THE BEST ENGLISH WINE FESTIVALS AND EVENTS IN 2025 YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS.
If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that 2025 looks set to be the year of the wine festival explosion.
Whether you’re a sparkling wine snob (no shame here) or someone who just likes a good countryside day out with a tasting glass in hand, England has you covered. From posh castle gardens to cheeky vineyard parties, here’s your essential guide to the very best English wine festivals and vineyard events to pop in your calendar for 2025.
Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration, Kent
📅 Date: Saturday 7th June 2025
📍 Where: Chilham Castle, Kent
Fancy sipping England’s finest fizz while swanning about a historic castle estate? Course you do. The Wine Garden of England Festival is basically a who’s-who of Kent’s top producers – Balfour, Chapel Down, Gusbourne and all the other big hitters – gathered around a shimmering lake at the gorgeous Chilham Castle.
You’ll get a tasting glass (because walking around with an empty hand is just rude), a tote bag to feel fancy, and wine tokens to splash about. There’s also food stalls, live music and, if you’re anything like me, a high probability of leaving with a slightly wobbly gait and a suitcase full of wine bottles.
🎟️ Tickets tend to sell out fast, so get on it early.
Canterbury Wine Festival
📅 Dates: Friday 16th & Saturday 17th May 2025
📍 Where: Westgate Hall, Canterbury
This one’s for the serious tasters (and those who think they’re serious until the third sample kicks in). At the Canterbury Wine Festival, you’ll rub shoulders with winemakers from top Kentish vineyards like Biddenden and Simpsons, sip through over 50 different wines, and attend talks with the likes of Master of Wine Clive Barlow.
Bonus points: it’s indoors at Westgate Hall, so if British summer does its usual soggy thing, you’ll still be able to get nicely merry without frizzing your hair.
🎟️Book tickets via the Westgate Hall website here.
Vineyards of Hampshire Fizz Fest
📅 Date: Sunday 29th June 2025
📍 Where: Raimes Wine Barn, Hinton Ampner, Hampshire
Hot off the press – Vineyards of Hampshire Fizz Fest has just been announced for 2025. It is set to return art the end of June, after a successful event in 2024.
If you’re all about that bubbly life, Hampshire’s Fizz Fest is your happy place. Some of England’s finest sparkling wines come from Hampshire, and this gorgeous little gathering at Raimes Wine Barn is pure sparkling heaven.
You can expect: endless tastings, vineyard tours, live music to wiggle to once the fizz kicks in, and a whole lot of opportunities to pretend you totally know what “lees aging” means.
Hot tip: They usually lay on a lot of local food too, so you can line your stomach between glasses (very important).
🎟️Book tickets here via the Vineyards of Hampshire website.
South Coast Wine Festival
📅 Dates: Friday 8th – Sunday 10th August 2025
📍 Where: Highcliffe Castle, Rothesay Drive, Highcliffe, Christchurch, BH23 4LE
A newer kid on the festival block, but it definitely looks intriguing. Three full days of wine tasting, live music, expert masterclasses, and a slightly reckless amount of English sunshine (fingers crossed).
There’s not much info yet, but I’m hoping this will be a chance to get to try wines from all over the south – Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Dorset – without having to drive your designated driver mad traipsing from vineyard to vineyard.
Perfect for: group weekends, hen dos, or just running away from your responsibilities for 48 hours.
🎟️Tickets and details available at the South Coast Wine Festival website.
English Wine Week 2025
📅 Dates: Saturday 24th May – Sunday 1st June 2025
📍 Where: Nationwide (everywhere there’s vines!)
Think of English Wine Week as Christmas for wine lovers – only sunnier, and you get to drink in the daytime without judgment.
Across the whole country, vineyards, wine shops, hotels, and restaurants put on special events, tastings, vineyard tours, and winemaker dinners. Some vineyards throw open their gates for exclusive one-off tours (even the ones usually closed to the public), while wine bars launch limited-edition English wine lists.
Perfect if you like your wine adventures a little more DIY – pick an area like Sussex, Kent or Hampshire, book a few tours, and turn it into a wine-soaked mini break.
Top tip: Check out your local vineyard for up to date events. But, I’ll of course be trying to give you all the latest on this website too!
Vineyard-Specific Events to Bookmark
It’s not just the big festivals – England’s individual vineyards are very good at putting on a knees-up too. A few to keep an eye on:
- Mereworth Wines, Kent: Known for music nights
- Tillingham, East Sussex: Wacky, wonderful vineyard dinners and all sorts of fun.
- Yotes Court, Kent: Garden tours and other quirky events.
- Mount Vineyard: Music nights and various things in the summer calendar.
- Oxney Organic Estate, Sussex: Laid-back organic vineyard days with lots of good food.
Honestly, wherever there’s vines, there’s probably a party happening. Keep an eye on your favourite producers’ websites for ticket drops. So, it’s best to find vineyards near you in my Vineyard Directory and check out their latest events.
🍷 The 2025 English Wine Events Calendar At a Glance
| Month | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| May 16–17 | Canterbury Wine Festival™ | Canterbury, Kent |
| May 24–June 1 | English Wine Week | Nationwide |
| June 7 | Wine Garden of England Festival | Chilham Castle, Kent |
| June 29 | Hampshire Fizz Fest | Hinton Ampner, Hants |
| August 8–10 | South Coast Wine Festival | South Coast |
Where to next?
A few of my favourite things
Looking for a gift for yourself or a wine lover in your life? Here are a few of my favourite English Wine things.
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