Cask Ale Week takes place from 17th – 27th September 2026, bringing together pubs, breweries and beer lovers for eleven days celebrating one of Britain’s great pub traditions. From brewery tours and taproom tastings to railway beer festivals and gatherings featuring hundreds of different beers, there’s plenty happening around the country.
Together with Cask Marque, the champions of quality cask ale, we’ve picked out some of the events worth putting in your diary – and, naturally, somewhere to stay nearby. After all, turning a beer festival or brewery tour into an overnight pub stay means nobody has to volunteer to drive home.
Here’s where to celebrate Cask Ale Week in 2026.
East of England
Discover the home of Adnams in Southwold, Suffolk
Adnams Brewery Tours, Sole Bay Brewery
17th – 27th September 2026
Southwold and Adnams have been intertwined for generations, making this Suffolk seaside town a particularly fitting place to begin a Cask Ale Week break.
Tours of the Sole Bay Brewery take you behind the scenes to follow the brewing process from grain to glass, while also delving into Southwold’s brewing history, which stretches back centuries. The approximately 90-minute experience finishes, as all good brewery tours should, with a tasting covering several different beer styles.
Stay nearby: The Crown, Southwold puts you right in the heart of town, making it easy to combine your brewery visit with time beside the Suffolk coast.
Beer & Banter in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
The Old Cannon Brewery
24th September 2026
Head to Bury St Edmunds for an evening devoted to good beer and the stories behind it. The Old Cannon Brewery’s Beer & Banter evening is hosted by brewer Katie, with four half-pints included in the £15 ticket.
You can make a little more of your visit by exploring the Bury St Edmunds Ale Trail, which runs throughout the year and offers another fine excuse to discover the town’s pubs.
Stay nearby: The Bushel, Bury St Edmunds is a handy base for exploring the town and its pub scene.
London
See beer being brewed in a North London brewpub
Brewhouse & Kitchen, Highbury & Islington
17th – 27th September 2026
Brewhouse & Kitchen is opening things up for Cask Ale Week, starting with an open brew day on 17th September where visitors can watch one of the brewpub’s core cask ales being made.
There are three cask ales brewed on site to discover, including a Session IPA, Best Bitter and Porter. Monday and Tuesday visitors can also make the most of the pub’s cask ale Happy Hour until 6pm.
Stay nearby: The Old Farmhouse, Kentish Town makes a characterful North London base.
Combine beer and live music in Balham
The Balham Beer & Music Festival at the Bedford
20th September 2026
Fancy 50 beers and ciders with seven live bands thrown in for good measure? The Balham Beer & Music Festival returns to the Bedford for a Sunday session featuring breweries including Brixton Brewery, Timothy Taylor’s and Wimbledon Brewery.
You’ll be able to meet representatives from the breweries, find a new favourite pint and enjoy live performances in the Bedford’s Club Room.
Stay nearby: Head across to The Windmill, Clapham and make a night of your South London beer adventure.
Explore seven gravity-poured cask lines in Petts Wood
Cask Ale Week at One Inn The Wood
17th – 27th September 2026
At award-winning CAMRA micropub One Inn The Wood, cask beer is very much the main event.
Its seven gravity-poured cask lines will be joined by one-off guest beers throughout Cask Ale Week, ranging from Best Bitters and English Pale Ales to Milds and more modern styles.
There’ll also be special prices, competitions, giveaways and informal tasting opportunities throughout the week – a particularly good option if you’d like to broaden your cask horizons.
Stay nearby: The Crown, Chislehurst offers somewhere welcoming to retreat to afterwards.
South East England
Go behind the scenes at Hogs Back Brewery, Surrey
Hogs Back Brewery Tour, Tongham
17th, 18th, 19th, 24th, 25th, 26th & 27th September 2026
This one is really two brewery tours in one.
Starting among Hogs Back Brewery’s atmospheric 18th-century farm buildings, you’ll learn about the ingredients and processes behind its beers before visiting One Planet Brewing Co, where brewing is powered entirely by solar energy.
There’s a generous beer tasting along the way, plus a glass to take home. You can round things off in the Hogs Back Tap Room with food and, naturally, another pint.
Stay nearby: Teller’s Arms, Farnham makes an excellent base for a Surrey beer break.
Sample up to 49 beers and ciders in Horsham, West Sussex
Horsham September Beer Festival
19th September 2026
The Horsham September Beer Festival returns in 2026 with up to 49 local and national cask ales and ciders from producers across Britain.
Whether you know your bitters from your milds or simply enjoy discovering something new, there should be plenty to work your way through.
Stay nearby: Escape into the West Sussex countryside at The Crown Inn, Dial Post.
Steam trains meet real ale in East Sussex
Bluebell Railway Beer Festival, Sheffield Park
18th–20th September 2026
Heritage steam trains and a good pint make rather natural companions.
