Last updated: 7 April 2026
Fèis Ìle 2026 will run from 22 to 31 May: ten days instead of the usual nine, for the first time in the festival’s history. The 40th anniversary edition will welcome the debut of Laggan Bay Distillery, which opened on 2 April 2026 and is already in the programme for the final day. Seven official bottlings have been announced so far. Diageo (Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Port Ellen) and Bunnahabhain are yet to reveal theirs. This page will be updated with each new announcement.
Day-by-day programme
Friday 22 May: festival opening
The opening parade will start from Port Ellen Primary School at 17:00 and head to Ramsay Hall, where the evening will continue with entertainment and music. At 19:30, Country Music Hoe-Down.
Saturday 23 May: Lagavulin
Three events scheduled. The first will be a masterclass led by Rory Slater and distillery manager Jordan Paisley: five drams from experimental casks, exploring spirit character and wood influence. The second, “Past, Peat & People”, will celebrate 40 years of Fèis Ìle with speakers connected to Lagavulin’s history, including senior malts archivist Jo McKerchar. The third will pair whisky, food and vinyl with global ambassador Ewan Gunn. The Fèis Ìle 2026 bottling from Lagavulin has not been revealed yet. Tickets on sale via Skiddle. Those without tickets for the Lagavulin events can still visit Islay Rum and the Islay Whisky Vault, or try their luck at the fishing competition on Loch Gorm.
Sunday 24 May: Bruichladdich (Rock’ndaal)
Rock’ndaal will celebrate its 25th anniversary and is already sold out (2,500+ attendees, general admission £30). The £150 masterclass with master blender Adam Hannett features six single malts from previously unseen casks, limited to 500 attendees selected by ballot. On stage: Nathan Evans & The SAINT PHNX Band, Tide Lines and Cammy Barnes. Two limited-edition single malts and a 25th anniversary bottling will be revealed on the day. Those wanting a break from whisky can explore the coastline with Islay Sea Adventures.
Monday 25 May: Caol Ila
Exclusive experiences and tastings at Caol Ila, overlooking the Sound of Islay. The detailed programme is being finalised, as is the 2026 Fèis Ìle bottling. Evening event: “The Manager’s Evening” whisky dinner.
Tuesday 26 May: Laphroaig and Port Ellen
Two distilleries in one day. Laphroaig will host the classic open day with masterclasses, tastings, music (Rollin Drones and Papa Shandy and the Drams) and a shuttle between Port Ellen and the distillery. The bottling is already known: Cairdeas 2026 French Oak, fully matured in French oak, 52.6%. Declared profile: bold wood, peat fires, plum, cherry, chocolate, leather, sea salt. Friends of Laphroaig will get early access. For a sense of what to expect, the 10 vs Quarter Cask vs Select guide breaks down how the three standard expressions differ.
Port Ellen, reopened in 2024, will offer two experiences: “From the Shores to the Stills”, an evening with rare whiskies, and a new make tasting exploring experimental distillation styles. Fèis Ìle bottling not yet announced.
Also on Tuesday, The Indie Whisky Feis will return to Ramsay Hall with three sessions featuring independent bottlers: Douglas Laing, Hunter Laing, Dramfool, SMWS and Lady of the Glen, among others. The entry ticket includes a tasting glass.
Wednesday 27 May: Bowmore and Ardnahoe
Bowmore will open with tastings, live music from Corra (folk, rock, Celtic rhythms) and street food. The bottling is a Bowmore 2016 9 Year Old from a single Pedro Ximénez cask (no. 3756), distilled 27 May 2016 with 100% floor-malted barley.
Ardnahoe, Hunter Laing’s distillery operating since 2019, will share the day. The detailed 2026 programme is not yet available. Evening: Folk Night at the Round Church in Bowmore.
Thursday 28 May: Kilchoman
The full programme: drams, masterclasses, tours, open tastings, music and entertainment. The bottling is a collector’s piece: Kilchoman 15 Year Old Calvados Finish, 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels and 5 in ex-calvados casks. 50.9%, 637 bottles, limited to one bottle per person at the distillery. The evening moves to Ramsay Hall for “The Whisky Nosing”.
