Something for everyone as popular beer festival ready to go

The 2024 Wolverhampton CAMRA Summer Festival of Beer & Cider will bring lovers of beer, cider and ales alike to the Newhampton Arts Centre to more than 50 different drinks over the weekend.

Running from midday on Thursday to late on Saturday, the 47th edition of the festival features dark porters, oak-coloured ales, cloudy and flavourful IPAs and fruity, strong ciders, all served direct from the keg and case by volunteers.

The festival has been running at the Newhampton Arts Centre since 2016 and organiser Charlotte Coxon said it was an exciting time to be able to put on one of the longest running festivals in a great venue.

She said: "I think it's exciting to be able to put on this event as it's one of the longest running in the country and it's a great tradition, plus the venue is really great and has been very supportive, so it's all come together this year.

"We moved here in 2016 due to the Wulfrun Hall closing to be refurbished and had to find a new venue and we found a lovely one here as we have a beer hall and a separate seating area where the bands can play.

"At the Wulfrun Hall, we could only have one area where people could sit separately, whereas we have this lovely beer hall and a big hall for people to sit in, plus there's the marquee outside which, on a hot day, is great to sit out in."

The theatre at the Newhampton Centre will be the setting for the bar, with 43 beers, ales and stouts and 13 ciders and perrys on tap for people to try in glasses supplied by CAMRA and supplied by breweries from across the West Midlands.

These include AJ's from Walsall; All Nations from Madeley; Banks's from Wolverhampton; Beowulf from Brownhills; Enville, Firs from Codsall; Fixed Wheel from Blackheath; Fownd from Kidderminster; Green Duck from Stourbridge; Holden's from Woodsetton; Kinver and Newbridge from Wolverhampton.

The three-day festival will also be raising money for Wings and Paws Animal Rescue in Wolverhampton and there will be live entertainment in the marquee at the arts centre in Dunkley Street on the Friday night including The Barley Beats and Saturday afternoon including Ukeing Wolves.

Ms Coxon said the festival had taken a couple of years to recover fully from the Covid-19 pandemic, but had become a vibrant and popular festival which offered more support for smaller breweries and also support breweries from further away.

She said: "There are a lot of smaller breweries around now and we like to support our local breweries, but we've also got a good selection from elsewhere as well.

"Also, although we are a summer festival, we still like to get some dark beers in because there are people who love the dark beers, so we try and meet the demand from people.

"If people haven't been before, I would say they can expect a lovely atmosphere and some great beers, plus we also have a gin bar, and in the marquee on Friday night and Saturday, we'll have music and bands on, so there's something for everyone."

Advance tickets can be booked online at wolverhampton.camra.org.uk, while general admission is £5 which includes a glass. There will be card payments or tokens can be purchased.