CAMRA’s flagship event, the Great British Beer Festival, will return to Olympia in London from 2 to 6 August. This will be the 45th GBBF and, as ever, it will feature a range of live beers from across the British Isles plus a range of traditional ciders and perries. Also, once again, there will be a range of cask ales from the USA and a gin bar, along with the usual wide range of food stalls.
Organiser Catherine Tonry said, “Circumstances outside our control have seen hundreds of beer festivals cancelled across the country over the last two years, so the return of the Great British Beer Festival marks an incredibly positive turn for the beer industry and beer drinkers alike. I think we can all raise a glass to a new chapter of great beer and comradery in a post-pandemic world. Regular visitors to the festival may notice some small changes to the layout this year due to ongoing improvement works at Olympia. Our organising group has worked incredibly hard to put on a good show this year, and we are confident we won’t disappoint!” As ever, there will be a number of brewery bars, including old favourites such as Harvey’s, Titanic, Five Points and Adnams, and newcomers including Black Storm, Iron Pier, Ossett, Saltaire and Three Tuns. There will be more.
Opening times will be as follows:
- Tuesday: midday to 5pm (trade session) and 5pm to 30 (open to the public)
- Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: midday to 30
- Saturday: midday to 9pm
Last admission is 30 minutes before close.
Tickets are already on sale at https://gbbf.org.uk/. An entry package costs £20. This may sound a lot to pay before you even get your first beer but it includes a souvenir glass, a programme and vouchers for your first two half-pints. Check the website for the availability of other packages.
This year there will be no cash taken on the bars. We are presuming that customers will prefer to use bank cards. There will be an alternative available in the form of token cards. Sadly, we are not able to provide a Family Room this year.
CAMRA’s podcast Pubs. Pints. People. will be recording live from the festival on the Wednesday.