Norwich Beer Festival for Charity 2024

This October, for one year only, Norwich Beer Festival is stepping out of The Halls and hitting the streets!

Norwich & District CAMRA is hosting a reimagined festival with a line-up of exciting events and activities spread across the city from Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November 2024.

It’s Norwich Beer Festival, but not as you know it

While the traditional festival venue, The Halls, is undergoing restoration, the festival organisers have crafted an exciting collection of alternative events across the city.

• It’s all for a good cause
• List of events
• Pubs and Breweries confirmed so far
• World Beer Pop-up at Castle Social
• Glasses and Merchandise pre-orders
• CAMRA member benefits

It’s all for a good cause

Norwich Beer Festival has always supported local great causes, with festival-goers generously donating thousands of pounds each year. So, it seemed the obvious choice to run this year’s Norwich Beer Festival for charity. The pubs and breweries taking part can choose which charities receive the proceeds from the events they hold, so many charities will benefit. 

Joining in the festivities will be lots of Norwich’s well known pubs, and wonderful breweries from Norfolk and beyond. There’ll be a range of events happening over the 11 days of the festival, including beer launches, tap takeovers, live bands, quizzes, socials, tastings and more.

Events will include

Opening weekend

• Beehive Mini Beer Festival featuring Mr Winter’s from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 October
• Vine Thai – CAMRA members get 10% off food and cask ale on Thursday 24 October 
• Brickmakers Tropical Party with music from Dirty Havana on Friday 25 October
• Redwell Keg & Cask Festival, Don Txoko food pop-up and live music from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 October
• Flanders Red Ale Launch – Grain, Moon Gazer, Poppyland and Tindall are twinning with breweries in Leuven to create a new style of Red Ale. Try it first at the Plough on Friday 25 October
• Murderers charity quiz for East Anglian Air Ambulance at 8pm on Friday 25 October, £3 per person
• Fat Cat & Canary opening party on Saturday 26 October
• Kings Arms Batemans Brewery Takeover plus Tutored Tasting with Head Brewer Buster Grant on Saturday 26 October

Throughout the festival

• Belgian Monk Beer Festival with Woodforde’s Brewery showcase from Monday 21 October to Sunday 2 November
• Fat Cat & Mad Cat presents The Big Fat Mad Cat Scottish Beer Festival – 30 cask and keg beers from 16 Scottish breweries from Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 October
• Leopard Free From Bar serving up gluten free beers and food from Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November
• Beer Hatch Free From Bar serving up vegan beers and snacks from Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November
• Marlborough Aged Stout Showcase, live music and charity collab beer from Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November
• Reindeer Cider & Sausage Fest, plus loads of live music from Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November
• Maids Head Hotel specially selected flight of three beers with a complimentary bag of Simply Roasted crisps from Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November
• Ampersand Taproom Cask Beer Showcase from Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November, a short walk from Diss train station
• The Unthank, Trafford Arms, Whalebone, Red Lion Bishopgate and Warwick Arms donating 50p from every pint of Lacons beer sold to Nourishing Norfolk from Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November
• Rose Inn Drink & Donate – 10p from every pint of keg or cask beer sold will be donated to Norfolk & Waveney MIND Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November
• Garden House charity quiz and foodbank collection on Monday 28 October plus a huge selection of ales on gravity every day
• Vine Thai – CAMRA members get 10% off food and cask ale from Monday 28 to Thursday 31 October. Save £5 on CAMRA membership when you join at the pub!
• Murderers serving up to 10 cask ales plus their regular quiz on Monday 28 October
• Kings Arms launch of Batemans 5 Generations session IPA on Monday 28 October followed by a week long festival of beers from further afield
• Bier Draak Belgian fruit beer, cheese and meat pairing with Cheryl Cade, Beer Sommelier on Tuesday 29 October
• Rosebery interactive beer quiz on Tuesday 29 October, £5 per person

Closing weekend

• Brickmakers Mini Beer Festival with live music every night from Wednesday 30 October to Sunday 3 November
• Kings Arms charity quiz for Macmillan £1.50 per person at 8pm on Wednesday 30 October
• Malt & Mardle collab with The Feed and interactive food and drink quiz night on Wednesday 30 October
• Curated Cider Pub Tours starting at Vine Thai on Wednesday 30 September – 5pm // Thursday 31 October – 1pm // Saturday 2 November – 1pm 
• Mad Cat Halloween Quiz at 7pm on Thursday 31 October, £1 per person, cash prize!
• Reindeer Halloween Quiz on Thursday 31 October
• World Beer Pop-up at Castle Social with over 300 bottled beers, food, music and more from Thursday 31 October to Sunday 3 November
• The official World Beer Pop-up afters pub is the Murderers, open until late, so you can continue your night after Castle Social closes at 9pm
• First Friday Five on Friday 1 November starting at 8pm at the Steam Packet, then Woolpack, Rose Pub & Deli, Freemasons and Kings Arms – everyone welcome!
• Moon Gazer Treasure Trail for It’s on the Ball – Get a team together, solve the clues and find your way around Norwich pubs on Saturday 2 November at 12 noon

Other pubs and venues confirmed so far

Information on all the events will be in the Festival Guide, available in early October. For advertising and sponsorship opportunities please contact getinvolved@norwich.camra.org.uk

World Beer Pop-up

A highlight of the festival is the World Beer Pop-up at Castle Social, located on level 3 of Castle Quarter. Inspired by the beloved World Beer Bar from previous festivals, this pop-up will feature an extensive selection of bottled beers from around the globe. With over 300 different bottled beers, some never seen in the UK before, from places as far afield as Malaysia, Brazil, Japan and Australia. Plus the most extensive selection of low and no alcohol world beers you’re likely to find.

Visitors can also enjoy the tasty treats from the surrounding food hall including delicious giant Yorkshire pudding wraps and hot meat baguettes from Giant Yorkie Roast Co, and a range of mouth-watering burgers from The Burger House.

Running from Thursday 31 October to Sunday 3 November, the event will be free to enter so there’s no need to buy a ticket, but you’ll be able to buy drink vouchers in advance if you wish. All profits from the World Beer Pop-up will go to BUILD Charity who are ‘making a difference so people with disabilities don’t have to feel different’ and Headway Norfolk & Waveney, which supports those affected by brain injury. This event is generously sponsored by the World Beer Awards and Cheryl Cade, Beer Sommelier.

Festival glasses and merch

There’ll be a souvenir glass featuring the Norwich Beer Festival for Charity 2024 logo, which will be available to buy in pubs and at the World Beer Pop-up. Or you can pre-order online and collect from selected pubs during the festival. T-shirts and tote bags will also be available. Profits from glasses and merch sales will be donated to charity, so you can treat yourself while doing something good!

CAMRA Member Perks

CAMRA members, plus anyone who joins between now and November, will enjoy special perks, including exclusive drink offers, VIP events, and discounts on event tickets. For more information and updates, or to join CAMRA, visit norwich.camra.org.uk or follow @norwichcamra on social media.