Friday 29 May: Bunnahabhain and Jura
Bunnahabhain will open its doors, but the programme and bottling have not been announced yet. Same day for Jura, on the neighbouring island, reached by ferry from Port Askaig to Feolin (5 minutes). Jura’s marquee will feature live music from Heron Valley, cocktails, open 10:00–18:00 with a free shuttle from the ferry port. Two bottlings announced: a Jura 16 Year Old Armagnac Cask Finish (ex-bourbon base, 18 months in Armagnac) and a Jura 24 Year Old Sauternes Barrique Finish for the 40th anniversary of Fèis Ìle. The evening wraps up with the Mystery Bus Tour (destination unknown, as tradition demands) and the Clootie Dumpling Ceilidh.
Saturday 30 May: Ardbeg (Ardbeg Day)
The 2026 theme will be 1960s Italian cinema: Mediterranean street food with Islay twists, vintage games, music and dancing. The bottling is Ardbeg Dolce: 47.8%, £85, matured in Sicilian Marsala dolce wine casks and bourbon barrels. Declared notes: sun-ripened oranges, apricots, dark chocolate, olives, soft smoke, salted nuts. Ardbeg Committee members will get early access from 26 May. Available to everyone from 30 May at the distillery, online and at specialist retailers. The evening closes with “The Final Fling”, guests still to be announced.
Sunday 31 May: Laggan Bay and Islay Ales
The final day and Laggan Bay’s debut at Fèis Ìle. The distillery will open across three sessions: 10-13, 14-17 and 18-21. There will be no bottling (the first spirit was distilled on 2 April), but visitors can taste the new make. The festival was extended by one day specifically to accommodate this new entry. On the same site at Glenegedale, Islay Ales brewery, the island’s only one, will also be open.
Confirmed bottlings
Seven official bottlings confirmed as of 7 April 2026. Diageo (Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Port Ellen) and Bunnahabhain have not yet announced theirs.
Laphroaig Cairdeas 2026 French Oak: 52.6%. Fully matured in French oak. Peat, plum, cherry, chocolate, sea salt.
Bowmore 2016 9 Year Old PX Cask: single cask no. 3756, Pedro Ximénez. Floor-malted barley. Distilled 27 May 2016.
Kilchoman 15 Year Old Calvados Finish: 50.9%, 637 bottles. 10 years ex-bourbon, 5 years ex-calvados. One bottle per person.
Ardbeg Dolce: 47.8%, £85. Marsala dolce wine casks and bourbon. Oranges, apricots, chocolate, smoke.
Jura 16 Year Old Armagnac Cask Finish: ex-bourbon base, 18 months in Armagnac casks.
Jura 24 Year Old Sauternes Barrique Finish: 40th anniversary edition.
Bruichladdich (three bottlings): two limited-edition single malts and one 25th Rock’ndaal anniversary release. To be revealed on 24 May.
Still to come: Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Port Ellen, Bunnahabhain. They will be added here as announced.
Tickets and booking
The festival itself is free: no general admission ticket is needed. Individual distillery events and committee events are ticketed. The ticketing partner for 2026 is Skiddle. Committee event tickets went on sale 31 March. Distillery tickets are available where noted above.
Bruichladdich’s Rock’ndaal is already sold out (general admission £30). The masterclass with Adam Hannett was £150, allocated by ballot in February. For Diageo experiences (Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Port Ellen), tickets are on Skiddle. Book early: the most popular experiences sell out within days.
Getting to and around Islay
Islay is reached by ferry from Kennacraig (CalMac, roughly 2 hours 15 minutes to Port Ellen or Port Askaig) or by air from Glasgow (Loganair, 40 minutes). The new CalMac ferry in service from 2026 has increased capacity on the route.
On the island, a hire car is recommended. Local buses run but are limited. The drive between the most distant distilleries, Bunnahabhain in the north and Port Ellen in the south, is about 45 minutes. The interactive map shows all eleven distilleries, ports, villages and hotels, and calculates driving times between any two points.
Fèis Ìle 2026 will be the longest and most packed edition yet. Forty years of festival, eleven active distilleries and, for the first time, a brand-new distillery that will make its debut in the same edition it fills its very first cask. For those who want to arrive prepared, the Ardbeg vs Laphroaig vs Lagavulin vs Caol Ila comparison breaks down strength, peat and cask choices across the four flagship distilleries. Those who cannot make it to the island should know that most Fèis Ìle bottlings will reach specialist online retailers in the weeks following the festival.
