Free entry

The Woolpack Easter Beer Festival 2026

The Woolpack, Chelmsford

Thu 2 - Sat 4 April 2026

3 days · The Woolpack

Thu 2 - Sat 4 April 2026

3 days

19 breweries

About this festival

Join us this Easter for three days of great beer, great food and great atmosphere, just the way we always do it at The Woolpack.
🍺 30 Real Ales, Ciders & Perrys
Handpicked from breweries all over the country. New favourites, old classics, and something for every taste.
🎶 Live Music Each Day
Enjoy the usual festival vibes with bands and artists bringing the energy all weekend long.
🍔 Food Served All Festival
Proper pub grub, tasty snacks, and festival favourites to go perfectly with a pint.
🎉 Free Entry
No tickets needed — just turn up, grab a glass, and enjoy the festival!
It’s always one of our busiest weekends of the year, so get the dates in your diary and bring your mates.

Schedule

Schedule to be confirmed

The organiser hasn't published session times yet. We add them by hand as soon as they're announced. Until then, check the organiser's official channels for the latest.

Free entry

No booking needed

Just turn up. Entry is free.

Free to attend. Save it so the organiser can keep you posted.

Breweries (19)

Batemans Brewery Skegness

Big Smoke Brew Co Surbiton

Castle Rock Brewery Nottingham

Dorking Brewery Dorking

Elusive Brewing Wokingham

Indie Rabble Brew Co Windsor

Kent Brewery West Malling

Kissingate Brewery Horsham

Mad Squirrel Brewery Hemel Hempstead

Batemans Brewery Skegness

Big Smoke Brew Co Surbiton

Castle Rock Brewery Nottingham

Dorking Brewery Dorking

Location Where it's happening

The Woolpack

23 Mildmay Rd, Chelmsford, CM2 0DN, United Kingdom

Beer52: a case of 10 craft beers with snacks and Ferment magazine, gift-wrapped

Partner offer in partnership with Beer52

Free case of 10 exclusive beers

You've earned it. Get a free case of 10 unique craft beers from our friends at Beer52. Just cover the postage.

Claim my free case

Offer for new UK customers only. One per household. After your free case you'll be subscribed as a Beer52 member (£33/m for 10 beers, a magazine and two snacks; all items sold separately; contact Beer52 to configure your plan), pause or cancel anytime. 18+ only. Beer selection may vary. Promotion runs for 30 days. Please drink responsibly.

Free entry

No booking needed

Just turn up. Entry is free.

Free to attend. Save it so the organiser can keep you posted.

Find this festival online

Official links shared by the festival

This festival has finished.

On soon nearby

Promoted 16th SPA Valley Railway Beer Festival Thu 15 - Sun 18 October 2026 Spa Valley Railway, Royal Tunbridge Wells All Aboard for one of the largest and most unique Beer Festivals in the Country This autumn, travellers can swap the conventional festival field for a five-mile heritage railway as the Spa Valley Railway’s award-winning Real Ale & Cider Festival returns to Tunbridge Wells. The festival opens at Tunbridge Wells West on Thursday evening; vintage trains then carry visitors between three characterful station venues from Friday to Sunday, combining a major drinks festival with live music, local food and a journey through the scenic High Weald on a Steam Train. The 16th festival will bring together around 200 real ales, 40 Kent Green Hop beers, 14 keg beers and 70 ciders at Tunbridge Wells West, Groombridge and Eridge. The railway journey is not simply transport between bars: it is the thread that joins the experience, with heritage trains, countryside views and drinks available on selected services. At Tunbridge Wells West, full bands will perform on the main stage inside the atmospheric engine shed; Groombridge will offer a more intimate acoustic soundtrack; and Eridge will add its own lively mix of smaller bands. Freshly prepared food will be served across the line, creating an easy, unhurried day out in which visitors can taste, travel and explore at their own pace. Entry to every festival site is free. The festival opens at Tunbridge Wells West at 6pm on Thursday 15 October, with no train services operating that day. Heritage trains and the full three-station festival programme run from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October only. Rover tickets provide unlimited train travel between the venues on those three days, making it possible to experience the entire line in one memorable day. Why It Belongs on the Autumn Travel Calendar -------------------------------------------- - Around 200 real ales from breweries across the UK - 40 Kent Green Hop beers, showcasing the fresh flavours of the county’s hop harvest - 70 ciders and 14 keg beers, offering something for every taste - Live music and food across three characterful stations - Steam and heritage diesel trains through the beautiful High Weald Jonnie Pay, General Manager of the Spa Valley Railway, said: “Few festivals let you arrive by heritage train, step into three very different venues and enjoy the landscape as part of the day. This is a celebration of flavour, music and railway travel rolled into one - equally rewarding for serious beer enthusiasts, cider lovers and visitors looking for an original autumn escape with friends or family.” We would also like to thank Royal Tunbridge Wells Together for its continued support and generous contribution towards marketing this annual event.” The combination of vintage rail travel, three contrasting station settings and one of the country’s largest gatherings of Kent Green Hop beers gives the festival a strong sense of place. Visitors can compare classic bitters, bold stouts, refreshing pales, modern craft pours and an exceptional range of ciders while crossing the Kent and Sussex countryside. The Home of Kent Green Hop Beer ------------------------------- A major highlight will be one of the country’s largest gatherings of Kent Green Hop beers. Brewed with freshly harvested hops from Kent’s hop gardens, these seasonal beers deliver exceptionally fresh aromas and flavours that can only be enjoyed for a limited period around harvest time. For seasoned beer explorers and curious newcomers alike, the festival is a rare chance to taste the hop harvest at its freshest, meet friends, enjoy the music and experience a heritage railway in full festival spirit. Three Stations, One Unforgettable Journey ----------------------------------------- From Friday to Sunday, visitors can arrive at any festival site, purchase a festival glass and begin exploring. Rover tickets for unlimited heritage train travel are available in advance or at the stations, and the railway has published the 2026 train timetable online.

Festivals marked Promoted are shown here by arrangement with the organiser.

Explore nearby Explore nearby festivals

All See all in South East England

The Woolpack Easter Beer Festival 2026This festival has ended – view upcoming festivals