A rum festival is coming to Portsmouth Cathedral – here’s how to get tickets

The historic church is teaming up with Portsmouth Distillery for an evening of food, live music and most importantly rum on Saturday, May 11.

Festival-goers can expect local, national and international rum at the event which is raising funds for the cathedral in Old Portsmouth.

Anthony Cane, the new Dean of Portsmouth, said: ‘I am delighted and looking forward to this great event in a great space.

‘Cathedrals are about celebration and hospitality, and I hope that this will be the first of many events which can open our doors wider to the people of this city and further afield.’

The festival will run from 6.30pm to 10.30pm and tickets cost £25, with attendees able to taste at least 10 different styles of rum – and to buy bottles of the ones that you like.

Explaining how they came to team up with the cathedral for the event, Vince Noyce of Portsmouth Distillery said: ‘Their chief fundraiser contacted us last year for some form of collaboration because they had heard about Portsmouth Distillery.

‘I said “I’m sorry…. we can have a rum festival in the cathedral?” and they said “yes”!

‘Quite to our amazement they were very open and they thought it would be a really great space for a rum festival.

'We have been to many rum festivals over the years and we know what makes a good one.’

He expects the rum festival, which will take place inside the cathedral itself, to be a ‘unique experience’.

As well as the drinks, there will be live music including steel band, fresh food and an appearance from Portsmouth’s legendary ‘Rum Shack’.

Mr Noyce added: ‘It is a unique experience, a sort of cheeky irreverence to have a rum festival in a cathedral but not mocking it.

‘They have been very support but that’s not a surprise as it was their idea after all.

‘The cathedral staff are all over the idea, they think its great.

‘The reason for it is to raise money for the cathedral.’

Portsmouth Distillery are the makers of the acclaimed Portsmouth Fort Gin and 1968 Rum and Coriander Spiced Rum.

Tickets are on sale now from here

For more details, please contact Portsmouth Cathedral on 023 9282 3300 and Vince Noyce, Portsmouth Distillery, on 07464609768