The capital is about to become Scotland’s cocktail playground as Edinburgh Cocktail Week returns bigger and better than ever
From Friday, 3 October to Sunday, 12 October, the cocktail festival will transform Scotland’s capital into a mixology lover’s paradise, with more than 25,000 visitors expected to have a sip.
£5 cocktails across the city
This year’s festival is the most ambitious yet, with signature £5 cocktails available at more than 100 top bars citywide. But the real action happens at Festival Square’s legendary Cocktail Village, where 24 pop-up bars – a record number – will serve up double the discounted drinks of previous years.
Castle views and cosy corners
The Cocktail Village has had a makeover inside and out, with 60% more seating and a brand new outdoor drinks terrace where revellers can sip cocktails with Edinburgh Castle as their backdrop.
For those craving something more traditional, there’s good news: Seamus’s will operate a Village Pub area complete with fireside traditional music, darts, board games, and proper pints alongside the fancy cocktails.
Paws and cocktails welcome
In an Edinburgh first, the festival has gone dog-friendly on weekdays, so your four-legged friends can join the party. Combined with standout street food trucks including Dough La La, Truck Sri and The Wee Taqueria, and live performances from local bands, artists and DJs, it’s shaping up to be the city’s most inclusive cocktail celebration.
Edinburgh Cocktail Week runs 3rd-12th October at Festival Square and bars across the city. Supported by Essential Edinburgh.
Local bars represented at Cocktail Week include Copper Blossom, Hendrick’s Gin, Bumbu Rum, Au Vodka, 818 Tequila (yes, Kendall Jenner’s tequila), Manahatta, Schweppes (Official Mixer Partner), The Herringbone Horsebox, Dutch Barn Vodka, Buck’s Bar, Lonkero, Boston Bar, Tito’s Vodka, Dead Man’s Fingers, Funkin, Mixtons, 4042, Licor 43, Martin Miller’s Gin, Casamigos, Bevanda, The Prosecco Bar, West Side Rodeo, Sips Tequila Cantina, Four Roses Bourbon, Blur 69 Vodka, Shetland Reel Gin, Island Slice Rum, Holy Grass Vodka, Pa Todos Tequila, Five Ways Whisky Liqueur, Madri, Asahi, XIX Vodka, and Casa Staibano.
The Dome, Tigerlily and The Alchemist will also be there as well as BABA, Bar 1819, Bar Uno, Boston Bar, Brunswick Book Club, Crybaby, Edinburgh Gin Distillery Bar, Fazenda Rodizio Bar and Grill, Le Petit Beef Bar, Little Picardy, Luckenbooths, Manahatta, Mara, Paradise Palms, Pizza Pilgrims, Roxy Lane, Ryan’s Bar, Seamus’s Bar, The Earl of Marchmont, The Pilgrim, The Spanish Butcher, The Volley, Vessel and West Port Oracle.
Prestige Cocktails have been crafted by the city’s most talented mixologists and award-winning venues, including Panda & Sons who were recently awarded World’s Best Cocktail Menu. Prestige Cocktails can be enjoyed for £9 on presentation of a wristband. There is a host of new bars joining Edinburgh Cocktail Week’s Prestige collection including, The Hoxton, Lucky Liquor, Nor’ Loft, The Wildcat and Joao’s Place in W Hotel Edinburgh. Returning Prestige Cocktails venues include The Register Club, Devil’s Advocate, Harrods Champagne Bar, the Commons Club and Lady Libertine.
Gary Anderson, Managing Director of Edinburgh Cocktail Week, said: “It’s a particularly thrilling year for us with all the exciting changes to our Cocktail Village – attendees can look forward to lots of new experiences and a great day out. It is genuinely heartwarming to see so many familiar faces during the festival and in our comments on social media throughout the year. For many of our wristband holders, our festival has become an annual tradition for meeting up with friends, from near and afar, which is joyous to see.
“For the last nine years, our small team has focused on creating an experience that is inclusive, unique, fun and memorable for our customers, while at the same time giving back to our bar community upon which our festival is built. We believe this approach has propelled us to become the country’s leading cocktail festival, all thanks to our customers’ continued support. We look forward to welcoming everyone next month.”
Roddy Smith, CEO of Essential Edinburgh, added: “Edinburgh Cocktail Week is a highlight of the year for many of our bars and Essential Edinburgh is delighted to continue our investment for the fifth year, supporting ECW’s continued growth and development. We have more city centre bars participating in ECW 2025 than ever before and are immensely proud to call Edinburgh City Centre home to the UK’s largest cocktail festival. We are excited at all that this year’s programme has to offer, so if you haven’t yet got your wristbands, don’t delay – you’ll not want to miss it!”
Wristbands are on sale now at www.edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk.
- Weekend 1 – £12.50 (valid Fri 3 – Sun 5 Oct)
- Weekday – £8 (valid Mon 6 – Thurs 9 Oct)
- Weekend 2 – £12.50 (valid Fri 10 – Sun 12 Oct)
- Ten Day – £18 (valid Fri 3 – Sun 12 Oct)
Wristbands give access to £5 cocktails across all 100+ participating bars for the 10-day festival duration, as well as entry to the Cocktail Village at Festival Square on the dates above.
