St Albans Beer & Cider Festival
Held every year in the Alban Arena, St Albans, AL1 3LD
The premier event in the Hertfordshire drinkers' calendar is now closed but we will be back in town from 23rd - 26th September 2020. Information on the 2020 Festival can be found nearer the time on our Facebook and Twitter feeds.
A selection of pictures can also be found below and on our Facebook page.
New for 2019
18 Tap British Key Keg Bar showcasing "live" cold beer in Key Keg from across Britain.
Draught Key Keg Beers from St Albans Twin City - Worms. Not previously seen in the UK.
The Beer Innovation Zone - helping people understand more about beer including free tastings with four breweries.
"Cider Cooling" - at the cider bar in the main hall.
Opening Times & Admission Prices
Wednesday
11.00am - 11.00pm
FREE until 3pm, £3.00 thereafter (CAMRA members free)
Thursday
11.00am - 11.00pm
£3.00 (CAMRA members free)
Friday
11.00am - 11.00pm
£5.00 (CAMRA members £1)
Saturday
11.00am - 11.00pm
£5.00 (CAMRA members £1)
Please note no advance tickets for any session. It is Alban Arena policy to search bags on entry. Failure to allow a bag search will result in denial of entry. Entry into the festival will be acknowledged as consent to be included without any fee within any official photography, visual and audio recordings. No one under the age of 18 can be allowed in the bar areas at any time or anywhere on the premises after 5.00pm. Dogs are not permitted. Guide dogs excepted.
This Year's Live Music
Thursday evening - Katie Plus Juan
Saturday lunchtime - Katie's Jumping Fleas
Saturday evening - Kyla Brox Band
Staffing Volunteers
The success of the St Albans Beer & Cider Festival is reliant on a committed team of volunteers.
There are a wide range of duties such as setting up, serving at the bars, selling beer tokens, maintaining the quality of the beer, where your skills and talent could prove invaluable. In return for your commitment you will receive complementary beer and food and moreover become part of a great team!
Tokens
For the fourth year running we'll be using our Beer Tokens system to help you get served quicker at the bar. Last year was a great success and we received really positive feedback from both customers and staff. Naturally we'll be making a few changes to improve on last year's system such as introducing a £5 card and improving the efficiency of selling and refunding your cards.
The token cards will be available for purchase on entry at the glasses stand for £12 plus a refundable glass (£3). Additional £5 and £10 cards can be purchased at the token stand in the main hall. If you have partially-expended cards at the end of your session you can take them home and bring them to another session at the 2019 Festival. Alternatively, donate them to CAMRA, put them in the Charity box or obtain a refund.
Location & Travel
The Festival is situated in the Alban Arena, just off St Peters Street in the heart of the City. Go here for a map to find the Alban Arena and travel information.
St Albans is easily reached on the Thameslink Railway and there are plenty of local buses for those travelling cross county or from the railway station to the Arena itself. London North Western Railway services also run frequently 7 days a week between St Albans Abbey and Watford Junction.
Accommodation
You're bound to want to stay more than a few of hours at the Beer Festival so why not chose to stay a few days instead? There are many different types of accommodation available to suit all pockets.
A list of the type of accommodation available can be found at allaboutstalbans.com/eat-drink-and-sleep/st-albans-hotels and of course it's always worth checking out the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for pubs in and around the city that provide bed and breakfast.
Media
All media enquires to John Bishop - realales@yahoo.com or 07720 295419.
Contact
For all other information requests please e-mail us.
Future Festival Dates
23rd to 26th September 2020
29th September to 2nd October 2021
28th September to 1st October 2022