Midlands Beer Festivals 2026

Experience the heart of British brewing across Birmingham, Nottingham, Derby and Burton upon Trent. From industrial heritage celebrations to contemporary craft festivals, the Midlands showcases England's authentic ale tradition and innovative spirit.

Festivals
23
Breweries
216
Cities
3

The Midlands' central beer festival heritage

The Midlands sits at the centre of the country, and that central position has long made it a natural home for beer festivals large and small. From Birmingham's thriving craft scene to Nottingham's well-established circuit, the region pours a bit of everything and is easy to reach from almost anywhere.

Birmingham, as the second city, regularly hosts events on a national scale, helped by its place at the centre of the rail network. Nottingham has one of the country's most established festival circuits, and Leicester and the surrounding counties run plenty of welcoming community events through the year.

This is real ale country at its core, so expect serious cask selections, but the modern festivals lean just as happily into hazy pale, lager and barrel-aged beer. The mood is accessible and unpretentious, the sort of festivals built to bring people together rather than to show off.

With its easy transport links, the Midlands makes a fine base for a beer weekend from any direction. See the brewers you will meet in our Midlands breweries guide, then find dates in the festivals listed below.

Traditional narrowboat on Midlands canal network, region rich in brewing heritage
Nottingham city centre street near venues hosting Robin Hood Beer Festival
Leicester's Victorian clock tower in city centre hosting diverse beer festivals
Historic Derby architecture near venues hosting Midlands beer festivals

Upcoming Beer Festivals in Midlands

Oktoberfest Birmingham festival details

Happening now

Oktoberfest Birmingham

Sat 19 September - Sun 25 October 2026

Albert's Schloss, Birmingham

Munich Big Six: One of the only places outside Munich where you can try all six Oktoberfest beers. Traditional Keg Tapping: Witness the first barrel being cracked open. Live Oompah Bands + Brass Bands: Authentic Bavarian entertainment throughout to get you up on das benches. Seven Days of Showtime: Expect DJs, live entertainment, and high-energy performances every day of the week. Wiener Eating Competitions: How many bratwursts can you handle? Bier tasting masterclasses: sample das Big Six and learn the history behind Oktoberfest with our in-haus tapsters. World-class bier guzzling: Enjoy the best German beers on tap. Best Lederhosen Competitions: Dress to impress for your chance to win.

The Amber Rooms Beer Festival festival details

Happening now

The Amber Rooms Beer Festival

Wed 30 September - Mon 12 October 2026

15 The Rushes, Loughborough

Featuring a large selection of real ales, ciders, and international guest beers alongside their everyday Three Guest Ales & Meals menu.

The Quorn Beer Festival festival details

Happening now

The Quorn Beer Festival

Fri 2 - Sun 4 October 2026

Quorn Village Hall, Loughborough

🍺 Real ale 🍏 Still ciders 👀 And who knows what else… Save the weekend, tell your mates and get ready for another brilliant Quorn Beer Festival! 🎉

Nottingham Beer & Cider Festival festival details

Nottingham Beer & Cider Festival

Wed 7 - Sat 10 October 2026

Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Bridgford Road., West Bridgford

Join us for four days of unforgettable brews, live music, and good cheer in the heart of Robin Hood’s legendary city. The newly renamed Nottingham Beer and Cider Festival will return to its now traditional Nottingham home for the 2026 - and sixth - instalment at Trent Bridge. Brewery bars representing Nottingham's finest brewers will stand alongside stillages of quality real ales from many other esteemed brewers across the country, as the festival returns with access to new areas and a jam-packed live music programme.

Nuneaton Round Table Charity Beer & Gin Festival festival details

Nuneaton Round Table Charity Beer & Gin Festival

Thu 8 - Sat 10 October 2026

Nuneaton Heritage Centre, Nuneaton

🍻📜📣Nuneaton RT Charity Beer & Gin Festival is Back 📣📜🍻 We return to the Nuneaton Heritage Centre, on Thursday 8th - Saturday 10th October 🗓️ Tickets are always cheeper online than on the door! You can expect; 🍺 Over 50 cask and craft beers, plus ciders 🥂Fizz Bar 🧊Fridge full of unique craft beers 🍷Expertly selected wines and spirits 🥤Soft drinks and non-alcoholic beers / ciders 🥪Hot and cold food 🎤 Live Music on Friday and Saturday 🏅Competitions and prizes before and during the festival 🍻Takeaway beer and cider options 👕 Bespoke Festival t-shirts for sale 🤝 New sponsorship packages available And we’re only; 🚂 15/20 minutes walk from Nuneaton Train/Bus stations And we have; 🚘 Plenty of parking options Most importantly it’s all for charity; all proceeds of the event will go towards local charities and communities 🙌 Last year was record breaking in terms of attendees and money raised - and we want to better it this year 🙌 We will have an incredible range of beers to please everyone, including a few weird and wonderful options 👌 Last year hundreds of you supported our cause and we can’t wait to do it again with all of you ❤️ Let’s give our Town an event to be proud of 💛

