Our Beer Festival
Swindon CAMRA Beer Festival 2024
The dates for 2024 are Thursday 24th - Saturday 26th October, once again at STEAM Museum SN2 2EY
Sessions
| Day | Date | Time | Admission Price | e-Tickets? | Pay on the Door? |
| Thursday | 24 Oct | 18:00 to 23:00 | £10 | Yes | Yes |
| Friday | 25 Oct | 11:00 to 16:00 | £10 | Yes | Yes |
| Friday | 25 Oct | 18:00 to 23:00 | £10 | Yes | Yes |
| Saturday | 26 Oct | 11:00 to 19:00 | £5* | Yes | Yes |
The admission fee includes a souvenir glass and programme. There will be £3 of free beer tokens for CAMRA members.
*Free entry on Saturday if you bring this year's festival glass from a previous session.
Electronic Tickets
Electronic tickets are available in advance for all sessions from https://tckty.camra.org.uk/e/272/36th-swindon-beer-festival?ref=Website.
For each session you can also pay at the door. For the first time this includes Friday evening. There are no paper tickets this year.
Beer & Cider Lists
This is the Beer List and this is the Cider List.
Why not use the Swindon Beer Festival Facebook page to see festival news and pictures?
Programme
Download the complete Beer Festival Programme 2024.
Food
There will be food during all sessions provided by Bear's Street Food.
Family Friendly afternoon sessions
On Friday lunchtime and Saturday afternoon families are welcome. Children with a parent or responsible adult can come into the festival and soft drinks will be available from the caterers.
We are sorry but no one under 18 can attend the festival on the Thursday or Friday evening sessions.
Special Tunnel Opening Times
On Thursday and Friday nights the tunnel into town will stay open until Midnight.
Entertainment
There will be music on Friday evening from 8pm provided by The Sultans of Swingers playing the music of Dire Straits.
On Saturday afternoon we will have music by Mr Love & Justice followed by a quiz.
Pets
Only guide and assistance dogs are allowed at the festival. No pets sorry.
Help needed from CAMRA members
If you are a CAMRA member and would like to work at the festival please complete a Staff Form and return it to this E-mail address, or the postal address on the form, by Saturday 7th October.
All volunteers need to familiarise themselves with the Health & Safety Handbook for Beer Festival Volunteers and our local Notes for Volunteers.
The Location map below shows where the Swindon Beer Festival takes place.
Swindon CAMRA Beer Festival 2023
The 35th Swindon Beer Festival was held from Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st October 2023, once again at STEAM Museum SN2 2EY.
Thanks to all who attended and the volunteers and sponsors who made the festival possible.
Winners at the 2023 beer festival
The Beer of the Festival competition results are:
1st Broadtown - Tripel Bassett
2nd Tiny Rebel & Theakstons – Chocolate Old Peculiar
3rd= Hop Kettle – Sippin’ on the Dock
3rd= Ramsbury – Red Ram
The Cider of the Festival winner is:
Purbeck Cider - Katy Perry
Congratulations to all the winners.
This is the Beer List and this is the Cider List, or download the complete 2023 Festival Programme.
Tickets were on sale online for the first time, we hope to maintain this for future festivals.
Swindon CAMRA Beer Festival 2022
The dates for the 34th Swindon Beer Festival were Thursday 20th to Saturday 22nd October 2022, once again at the STEAM Museum SN2 2EY
Thanks to all who attended and the volunteers and sponsors who made the festival possible.
Winners at the 2022 beer festival
The Beer of the Festival competition results are:
1st Broadtown - Weisse Horse
2nd Kirkstall - Jasper
3rd= Ossett - Voodoo Chocolate Orange Stout
3rd= Ashton - Kakapo
3rd= Phoenix - Wobbly Bob
Congratulations to all the winners.
This was the 2022 Beer List and this is the 2022 Cider List, or download the complete 2022 Festival Programme.
Swindon CAMRA Beer Festival 2021
Unfortunately we have had to cancel the festival for another year. The NHS will be using the venue as a vaccination centre. Please everybody, if you have not already had your jabs, get them now, so we won't have this issue next year.
Swindon Camra Beer Festival 2020
Given the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and the possibility of local lockdowns in the next few months, we have regretfully decided to cancel this year’s Swindon Beer Festival at the STEAM museum.
Swindon CAMRA Beer Festival 2019
This was the Beer List and this was the Cider List
As you can see you drank us dry!!
Winners at the 2019 beer festival
The Beer of the Festival competition results are:
1st Exmoor - Beast
2nd= Hop Kettle - Old Town Pale Ale
2nd= Hop Kettle - Space Cowboy Milk Stout
The Cider winner is:
Thistly Cross - Whisky Cask
Congratulations to all the winners.
Pictures from the 2018 beer festival
For a short video of the stages of a festival see below:
Beers of the Festival in recent years
| Brewery | Beer | Year |
| Broadtown | Tripel Bassett | 2023 |
| Broadtown | Weisse Horse | 2022 |
| - | No beer festival | 2021 |
| - | No beer festival | 2020 |
| Exmoor | Beast | 2019 |
| Hop Kettle | Liquid Highway | 2018 |
| Shed Ales | Minal Tap | 2017 |
| Flying Monk | Birdman | 2016 |
| Rebellion | Old Seadog | 2015 |
| Ramsbury | Belapur IPA | 2014 |
| St Austell | Bucket of Blood | 2013 |
| Ramsbury | Silver Pig Stout | 2012 |
| Ramsbury | 25 Silver Pigs | 2011 |
| Box Steam | Derailed | 2010 |
| Fyne Ales | Avalanche | 2009 |
| Oakham | Bishop's Farewell | 2008 |
| South Hams | Eddystone | 2007 |
| Three Castles | Tanked Up | 2006 |
| Loddon | Russett | 2005 |
| Skinner's | Pennycomequick | 2004 |
| St Peter's | Spiced Lemon & Ginger | 2003 |
| - | No beer festival | 2002 |
Beer Festivals in Swindon
There have been CAMRA organised Beer Festivals in Swindon since 1976. Originally held at the Mechanics Institute in Emlyn Square, the last Beer Festival there was in 1983. The Mechanics Institute was offered to the local Council for £1 in 1984, but they declined to buy it because it was in a poor state, so it was closed and could not be used as a venue again.
Partially as a result of this there were no further Swindon Beer Festivals until 1994. The new venue was the New College, Walcot.
After 5 years at New College the Beer Festival moved to the Territorial Army Drill Hall in Church Place in 2000. Although the Drill Hall was slightly smaller its more central location proved very popular and it was our venue for 2000 and 2001. The Drill Hall was not available in 2002, consequently our Beerex could not take place.
In 2003 we moved to the Old Railway Museum in Faringdon Road, where we held successful Beer Festivals three years running.
In 2006 we took the opportunity to move to STEAM, the Museum of the Great Western Railway, close to the tracks of the mainline. That year was of course Brunel's bicentenary. We have now had several very successful Swindon Beer Festivals at this location.