The Great British Beer Festival has announced it will return to the West Midlands for the first time since 1983 next summer.

The Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) flagship event, which took a hiatus last year, will take over the NEC Birmingham from Tue 5 Aug – Sat 9 Aug.

Now in its 47th year, the popular festival is dedicated to celebrating the best of UK brewing and beyond. Visitors will be able to pick from hundreds of beers from an array of different breweries. There will also be several bars dedicated to real cider and perry, as well as cocktails.

Festivalgoers will also be treated to a plethora of entertainment, a range of quality food and pub-style games. For those who want to learn more about their favourite drinks, there will be opportunities to connect with brewers like Thornbridge and Elusive Brewing and get up close and personal with ingredients at the Discovery Bar, which will have new guided tastings each day.

Coinciding with the announcement, CAMRA has unveiled 15 launch partners. The breweries on board are Thornbridge, Greene King, Harvey’s, Siren Craft Brew, Oakham, Woodforde’s, Batemans, Ossett Brewery, Brains and Theakston.

Alongside these breweries, the British Institute of Innkeepers (BII), the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), Cask Marque, J D Wetherspoon, Visit Birmingham (West Midlands Growth Corporation), Brewser, and Beer 52 are all partnering with the festival.

CAMRA’s prestigious Champion Beer of Britain 2025 competition will also return to the festival next year. The overall winners will be announced on the first day of the festival, and the beers in each winning category will be available to try.

Festival Organiser Adam Gent said: “The return of the Great British Beer Festival is a cause for great celebration. I cannot wait to welcome beer and cider lovers from across the UK, and indeed the world, to the NEC Birmingham, where the festival promises to be better than ever before. Come and experience our incredible selection of the finest beers, ciders and perries, along with delicious food.”

Tickets and further information can be found using the link below.