Edinburgh Cocktail Week 2019: dates, tickets, what’s on and how to get there

Edinburgh is a city of cocktail lovers - with cocktail bars, secret speakeasies, pop up bars and more, it’s no wonder that we have our own special week dedicated to cocktails.
Are you heading out for Edinburgh Cocktail Week when it comes around?Are you heading out for Edinburgh Cocktail Week when it comes around?
Are you heading out for Edinburgh Cocktail Week when it comes around?

With Edinburgh Cocktail Week gearing up to start in the next couple of months, this is everything you need to know before it begins.

When is it on?

Edinburgh Cocktail Week 2019 begins on Monday 14 October and finishes at the end of the week, on Sunday 20.

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According to the website, 2019 will boast Edinburgh Cocktail Week’s “biggest and most exciting festival line-up yet”.

Tickets

Available to pre-order are the Edinburgh Cocktail Week wristbands. There are different tiers of wristbands available:

- Weekday Wristband: Valid for five days between Monday 14 and Friday 18 and costs £6

- Weekend Wristband: Valid for the two weekend days on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 and will cost you £8

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- Week-long Wristband: This wristband lasts throughout the whole seven days that Cocktail Week is running and will cost £13.50

This is what the wristbands offer for wristband holders:

- Free entry to the Cocktail Village and Forest

- Exclusive access to the Cocktail Domes on the rooftop garden of The Glasshouse Hotel

- £4 signature cocktails from 70 of Edinburgh’s finest cocktail bars

- A printed map to help navigate the festival

- Priority access to tickets when the full programme of events and experiences is published in September

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Wristbands are only valid when secured to your wrist, so broken and unsecured wristbands will be considered void.

Pre-order your wristband online at the eventbrite for Edinburgh Cocktail Week here.

What’s on?

Edinburgh Cocktail Week offers a plethora of events for cocktail lovers to experience the best of the best in cocktails.

This is the full list of events:

The Cocktail Village

Situated in Festival Square, it’s packed with 19 pop up bars, £4 cocktails, masterclasses, live music and a street food area.

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Branded as the “social hub of the festival”, the Cocktail Village is beautifully decorated in the style of an autumn garden - grass flooring, swings, picnic tables and floral installations thanks for Dobbies Garden Centres.

The Cocktail Forest

Also found at Festival Square, this extensive of the Cocktail Village is filled with wigwams, fire pits, pop-up bars and even mythical creatures.

This enchanted space invites you to escape the city and “go camping with cocktails” - you’ll even find giant toadstools, the twinkling star sky and a forest floor and canopy.

Cocktail Domes

Found on the rooftop garden of The Glasshouse Hotel, next to the Omni Centre, this new pop up site brings these beautiful transparent domes to Edinburgh for the first time, with a menu of £4 cocktails and the best views Edinburgh has to offer.

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The domes will comfortably seat between eight and 10 people, with sofas, cushions, blankets, rugs and fairy lights to create the ultimate space to relax with friends and cocktails.

It’s expected that the Cocktail Domes will be in high demand, so you’ll need to reserve one once the reservation system has opened. There will also be a number of domes which will be kept available for walk ins, offered on a first come first served basis.

70 Bars

70 cocktail bars across Edinburgh have created a unique signature cocktail in collaboration with a premium spirit brand. Wristband holders can enjoy these for just £4 each.

Included in these bars are:

- Brewhemia

- Cold Town House

- The Voodoo Rooms

- Tigerlily

- 99 Hanover Street

- The Barologist

- Indigo Yard

- The Boozy Cow

Cocktail Afternoon Tea

Wristband holders can enjoy a Cocktail Afternoon Tea for £29.50 per person at the incredible five star Waldorf Astonia Edinburgh.

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In the hotel’s Peacock Alley, the afternoon tea will include two cocktails, a selection of finger sandwiches, homemade scones, sweet treats and over thirty loose leaf teas and herbal infusions to choose from. Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan menus are available upon request.

Reservations are required, which you can do online here, or by phoning 0131 222 8832 and quoting “Edinburgh Cocktail Week”.

Events and parties

Included in the Edinburgh Cocktail Week are a variety of events and celebrations, brought to you by different brands and bars throughout the week.

The full programme of events will be announced in early September, with priority access to tickets being given to those who have already ordered their wristband online.

How to get to Festival Square

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Getting to Festival Square in Edinburgh is easy, no matter how you choose to travel.

The address is Festival Square, Edinburgh, EH3 9SU.

Walking

The Festival Square will be found opposite the Usher Hall on Lothian Road.

You can easily walk to the site from Edinburgh Waverley station in roughly 20 minutes.

Simply walk along Princes Street and turn left onto Lothian Road.

Bus

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There are loads of buses that will get you straight to the venue. Stop XF, listed as the Usher Hall on the Lothian Bus Tracker app, is directly opposite from the Festival Square.

The buses that stop at this stop are: 1, 10, 11, 16, 24, 34, 36, 47, 124, X15, X5

Trams

The closest tram stop to the venue is the West End of Princes Street. From there, it’s about a five minute walk to the Festival Square.

Driving

The Festival Square is easily accessible through a variety of public transport, but if you cannot leave the car at home and don’t plan on partaking in cocktails, there are some options for you.

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The closest car parking to the venue is Edinburgh Castle Terrace and is provided by NCP.

To park for between four and five hours will cost £27.50. Alternatively, if you pre-book online, you can park for up to six hours in the evening from 6pm onwards for only £8.50.