London Wine Fair 2020 cancelled

It’s official: The London Wine Fair 2020 has been cancelled in its 40th anniversary year, with the UK’s next national wine show scheduled for 17-19 May 2021.

In a brief missive sent to all exhibitors this afternoon, the organisers of the event, Brintex, said that it was to “resume” the London Wine Fair in May next year, commenting that it would make the 2021 event “the best wine fair ever”.

It also said that it “had great things in store for the 40th edition”, noting that the show’s “small, hardworking and passionate team are devastated that it can’t go ahead this May.” 

The organisers behind the Maytime exhibition are also inviting confirmed exhibitors for 2020 to use payments so far as a credit against a stand at next year’s event.

On 20 March, head of the London Wine Fair (LWF) Hannah Tovey had said that it was “with a heavy heart” that the show was being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, although no alternative date had been set.

She also wrote that “It remains inconclusive as to when, or for how long the Government might place restrictions on mass gatherings in the UK,” before commenting, “Nonetheless the London Wine Fair team has taken the difficult decision to postpone this much-loved event. “

In an exclusive interview with db on 6 March, Tovey had explained why she believed the show must go on, but that was before the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe had been fully realised.

During that discussion, she said that the London Wine Fair would be going ahead as planned from 18-20 May at its usual location of Kensington Olympia, because “we want to provide a place for the wine trade to continue to trade.”