Organisers of The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival – which is now in its 26th year, have launched a preview of the events taking place during this year’s festival.

This year’s event which will run between April 30th – May 5th, will include around 500 events across 89 venues in Speyside, including a number of distilleries that are normally closed to the public.

The event will kick off with an industry dinner on Wed 30th April, co-hosted by Speyside Distillers Ltd, followed by the annual ceilidh on 2nd May for visitors to the Festival. Both events will take place for the first time at the Macdonald Highlands Hotel, in Aviemore.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2025 events, will include:

• The Malt Master Tour hosted by Brian Kinsman – Tour the Glenfiddich Distillery with Brian and enjoy a tutored master class with the man himself.

• The Mastery of the Macallan – Six-course tasting menu served in the new Time Spirit restaurant and a guided production experience through the distillery with a tutored tasting.

• Cask Confidential – An exclusive Glen Moray & Whisky Talks Experience, hosted by Fraser Campbell with a panel of special guest speakers.

An economic impact assessment revealed that last year’s festival generated over £2.2million for the local economy, with ticket sales up 23%, and just over 8,400 tickets sold to visitors coming far and wide from 39 different countries.

Festival organisers, have also announced that Henry Angus has taken over the tenure as Chair from George McNeil. A well-respected figure in Speyside, his career spans across established companies in Morayshire and Aberdeenshire. After a long-standing relationship with the festival, he recently joined the board and is looking forward to taking the helm and helping further elevate its stature.

Commenting on the news, Henry, said: “Last year was record-breaking and the spotlight was firmly on Speyside. This is the most populous whisky region with the greatest array of distilleries at any festival globally. It brings together whisky fans, distillers and visitors that love this beautiful part of the world. From masterclasses to music, from quizzes to fireside gatherings, from culture to history the calendar is full of opportunities to share the water of life with fellow whisky lovers, aficionados and people that just enjoy a dram.”

For full details visit: spiritofspeyside.com Tickets will go on sale from 12 noon on February 3rd.