The Bluebell Railway Beer Festival combines both, with real ales and ciders served across the historic railway and stations. Add live music, food and steam trains running throughout the weekend and you have the makings of a memorable Sussex break.
Stay nearby: The Chequers, near Uckfield is well placed for turning the festival into an overnight escape.
Celebrate a pub’s first beer festival near Wantage
The Black Horse, East Hanney
18th–20th September 2026
The Cask Marque-accredited Black Horse is holding its first ever beer festival for Cask Ale Week.
The weekend begins on Friday evening before live music and food take over on Saturday. Sunday brings live saxophone music and a proper pub lunch – a suitably relaxed finish to the weekend.
Stay nearby: The Greyhound Inn, Letcombe Regis offers a lovely Oxfordshire base close to the action.
South West England
Drink beer in Palmers’ historic brewery cellar, Dorset
Palmers Beer Festival, Bridport
19th September 2026
Palmers Brewery is opening its historic cellar for a one-day beer festival in Bridport. Entry costs £10 and includes a commemorative glass and tokens for your first pint.
A few days later, the nearby Pymore Inn gets into the spirit of things with a beer-themed Cask Ale Week pub quiz on 23rd September, complete with five rounds and Happy Hour beer prices.
Stay nearby: The Bull Hotel, Bridport puts you in an ideal spot for enjoying both events and exploring this handsome Dorset market town.
Spend a weekend at the Wedmore Real Ale Festival, Somerset
Glebe Field, Wedmore
18th – 20th September 2026
Beer, food and live music come together at this annual Somerset celebration.
The Wedmore Real Ale Festival features real ale and craft beer from breweries around the UK alongside plenty of entertainment, making it an easy choice for a sociable Cask Ale Week weekend.
Stay nearby: Dunstan House Inn, Burnham-on-Sea gives you a pub base near the Somerset coast.
Pull up a chair with the brewers in Gloucestershire
The Brewer’s Table, Uley Brewery
18th September 2026
Rather than a conventional brewery tour, The Brewer’s Table is designed to feel like you’ve been invited behind the scenes for an afternoon with the people making the beer.
You’ll sit down with the Uley Brewery team, taste all six core beers plus the current special and hear the stories behind the brewery and its methods. Afterwards, The Forge taproom opens from 4pm–8pm if you’re not quite ready to call it a day.
Stay nearby: Hunters Hall Inn, Tetbury offers a convenient Gloucestershire pub stay.
Make a weekend of Newquay Beer Festival, Cornwall
Hendra Holiday Park, Newquay
18th – 20th September 2026
Newquay’s Charity Beer Festival combines hand-picked beers and ciders with entertainment, food and a healthy dose of community spirit, while raising money for local causes.
Stay nearby: Great Western, Newquay means you can pair the festival with a proper Cornish seaside break.
Discover more than 100 beers and ciders in Falmouth
Falmouth Beer Festival
25th – 27th September 2026
Round off Cask Ale Week beside the Cornish coast at Fal Beer Fest 2026, held at Princess Pavilion and Gyllyngdune Gardens.
With more than 100 craft beers, real ales and ciders to explore, you’ll have plenty to choose from over the weekend.
Stay nearby: Chain Locker, Falmouth puts you right in the heart of this historic harbour town.
Midlands
Ride the rails at the Great Central Beer Festival, Leicestershire
Great Central Railway, Loughborough
17th – 20th September 2026
Why walk between festival bars when you can take a heritage train?
The Great Central Beer Festival spreads the celebrations along the railway, with more than 80 beers and 30 ciders available on Friday and Saturday, accompanied by live music and steam and diesel trains.
The festival itself is free to enter, although you’ll need a ticket if you’d like to travel by train.
Stay nearby: Rothley Court, near Leicester provides a comfortable base nearby.
Explore the brewing process in Nottinghamshire
Lincoln Green Brewery Tour, Hucknall
20th September 2026
Lincoln Green Brewery will be opening its doors on Sunday 20th September for a brewery tour followed by Sunday roast at its brewery tap, the Station Hotel.
It’s a chance to see how the brewery’s beers are made before sitting down for one of the great pub traditions: Sunday lunch.
West Midlands
Raise a glass inside a medieval Shrewsbury church
Shrewsbury CAMRA Beer Festival
23rd – 26th September 2026
The setting alone makes this festival worth noting.
The 34th Shrewsbury CAMRA Beer Festival takes place inside the medieval Church of St Mary the Virgin, with organisers aiming to offer around 100 real ales, many from Shropshire and its neighbouring counties, plus ciders and perries.
Stay nearby: The Mytton & Mermaid, near Shrewsbury makes a relaxing base just outside town.
