Manchester Beer Festivals 2026

Experience Manchester's exceptional beer festival scene from the independent breweries of the Northern Quarter to city centre celebrations. This cultural powerhouse combines industrial brewing heritage with cutting-edge craft innovation and an unrivalled festival atmosphere.

Festivals
5
Breweries
63

Manchester's beer festival calendar

Manchester runs one of the North's most exciting festival calendars, and it leans hard into modern craft. Expect hazy keg, barrel-aged beer, and a city that treats a festival weekend as a proper occasion.

Much of the action centres on the taprooms and event spaces of Ancoats, the Northern Quarter and Salford, with the bigger ticketed festivals taking over city-centre venues through the year. Summer and autumn are the busiest stretches, while tap takeovers keep things ticking over all winter.

It slots neatly into a wider trip. Pair a session with the city's brewery trail on our Manchester breweries guide, or see what else is on across the North.

Manchester Castlefield canal basin with modern Deansgate skyscrapers and narrowboats
Merchant's Bridge modern footbridge crossing the canal in Manchester
Manchester city centre street with Beetham Tower rising above Victorian buildings
Manchester Town Hall Victorian Gothic tower with terracotta roof in sunlight

Upcoming Beer Festivals in Manchester

Boundary Fest 2026 festival details

This weekend

Boundary Fest 2026

Fri 28 - Mon 31 August 2026

Green Lane, Heaton Norris, Stockport

🍻 Boundary Fest is back for 2026! Join us over the Bank Holiday Weekend from 28th–31st August for four days packed with great drinks, delicious food, live music and family fun as we also celebrate 20 years of Heatons Sports Club! 🥳 🍺 Local & craft beers 🍻 Real ales 🍎 Cider 🎶 Live music 🍕 Pizza & BBQ + treats galore! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family-friendly activities Whether you're a beer enthusiast, looking for a great day out with the family or just fancy soaking up the Bank Holiday atmosphere, there's something for everyone.

Wolfgang Beer Fest 3 festival details

Free entry

Wolfgang Beer Fest 3

Sat 26 September 2026

Boarshurst Band Club, Oldham

BACK FOR A THIRD GO!!! BEERS FROM NORTHWEST BREWERIES, FOOD TRUCKS, BOTTLE SHOP AND MUSIC! FREE ENTRY BECAUSE THE WOLF GANG ISN’T GREEDY!!!

STOCKTOBERFEST festival details

Free entry

STOCKTOBERFEST

Thu 1 - Sun 4 October 2026

The Runaway Brewery & Taproom, Stockport

STOCKTOBERFEST - our annual celebration of European inspired beer AND Stockport Indie Beer Culture is back for 2026 & promises to be as Wunderbar as ever! A little later than normal so pop the new dates in your calendar... Thursday 1st - Sunday 4th October More details to follow towards the end of the month - but suffice to say it'll involve freshly baked pretzels - colourful syrups - party keg specials AND loads of lagery goodness! As ever we'll be ably supported by the wunderkinder of Honest Crust at The Runaway Brewery AND also be collaborating with some of Stockport's finest to bring you an amazing beer list, fabulous food, all the schlager hits AND MORE! As ever the event is free entry with no tickets required & no reservations - so space & tables available on a first come, first served basis.

FOAM Beer Festival festival details

Fresh lineup

FOAM Beer Festival

Fri 13 - Sat 14 November 2026

Western Union - Stalybridge Post Office, Stalybridge

FOAM brings together some of the UK's most exciting independent breweries for a weekend of great beer, good food and good company in the heart of Stalybridge. ​We've invited some of the UK's best breweries to Stalybridge, bringing together over 100 different beers to try across the weekend. There'll be juicy IPAs, crazy sours, crisp lagers, BIG stouts and everything in between. Your ticket includes:​ - All your beer (Including some special bottle pours) - Festival exclusive glass We've invited some of the UK's best breweries to Stalybridge, bringing together over 100 different beers to try across the weekend. Whether you're chasing the latest hype release or just fancy finding a new favourite, there's plenty to get stuck into. Your ticket includes: Entrance to the festival All your beer (Including some special bottle pours) Festival exclusive glass We'll have over 1,000 people joining us across the weekend, but it's still all about keeping things relaxed. No beer tokens, no queues at the bar every five minutes. Just great beer, good people, and a chance to spend a few hours enjoying both.