About the fair
The London Wine Fair is the UK's leading trade wine event. Producers, importers and buyers fill the ExCeL halls over three days each November. The 2026 edition puts a spotlight on low-intervention wines from the Southern Hemisphere and includes a new on-trade education track aimed at buyers and sommeliers. The fair is organised by London Wine Fair.
More than 700 exhibitors are expected across the three-day run, covering all major wine-producing countries and a wide range of styles. The education programme runs in parallel — masterclasses, regional seminars and panel discussions are bookable in advance through the fair's own ticketing system.
Who attends
The fair is primarily trade and media: importers, buyers, retailers, restaurateurs, journalists and educators. Pre-registered trade attendees enter free. Consumer tickets are available on select days and must be purchased in advance. If you are a consumer attending, the education programme offers the best value — guided tastings covering specific regions or styles, led by Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers.
How to get the most from a wine fair
Plan your visit before you arrive: download the exhibitor list, note the producers or regions you want to prioritise, and map a loose route through the halls. Start with lighter wines — sparkling and whites first — then move to heavier reds and any fortified styles later in the session. Use the spit buckets: spitting is the standard practice at trade tastings and is how tasters stay sharp across dozens of wines. For a structured approach to tasting, see the How to taste wine guide.
Make note of the wines that interest you — producer name, wine name and vintage — and follow up after the fair using resources like Decanter or Jancis Robinson for independent critical assessments. Use the How to read a wine label guide to decode what you see on the bottles at each table.
Event details: London Wine Fair. Dates, admission and programme subject to change — check the official website for current information.