Very few spirits festivals have been running for two decades, but RumFest UK is almost there. Founded in 2006 this show is the longest running rum festival in the world and outdates every show we’ve covered on All But Drams bar Whisky Live. However, events can be like the spirits themselves – age doesn’t always mean quality. 

The first impression you get of RumFest UK isn’t ideal. The ILEC Conference centre that houses the show is a relic of the 1970s. The outside is dark brick lined with concrete vents straight out of the brutalist handbook, inside it’s coated with wood panelling and red patterned carpet that both feel dated. Of course, appearance is only a small part of the pie. Some shows have great venues but are stacked with issues (hello Whisky Live London). We’re pleased to report that RumFest UK isn’t one of them.

We arrived just under 20 minutes before the standard entry time and were let in without queuing. RumFest UK can take the award for shortest festival queue in this site’s history!  There must have been very few VIP tickets sold because we were allowed in early and inside was a mostly empty venue. We certainly won’t complain about that but it’s something to bear in mind if you’re thinking of attending and shelling out for VIP.

Despite the retro aesthetics the show floor is a pleasant space to spend an afternoon and it filled up towards the end. The stands are well spread out along wide avenues and whilst there’s music often playing it’s not too loud unless you’re next to the main stage speakers. Being a major multi-day show the brands are able to bring their stands and set up their spaces with as much or little flair as they like. On top of just sips of rum there were cocktails, mixers, snacks and more. Some folks we know prefer shows where brands can’t splash out on marketing, but all good spirits shows are designed for them to build their brands and meet customers like you. The show also had direct sales which means brands were able to offer special deals on their rums direct to consumers which we’re a huge fan of.

We could detail for you all the stands on offer but there’s a handy showguide with a huge amount of information that goes above and beyond many other festivals. You can view this year’s edition here to see exactly who was in attendance and what products they brought to the show. We’d say there was a fairly even mix of sipping rum and mixing rum on offer across a wide range of regions and styles. We couldn’t see any gaps in the show offering like you can sometimes get at whisky festivals where there’s nothing but Single Malt Scotch.

Walking around the show we did notice a couple of differences to most other festivals. For starters only around half the stands had spittoons and few had water. Instead you had to go to a larger water station in the centre of the room. Whilst we were given a water bottle upon entry it’s not really enough to ensure everyone is staying healthy and hydrated. It’s a small thing but when you’re busy at a show it’s easy to forget to drink. If someone were to pour you the wrong rum you’d have to dash away to dispose of it and rinse the glass before trying the correct one rather than it being an instant fix on the stand.

The pours themselves at RumFest UK aren’t measured either. We often ended up with too much or too little in the glass. One stand had a paid tasting that cost £5 and the portions were barely a single sip. We’d come because the stand looked super popular and left feeling ripped off as we could barely taste what we had tried. A system of proper measurements for the standard drinks and premium “golden tots” would be a benefit in our opinion.

This was our first RumFest UK. We had no idea if this show was better or worse than any previous year. The exhibitors and hardcore rum fans we spoke with all had nothing but praise for the show this year and in past ones. They told us it was a community led show with a focus on what matters – the rum. We like to hope the small scale is international, a look back through past videos shows it’s not changed in 10 years. This is probably a good thing, why try to always be growing when what you have is working great for everyone? Yes there’s no frills, you don’t get any food or a golden tot token included, but that also means a lower ticket cost.

Price and the competition had to come up at some point. There’s only one other show in town and that’s the summer Whisky Exchange Rum Show. We have nothing but praise for all of TWE shows but there’s an issue that has caused us annoyance in recent years – their strong discouragement of (or outright ban if you ask some exhibitors) of spiced rum. I’m all for the festival setting rules around what is and isn’t allowed, but they are a retailer and they sell spiced rum, which makes removing it from their shows feel parochial to us. They are missing out on a product that accounts for 60% of UK rum sales and that’s their intention. This division is a USP for their show and whilst we don’t agree, there are plenty of folk that do. 

TWE Rum Show costs £66 for a standard Saturday ticket whereas RumFest UK costs £49.95. If you’re someone who is only after the highest-end rum then that £15 gets you access to a higher ceiling of free samples as the dream tots at TWE start at £150, but just £80 at RumFest. However, that’s where the benefits really end for us. Yes you get a “dream tot” token included but that’s only £5 of added value and the cocktails being served for free at UK Rumfest were more to our taste than any of the ones at TWE Rum Show. So, if you want the greatest possible diversity of the rum category then go to RumFest UK. If you want pure rum only and access to more expensive bottles, then shelling out the extra for The Rum Show makes sense. Both have earned their place on the UK scene.

RumFest UK does have a reputation of being rowdy, with one popular whisky creator saying about a past show: 

“I left in the last hour because I could smell the violence in the air… It wasn’t unusual that a fist could fly in the last hour.” 

Maybe on the packed out Saturday that could have happened as some brand ambassadors told us the venue was rammed. However, this Sunday slot was one of the most relaxed and friendly festivals I’ve ever been to. I’m still somewhat of a novice when it comes to rum versus whisky and I’d say RumFest UK on Sunday is the ideal opportunity for beginners. I didn’t once worry about being made to feel embarrassed about gaps in my knowledge, something that I will admit has happened to me a few times at TWE Rum Show over the years.

If we had to pick one rum show to go from here on out we’d pick RumFest UK despite any flaws and the lower golden tot cap. The Whisky Exchange are the masters of organizing shows and the rest of their calendar is either the best in class or the only option out there. However, our view is that by mixing premium pure rum with flavoured and budget product in the same event you open people up to enjoying things they never would have purchased before. I tried some great pure rums and caught up with some brands I see at TWE’s show, but I had the most fun with the fruit and flavour rather than the barrel-aged funk I usually pursue. 

Rumfest returns in October 2026 and we’ll absolutely be coming back to enjoy the drinks. Get your tickets here.

[Two complimentary standard Sunday tickets were provided by RumFest UK. All other costs including travel, golden tots and food were covered by All But Drams. Given what we experienced, we will happily come back at our own cost.]