Fèis Ìle — The Islay Whisky Festival

Friday 22 May — Sunday 31 May 2026

For ten days at the end of May, Islay becomes the most concentrated whisky destination on earth. Every distillery holds its own open day — free general entry, with tours, tastings, live music and exclusive festival releases. The atmosphere is unlike anything else in the whisky calendar: one island, nine distilleries, thousands of people who have travelled from across the world for exactly this.

Fèis Ìle — pronounced "faysh eela" — is the Islay Festival, a celebration of the island's whisky, Gaelic culture, music and community. Now in its 40th year, it draws visitors from every corner of the world and remains, for many, the finest week in the whisky calendar. Between the distillery days, there are ceilidhs, folk concerts, whisky nosing competitions, boat trips and long evenings in the company of people who share exactly the same reason for being here.

Islay House sits at Bridgend — at the geographical centre of the island, and within thirty minutes of every distillery on the festival schedule. Rooms book up months in advance. If you are planning to attend Fèis Ìle 2026, we recommend securing your stay now.

General entry to all distillery days is free — no ticket required. Tickets for individual experiences, tastings and evening events are released via Skiddle from approximately February each year. Full details at feisile.co.uk