The festival has previously taken place annually in October, which is now cited as the second-busiest month for bars (after December) according to LCW, with the move seeing the festival take place in March.

“When London Cocktail Week launched in 2010, October was the ideal fit - a quieter time for London bars and well aligned with the UK events calendar. Sixteen years on, the global events landscape is far more crowded. Talking to our peers, we believe switching up the dates is necessary, returning the week to a time when trade is quieter and it’s beneficial to bars to drive consumer audiences into venues,” said Sharman-Cox. 

The news follows the acquisition of LCW by Sharman-Cox and Payne, which was agreed in November 2025 and finalised today.

Payne added: “Having full ownership puts us in a position to make decisions that will benefit the festival and the wider industry alike. Changing the dates feels like the right move in every respect, and we’re excited to turn our focus to London Cocktail Week, spring 2027”.

The next festival will take place w/c 15 March 2027.