewes Castle, and the view from the top of the keep.
- Anne of Cleves House and the Priory ruins.
- Harvey's Brewery, at the bottom of Cliffe High Street.
- The antiques and bookshops along the High Street and Cliffe.
- A walk up over the Downs, which is the best cure for the morning after.
Questions
Before you book
What is included in the ticket?
Entry to your session, a festival glass to take home, a programme, and every pour in the main hall.
Can I come to both sessions?
The hall is cleared between the afternoon and the evening, so each ticket covers one session. Most people find one is plenty.
Is there food at the venue?
No, and on purpose. Lewes has plenty of good places to eat within a few minutes' walk, so we would rather you ate before or after and spent your money in the town. Water is free and plentiful in the hall.
Are tickets refundable?
Whilst not refundable, tickets are transferable up to seven days before the festival.
What are the access arrangements?
The Corn Exchange has step free access. Tell us what you need when you book and we will make sure it is in place.
Is there an age limit?
Over 18s only, and we do ask for identification. Challenge 25 applies at the door and at every table.
Do I need to know anything about whisky?
Not a thing. Turn up curious. The people behind the tables would far rather talk to somebody who is interested than somebody who is showing off.
Tickets
Tickets £49.95
Five hundred places across the day, and no more. Pick your session and book above.
Want to keep up with the festival instead? Put your email in below and we will send you the line up as it is confirmed, along with anything else worth knowing before the day.
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Afternoon 12.00 to 15.30 · Evening 16.30 to 20.00 · Over 18s only