May might be months away and the Summer so far off that it might not seem worth thinking about, but with January already in the rearview mirror we can safely say that this year’s festival season will be here before we know it. Chief among them will be Feis Ile, taking place from Friday 22nd May to Sunday 31st May.
Bruichladdich have got ahead of the pack by announcing the line up for this year’s Rock’ndaal festival. The Bruichladdich open day is always one of the most anticipated events of Feis Ile and the distillery will once again open their doors for a day of incredible drams, raucous live music, local food, and top class entertainment.
This year the event takes place on Sunday 24th May and promises to be bigger than ever. 2026 will be a special year for Bruichladdich as the distillery celebrates the 25th anniversary of their reopening. It also marks the 40th anniversary of Feis Ile.
Gareth Brown, Global Marketing Director at Bruichladdich Distillery, explains: “The festival is doubly special for Bruichladdich this year as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the distillery’s reopening and the 40th anniversary of Fèis Ìle.
“Every year we’re in competition with ourselves to go one better than the previous year, and 2026 is no exception. We’ve got more drams, the biggest musical acts and extra surprises in store for those who make their pilgrimage to the distillery to help us celebrate on the day.”
When it comes to Feis Ile, everyone looks forward to getting their hands on that year’s special releases. Bruichladdich are promising two limited edition single malt releases for this year’s Rock’ndaal, though the details of these are yet to be released - we’ll let you know when we know more!
Alongside these annual releases will be the launch of one of the distillery’s special 25th anniversary bottlings, which will be revealed on the day.
Among the many events taking place during the whole of Feis Ile, one of the highlights is always the Bruichladdich Masterclass. Hosted by Master Blender Adam Hannett, 500 ticket holders will have the opportunity to enjoy some legendary whiskies from Bruichladdich’s past alongside one-of-a-kind samples from the distillery’s extensive archive.
Tickets for the Masterclass are priced at £150 and allocated by ballot, which runs from the 16th of February to Thursday of 19th February at midnight, 0:00 UTC. To enter the ballot, visit Bruichladdich’s website.
Rock’ndaal isn’t just about the whisky, however; it’s a celebration of Scottish culture and that is clearly represented in the Scottish musicians scheduled to perform at this year’s event. Nathan Evans and The SAINT PHNX Band will headline the festival. Coming off the back of sold out shows at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro and the successful release their debut album ‘Angels Share’ recently released, expect the lads to have the courtyard bouncing.
Joining them will be festival favourites Tide Lines, talented bag-piper and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Cammy Barnes, and Singer-accordionist Calum MacPhail, founder of the award-winning band Hò-rò.
General tickets will be available from Monday 23rd February and priced at £30. Each ticket includes full-day access to Rock’ndaal. Tickets will be available to purchase via bruichladdich.com or in-person from the distillery’s Visitor Centre on Islay.
For those unable to attend Rock’ndaal in person, the festival Masterclass and musical performances will be streamed online throughout the day, live from Bruichladdich Distillery. For all Rock’ndaal tickets, news and updates visit bruichladdich.com.
