New Lewes Whisky Festival to Showcase More Than 100 Whiskies in February 2027

New festival from Summerton Whisky Club will bring independent bottlers, distillers and importers together in East Sussex

A new whisky festival is set to launch in Lewes, East Sussex, in February 2027, bringing more than 100 whiskies from independent bottlers, distillers and importers together for a one-day event at the Corn Exchange, Lewes Town Hall.

Lewes Whisky Festival, created by the team behind UK whisky subscription Summerton Whisky Club, will take place on Saturday 13 February 2027, with two tasting sessions running from 12pm to 3.30pm and 4.30pm to 8pm. The festival will feature whisky from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, the US, India and beyond, reflecting the increasingly international nature of the whisky category.

Confirmed exhibitors include independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail, alongside Old Pulteney, WhistlePig, Heaven Hill, Boann, Isle of Raasay, The English Distillery and In the Welsh Wind. Kakira Distillery, from Uganda, will also participate with a rum pour.

A different approach to whisky festivals

The festival has been designed around an open tasting format, with visitors able to sample whisky from every participating exhibitor without purchasing additional tasting tokens.

A £49.95 ticket includes a festival glass, programme and unlimited tastings throughout the session. The organisers are deliberately positioning the event as accessible to both experienced whisky enthusiasts and consumers who are newer to the category.

Dan Humphrey, founder of Lewes Whisky Festival and Summerton Whisky Club, said:

“I wanted to create a festival where the focus is on discovering whisky and talking to the people behind it.

“There are plenty of very good whisky events aimed at the serious enthusiast. We wanted to create something that retains the quality and depth of whisky but feels much less intimidating to someone who might be coming to their first festival. You don’t need to know your single malt from your blended malt before you arrive. You just need to enjoy whisky and be curious.”

There will be no additional charges for tastings once visitors are inside the festival, with exhibitors able to engage directly with consumers throughout each session.

A broadening whisky landscape

The initial exhibitor line-up brings together established whisky brands, independent bottlers and producers from a range of whisky-producing countries. The inclusion of English and Welsh whisky alongside Scotch, Irish, American and international producers is intended to reflect the increasingly diverse whisky category and give consumers the opportunity to explore different production traditions and styles in a single event.

Further exhibitors are expected to be announced during the autumn.

From whisky subscription to live events

Lewes Whisky Festival is the latest development from Summerton Whisky Club, the UK whisky subscription and community founded by Dan Humphrey. Summerton sends Members a full bottle of whisky every two months, combining whisky discovery with editorial content and community.

Summerton began when Dan wanted to buy his Dad a whisky subscription as a Christmas present and subsequently developed the concept into a national whisky subscription business.

The festival represents a further expansion into live events, in addition to the Summerton Whisky Festival held annually in St Albans, bringing the company’s focus on whisky discovery and accessibility into a physical setting.

Dan said:

“Summerton has always been about getting people to discover whiskies they might not otherwise have tried. A festival is a natural extension of that. I wanted to create an event where people can spend several hours exploring whisky, talking to producers and bottlers, and finding something they genuinely enjoy.”

Why Lewes?

The festival will take place at the Corn Exchange at Lewes Town Hall, an established events venue in the East Sussex town.

Lewes was selected partly for its accessibility to a wider regional audience, with direct rail connections from Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Haywards Heath and London Victoria. The organisers are targeting whisky drinkers across Sussex and the wider South East, rather than solely the local Lewes market.

Dan shared:

“Lewes gives us an opportunity to create a genuinely regional whisky event. It’s an independent town with a strong food and drink culture, but it’s also remarkably accessible by rail from across Sussex and London. That gives us the opportunity to build an audience well beyond Lewes itself.”

A richness of whisky

The festival’s identity draws on its Sussex setting. Its emblem references the martlet, the footless swift depicted on the Sussex county arms, while the festival’s tagline — “A Richness of Whisky” — takes inspiration from the collective noun for a group of swifts.

The festival will have capacity for 480 visitors across the two sessions, with tickets priced at £49.95.

More information and tickets are available at leweswhiskyfestival.co.uk.

Event: Lewes Whisky Festival

Date: Saturday 13 February 2027

Venue: The Corn Exchange, Lewes Town Hall, Fisher Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2QS

Sessions: 12.00–15.30 and 16.30–20.00

Ticket price: £49.95 per session

Capacity: 480 visitors across the day

What is included: Festival glass, programme and unlimited tastings from participating exhibitors

Confirmed exhibitors include: Gordon & MacPhail, Old Pulteney, WhistlePig, Heaven Hill, Boann, The Whistler, Isle of Raasay, The English Distillery, Henstone, In the Welsh Wind and Kakira Distillery.

Organiser: Summerton Whisky Club

Website: leweswhiskyfestival.co.uk