Newark 27th Beer Festival

Castle Grounds, Newark.

Friday 24th May to Sunday 26th May 2024

We are excited to announce that the CAMRA Newark Beer and Cider Festival will be returning in 2024. The ‘Tent above the Trent’ will return once again to the iconic and nationally important historic site of Newark Castle Grounds from 24th to 26th May.
The festival will be celebrating its 27th year and it has become a paradise for beer lovers and a well-established festival in the beer and cider world. Organised and run entirely by volunteers it brings over 100 real ales and 30 real ciders and perries to the picturesque grounds of a 12th century castle.

No advanced tickets are available so entry is on the day on a first come first served basis. There may be queues at busy times but we will try and get you into the festival as soon as possible. If we reach site capacity there will be one in one out on the door, for the safety and welfare of the attendees already in the festival. The advice is to arrive early and make a day of it. CAMRA members receive extra benefits so it’s well worth becoming a member prior to the festival, or you can join on the day.

Please note that opening on Sunday 26th May is on the proviso that we have stocks left so please don’t make Sunday the only day you plan to attend. We don’t want you to be disappointed if we don’t open. Please see the Sunday as a bonus and a ‘drinking up’ session. We aim to have enough stocks but the selection maybe limited. If you have attended on either the Friday or Saturday you will have received a weekend pass so entry will be free.

There will also be a KeyKeg bar from Just Beer and a range of wines, fizz and gin from Ann et Vin. When you get peckish there is a great selection of food served by local vendors. Some of them offer soft drinks, and there is also a free drinking water tap to keep you hydrated. As ever there will be a great line up of bands performing each evening and a legendary daily quiz each afternoon to get your brain turning over.

A good amount of seating will be available but please feel free to bring your own portable chairs. The site has good wheelchair access. Children and well-behaved dogs (kept on a short lead) are allowed on site until 6pm. Assistance dogs are allowed on site at all times.

We welcome all visitors to our festival where we seek to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment in which to enjoy beer and cider, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disabilities or socio-economic status. We operate Challenge 25 in terms of the sale of alcohol.

Getting there

The Castle Grounds are within a few hundred metres of Newark Castle station and just a short walk from the town centre and Newark Northgate station. There are a number of public car parks in the area, though we recommend you travel to us on foot or by public transport so you can enjoy a drink or two. There are public bike racks just outside the site if you want to come by bicycle.

Festival Charities

Our chosen charities this year are The Children’s Bereavement Centre and The Newark Crusader.

The Children’s Bereavement Centre It is a local registered charity providing early intervention support for children and young people, age 3-18, who are experiencing life-changing trauma due to the death or terminal-illness of someone they love. Based in Newark, the charity has venues across Nottinghamshire and has been providing its unique range of specialist support in Nottinghamshire and parts of Lincolnshire for 17 years. During that time, they have helped thousands of children and their families, and years later they remain the only specific specialist bereavement service for 3-18 year olds in the area.

The Newark Crusader is a charity run entirely by volunteers that provides pre-booked River Cruises on the Trent, sailing from Newark Marina, catering for Care Homes, Special Needs, Community or Educational groups. The Newark Crusader is a 60ft purpose designed boat that has been taking disabled, elderly and disadvantaged groups of people from the East Midlands area on river Trent cruises since the 1990’s.