Kentucky Bourbon Festival announced tickets for the 2025 festival will go on sale April 17 with early-access for “Bourbon Insiders” on April 16. 

The festival will offer multiple ticket tiers, from Bourbon Taster general admission weekend passes to premium VIP experiences. The 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Festival is Sept. 5-7 in Bardstown, Ky., the Bourbon Capital of the World. The festival brings bourbon enthusiasts from all over the globe to celebrate the spirited history and craft of bourbon during National Bourbon Heritage Month. 

“The 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Festival marks the fifth year since the complete revisioning of the event,” Randy Prasse, president and COO, said in a news release. “We are now considered a world-class sampling and buying experience with bourbon enthusiasts making an annual pilgrimage to the Bourbon Capital of the World. Today, 85% of ticketed guests visit from outside Kentucky and the event continues to serve as an important tourism and economic engine for the entire region.”

The KBF will offer a total of six ticket options this year. From the single-day Sunday Sampler and the Bourbon Taster general admission weekend passes to premium and extremely limited, exclusive VIP experiences including the new Oris President’s Club. All passes offer unlimited re-entry to the festival, sampling from more than 60 Kentucky distilleries, access to exclusive single-barrel selections, engaging programs with industry experts, and expanded dining options.

Bourbon enthusiasts attending have the opportunity to purchase special release bottles directly from distilleries, including exclusive “Distillers’ Row Series” single-barrel releases handpicked by the Kentucky Bourbon Festival team and available only at the festival. To make it easier to enjoy this experience, lockers are available to store your treasures until you are ready to leave.

In response to demand for the festival’s premium events, a revamped programming schedule will offer greatly expanded offerings in The Great Tent with more events and more capacity, while still providing high-quality, engaging experiences. Hear from master distillers as they talk about mashbills, secondary finishes and even how their distilleries came to be; or enjoy a variety of culinary and cocktail programming with chefs and mixologists.

Festival attendees can also immerse themselves in the “bourbon lifestyle” all weekend long, with special offerings from quality purveyors like Oris timepieces, Jacob Bromwell flasks, Clayton & Crume leather goods and Retro 51 writing instruments. Sip and shop at The Bourbon Marketplace, an always-popular feature that will bring more than a dozen bourbon-themed vendors into this year’s Bourbon Capital Bites area.

The festival’s VIP packages have proved very popular — selling out within 10 minutes in 2024. All VIP packages include daily early entry, crystal Glencairn glassware, one bourbon locker, bottle signings by master distillers, one ticket to Bourbon in the Air on Thursday, Sept. 4, and access to the VIP Lodge, with premium catering and exclusive neat pours and cocktails not available elsewhere.

The Oris President’s Club — the festival’s new exclusive year-round membership — also includes access to the Brindiamo Penthouse overlooking the festival grounds, a spring bourbon experience, fall/winter KBF reception, 3-night stay at The Trail Hotel in Bardstown, private shuttle service to the festival and a limited edition Oris watch. Oris President’s Club members also receive all other VIP experience amenities during the festival.

“From engaging directly with the distillers who make your favorite pour to discovering a new brand to add to your bar, there’s no place quite like KBF,” Cordell Lawrence, festival board chair and Eastern Light Distilling chief executive officer, said. “We are pleased with the anticipation for the 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Festival – by our distillery partners and bourbon enthusiasts from across the U.S. and around the world.”

This year’s featured distillery is Angel’s Envy and other major sponsors include The Koetter Group, Joseph & Joseph Architects, KPFF Engineers, Kentucky Tourism and Visit Bardstown.

Ticket prices range from $190 for three-day Bourbon Taster passes to $1,395 for the VIP Decanter Club and $6,995 for the new ultimate VIP experience, the Oris President’s Club—limited to just 24 guests. Premium events are priced individually and will go on sale with admission packages.

KBF Insiders — those who subscribe to the festival’s e-newsletter — will be able to purchase tickets on April 16, with sales open to the public on April 17. VIP packages are expected to sell out quickly.

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About the Kentucky Bourbon Festival 

The Kentucky Bourbon Festival (Sept. 5-7, 2025) is a celebration of Kentucky Bourbon and the Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown, Kentucky. What began as a Bourbon tasting dinner has grown into a truly authentic experience that brings together bourbon enthusiasts from all over the world. In its 34th year, the Kentucky Bourbon Festival is one of the Commonwealth’s leading cultural festivals. For more information, visit kybourbonfestival.com.