North West England
Enjoy a village beer and cider festival in the Peak District
The Old Hall & The Paper Mill, Chinley
18th–20th September 2026
The Old Hall and neighbouring Paper Mill in Whitehough are joining forces for a three-day Beer & Cider Festival.
Details are still being announced, but with festivities running from Friday through Sunday, it’s a fine excuse for an early autumn weekend around the Peak District.
Stay nearby: The Swan Inn, Kettleshulme offers a nearby pub stay surrounded by countryside.
Pair Lancashire ale with railway heritage in Bury
East Lancashire Railway Beer Festival
18th – 20th September 2026
Another for railway enthusiasts, this first beer festival at Bury Transport Museum is being held alongside the Autumn Diesel Gala.
There’ll be 40 cask ales – split evenly between Lancashire and Yorkshire breweries – as well as cider and street food, all served among the museum’s collection of historic vehicles.
Stay nearby: The Red Lion, Hawkshaw gives you somewhere to put your feet up after the festival.
Go big in Liverpool
St George’s Hall Beer Festival
24th – 27th September 2026
The Ship & Mitre is bringing its beer festival to one of Liverpool’s most impressive landmarks.
More than 250 beers and ciders are expected at St George’s Hall, including real ales, craft beers and continental lagers, with food and entertainment throughout most sessions.
If you’d prefer to concentrate quietly on what’s in your glass, Friday afternoon is designated as the festival’s quieter session.
Stay nearby: All Bar One Liverpool provides a central base for the festival and the rest of the city.
Yorkshire
Head to Halifax for the Calderdale Beer Festival
Arden Road Social Club, Halifax
24th – 26th September 2026
With around 60 beers – including beer from the wood, hand-pulled ales and beer served straight from the barrel – plus 12 traditionally made real ciders, Calderdale Beer Festival is one for traditional beer fans.
Stay nearby: The Crossroads Inn, Wainstalls offers a countryside stay outside Halifax.
Spend a week celebrating cask in Horbury
Cherry Beer Festival, the Cherry Tree
21st – 27th September 2026
The Cherry Tree is dedicating the week to guest cask ales, beer tasting sessions and good old-fashioned pub atmosphere.
It’s a relaxed alternative to the larger festivals and a chance to return more than once if you’re staying locally.
Stay nearby: The Holmfield Arms, Wakefield makes a useful base for exploring the area.
Visit York Beer & Cider Festival
St Lawrence Church, York
18th – 19th September 2026
Historic York is already one of England’s great destinations for a pub break, and the York Beer & Cider Festival gives you another reason to visit during Cask Ale Week.
The festival takes place at St Lawrence Church over Friday and Saturday.
Stay nearby: Continue the historic theme with a stay at Guy Fawkes Inn, York.
Cumbria and the Lake District
Celebrate five years of AmbleFest
Ambleside Beer Festival
25th – 27th September 2026
Cask Ale Week is a rather good time for a Lake District break.
AmbleFest celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2026, bringing together craft beer, live music and street food across venues in Ambleside. The beer line-up will be announced closer to the event.
Stay nearby: The Ambleside Inn keeps you right at the centre of town and the festival atmosphere.
Tour Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth
Jennings Brewery Tours
18th – 26th September 2026
Discover the brewing heritage and stories behind Jennings on a guided tour of its Cockermouth brewery.
The experience finishes in the Taproom, where each guest receives four tokens that can be exchanged for a tasting flight, soft drinks or bottled Jennings ale to take home.
Stay nearby: The Pheasant Inn offers the chance to turn your brewery visit into a longer Lake District escape.
North East England
Discover foraged beers in Northumberland
The First & Last Brewery, Bellingham
26th September 2026
Head into Northumberland for something a little different.
The First & Last Brewery’s tour and tasting explores the science, art and history of brewing as well as the brewery’s own story. You’ll learn how beer is made and discover what gives its distinctive foraged beers their character, with plenty of opportunity to ask the brewers questions along the way.
Stay nearby: Holly Bush Inn, near Kielder makes this a tempting option for combining good beer with a Northumberland countryside break.
Make a stay of Cask Ale Week 2026
Cask ale is about more than what’s in the glass. It’s tied up with the breweries, landscapes, communities and, above all, pubs that have kept it thriving.
That’s why Cask Ale Week makes such a good excuse to explore somewhere new. Take a brewery tour in Suffolk, catch a steam train between festival bars in Leicestershire, spend a weekend sampling ales in Cornwall or settle into a Northumberland pub after meeting the people who brewed your pint.
And when you’ve finished exploring, there’s something particularly satisfying about knowing your room is waiting just upstairs – or at another welcoming pub nearby.
Cask Ale Week runs from 17th – 27th September 2026. For more information visit caskaleweek.co.uk
Explore Cask Marque-accredited pubs with rooms across the UK and start planning your Cask Ale Week getaway.
