London Wine Fair (LWF) has reported its strongest post-pandemic performance to date, with exhibitor numbers, visitor attendance and floor space all up at the first show held under new owner Vindustrious.

After several years getting back on its feet post-Covid, the 2026 figures reflect what many witnessed on the ground: a buzzier atmosphere bolstered by returning favourites and new areas of interest such as the Host Nation initiative and the partnership with BREW//LDN.

The figures bear this out. As reported by Vindustrious, the 2026 edition of the show welcomed 10,539 visitors across the three days at Olympia – an 8.2% increase on last year and the first time attendance has topped 10,000 since before Covid. Exhibitor bookings rose 9% year-on-year from 445 to 475, while floor space expanded by 13%. On-trade buyers remained the single largest visitor group, accounting for 35% of attendees, while organisers said the visitor-to-exhibitor ratio held firm at 22:1.

Commenting on the first LWF since the Vindustrious management buyout, owner Hannah Tovey said: “This year was unlike no other. Whilst change was paramount with the buyout, so was consistency as the full London Wine Fair team was retained, ensuring the smoothest of transitions.

“We grew the show’s exhibitor and visitor numbers, whilst retaining our hard-won focus on quality across both audiences. Our Host Nation initiative was a phenomenal success, as reflected by the 500% growth in English wine producers at the show.”

In November last year, it was announced that LWF had been sold to Tovey, who was the fair’s event director at the time. The fair officially transferred ownership from Hemming Group to Vindustrious – a new company created by Tovey – on 31 October. 

Since then, the team has been focused on broadening its commercial remit to include wine, spirits, beer and low & no, increasingly positioning the fair as a destination event for the wider drinks category.

Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association, alluded to this, describing the event as having “more exhibitors, more visitors and more products”.

Rosie Davenport, founder of Impact Focus, added that sustainability discussions had become increasingly commercially focused.

“There is a real sense that the industry is stepping up its sustainability efforts with increasing engagement around strategy, B Corp and the importance of being able to confidently communicate these positive actions to drive sales,” she said.

London Wine Fair will return to Olympia for the 2027 edition from 17 to 19 May.