Spirit of Speyside breaks ticket sales records
The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival surpassed £500,000 (US$677,000) in ticket sales for the first time in its 27-year history.
The festival took place in Speyside, Scotland, between 29 April and 4 May, and hosted more than 600 events during the period.
Nearly 7,000 tickets were snapped up on ticket launch day in February, with 60 events – including a cèilidh at Craigellachie Distillery – selling out.
The festival also drew a large international crowd, with more than 60% of sales coming from overseas. Visitors from more than 40 countries, from the Netherlands to Mexico and Canada, attended the 2026 edition.
The festival presented a chance to visit a number of Speyside distilleries, some of which are normally not open to the public.
Independent bottler Duncan Taylor, for instance, opened its doors to the public for the first time in its history during the festival.
Tormore, Craigellachie and Dalmunach all opened for fans to explore their facilities, while other events included a falconry display, canoe trips and a silent disco at The Glenlivet.
Some distilleries, such as Tamdhu, released limited edition expressions for the festival.
Now in its 27th year, having launched in 1999, Spirit of Speyside reportedly contributes more than £2.2 million (US$3m) annually to the local economy.
Next year’s festival will take place from 28 April to 3 May 2027.
Chairman Henry Angus said that “there has never been a more important year for us to support the whisky sector”.
“With whisky sales declining, but festival sales increasing, our ability to draw thousands of visitors to Speyside is vital to the local economy,” he said. “We’re extremely proud to have broken all records again this year and to prove that we are creating a world-class calendar of events with wide appeal.
“The festival has become an old friend to so many year after year. There are some incredible opportunities, some of which are unique, leaving visitors to feel like they’ve been part of something truly magical. There’s nothing quite like it.”
The Scotch industry is experiencing a difficult period with a decline in demand for whisky. Distilleries such as InchDairnie, Rosebank, Glenglassaugh and Isle of Harris have all paused production or cut jobs over the past year.
Diageo, meanwhile, proposed the closure of the visitor centre at Clynelish. Meanwhile, Suntory Global Spirits scrapped plans for a maturation facility at Ayrshire and merged the distillery teams at Bowmore and Laphroaig.
Last week, US president Donald Trump said he would remove the tariff on Scotch whisky, which was welcomed by the industry.
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