5–6 February 2027 · Al Habtoor Grand Resort
The event
An open lawn on the Dubai coast, branded pavilions in daylight, and a floor that keeps going after the sun drops behind the Marina. Here is what is inside the gates.
Open pour · no tokens
Whisky Park
The main lawn, and the reason most people come. Distilleries pour in the open air from their own pavilions — Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich, BenRiach, Buffalo Trace, Jack Daniel’s, Jura, Suntory and the rest. One wristband covers every pour on this floor. No tokens, no per-dram charges, no queue for a cashier.
Allocations & rare bottlings
VIP Lounge
Where the bottles that do not travel get opened. Cask-strength, single-cask and library releases poured in measured serves while stocks last, in a shaded room away from the main crush, with seating and its own bar staff.
Cuban & New World leaf
Cigar Lounge
Ash Hole Cigar Club and Le Cigar run the terrace: open humidors, cutters and a cutting board, and staff who will pair a leaf against whatever you are drinking. Deep sofas, and the one part of the event where nobody is in a hurry.
Home of the Bartender Challenge
Cocktail Lounge
Brass taps, a full back bar, and the stage where the Ultimate Bartender Challenge runs its heats through the afternoon into an evening final — judged in the open, in front of whoever wants to watch.
Masterclasses, panels, records
The Main Stage
Masterclasses, industry panels and, in 2025, a Guinness World Records official attempt for the most nationalities taking part in a whisky masterclass. The programme runs across both days and is published as sessions are confirmed.
From 18:00
After Dark
The lawn changes character once the sun drops behind the Marina. Fire performers, a live violinist, samba dancers and a DJ, with the pavilions lit and the pouring still going. The people who leave at six miss half the event.