Oktoberfest at The Malthouse festival details

Oktoberfest at The Malthouse

Sat 10 October 2026

The Malthouse, Telford

OKTOBERFEST IS COMING TO THE MALTHOUSE! One beer garden. Hundreds of steins. Questionable dancing. Dubious German accents. And hopefully no one falling off a bench. Get your Lederhosen & Dirndls ready because The Malthouse is hosting its first ever Oktoberfest. Expect beer, bratwurst, Bavarian vibes and a day packed with entertainment. The full details are still brewing, but trust us... You'll want to be there.

Oktoberfest at The Bierkeller festival details

Recently added

Oktoberfest at The Bierkeller

Sat 10 October 2026

The Bierkeller, Birmingham

🌭 🍺 🎺 BRATWURST | STEINS | LIVE BANDS | PRIVATE HIRE | BAVARIAN VIBES Looking for the ultimate Oktoberfest party in Birmingham? From stein-clashing madness to bratwurst-powered dance-offs, our bierhall is serving up full Bavarian chaos all season long. Expect authentic German street food, giant steins flowing all night, and our live haus band turning the place into a full-on Oktoberfest blowout. Get your crew together, lock in your bench, and get ready for a proper Brum knees-up. 👉 Book your tickets now

Derby Heritage Beer Festival festival details

Derby Heritage Beer Festival

Wed 14 - Sat 17 October 2026

Olivia’s at Derby Market hall, Derby

We are very excited to be joining the Derby Market Hall community this October. We will be bringing you over one hundred cask ales, keg beers, ciders and perries, celebrating not only local breweries and producers, but from all over the UK and beyond as well. Sat right in the heart of Derby, our new home at the Market Hall promises to deliver a brilliant atmosphere and be one of the unmissable events in our city this Autumn.

Leam Beer Fest festival details

Recently added

Leam Beer Fest

Thu 15 - Sun 18 October 2026

Windmill Hill Brewery And Taproom, Royal Leamington Spa

We celebrate Warwickshire brewing with craft beer from around the county in support of Myton Hospice. Meet the brewer, drain the brewery! Our revival of LeamBeerFest in April was a huge success. Now it returns after the continued popularity of Off The Rails, to bring the train arches of South Leam alive once more. Bringing cask and kegs from independent breweries across Coventry and Warwickshire, we will celebrate drinking local. Kicking off the festival on Thursday with 'tapping of the casks'; 'meet the brewer'; and a screening of 'Mother's Pride' (2026) a heartfel English comedy about brewing and pubs. There will be live acts and street food on friday and saturday. Sunday is reserved for the praise of beer. Our beer is compost for your soul. Any remaining cask beer will be sold at £4/pint, as we attempt to drink the brewery dry!

Oktoberfest Birmingham festival details

Recently added

Oktoberfest Birmingham

Sat 17 October 2026

Gaswrx , Birmingham

Germany's biggest beer festival is coming to Birmingham! 🎉 Get ready as Oktoberfest takes over Gaswrx for one unforgettable night of steins, singing, dancing and authentic Bavarian entertainment! With giant steins, authentic Oktoberfest décor, traditional German food, a LIVE 5-piece Oompah band, and a funky Bavarian DJ, this is the ultimate Oktoberfest experience you won't want to miss! 🎺🥨🍻

Pharmacie Arms Cask, Craft & Lager Festival festival details

Free entry

Pharmacie Arms Cask, Craft & Lager Festival

Wed 21 - Sun 25 October 2026

3 High Street, Market Harborough

Join us for the biggest ''OctoberFest'' we have held at The Pharmacie Arms, we will have German Beer & Lagers pouring along side a Fantastic Craft Beer Selection from WarPigs in Copenhagen plus an amazing selection of Cask Ales, along side out Ciders, Wines, Spirits and over 40 Gins something for everyone...Including Vegan & Gluten Free and Alcohol Free Beers! Wednesday is CAMRA VIP Night-Everyone welcome and invited Thursday TBC Friday we will have a WarPigs Brewpub Food offering... Watch this space for the menu...From Gamble & Hollis Butchers Saturday its OctoberFest Party Day with the famous 'Malcom on the Piano' playing all those songs you love to sing along too with his banter...''Don't mention the War'' plus Free Hot Dogs with John's famous German Sausage from Gamble & Hollis Butchers, donations appreciated to out Charity... Sunday afternoon we have the amazing Danny Willson doing his Acoustic set like no one else does...If you haven't seen Danny before don't miss him.! A week of great beers whatever your tipple is and a good time... During the week we will be collecting any kind donations for Leicester Women's Aid