The crowd at the beer festival late afternoon on Saturday from the top of the bleechers
Big thank you post 2/2. The other big group of people without whom there would be no beer festival, is our customers. Whether you have been to many of our beer festivals, some of them, or this one was your first, thank you, and we very hope to see you again next year. Cheers.
#2026WBF
Beer festival staff gathered behind the craft and foreign beer bar for a photo in their stone coloured staff shirt with one manager at the back in cerise
Staff and customers at the cider bar
Staff in their stone or cerise shirts gathered behind the real ale bar for a photo
Staff and customers at the real ale bar
Big thank post 1/2. There would be no beer festival without our staff, every single one of them a volunteer. Thank you so much for your time and talent in making this beer festival such a success. You are all greatly appreciated. And thank you Nick Fairhurst for these photos.
#2026WBF
A man enjoying a beer thencolour of milk
And here is one of our valued volunteers Tony Shaw breaking all his beer rules, enjoying a vanilla milkshake stout from the craft and foreign beer bar. Shocking 🤣
#2026WBF
Three people holding red, amber and green beers from left to right, at Wigan Beer Festival
Thank you Nadine, Aaron and Chris from Western Australia, who just might be our longest distance visitors. Well, ok, Aaron now lives locally, and Nadine and Chris might have been visiting him, but we'll take it. We are really pleased you all enjoyed it. See you next year 😁
#2026WBF
The brass band on stage
A view of the crowd at the beer festival from the top of the bleechers
The brass band are warming up nicely playing living on a prayer, and you've turned out in great numbers. Plenty of room left though and plenty of beer, cider and gin left to see us through to 9 o'clock. Do join us and as a bonus it is free admission after 5 o'clock. We would love to see you #2026WBF
Butter pie and mushy peas with gravy you say? Well why not #2026WBF 🍺 #BeerResearch 📝 #cheerstobeers 🍻 #CAMRGB 🍺 #CosAlien👽 #camra 🇬🇧 #GoToThePub👍#SupportOurPubs 🍺 #BskyBeer ⛅️
Starting today as Wigan BF withb4 Dark keg beers #2026WBF 🍺 #BeerResearch 📝 #cheerstobeers 🍻 #CAMRGB 🍺 #CosAlien👽 #camra 🇬🇧 #GoToThePub👍#SupportOurPubs 🤗 #keg 🍺 #BskyBeer ⛅️
A few AI caricatures from yesterday @wiganbeerfest.bsky.social I'll see you there layer if your going #2026WBF 🫠 #RealAle 🍺 #BeerResearch 📝 #cheerstobeers 🍻 #CAMRGB 🍺 #CosAlien👽 #camra 🇬🇧 #GoToThePub👍#SupportOurPubs 🤗 #cask 🍺 #BskyBeer ⛅️
We have two Wigan Transport Trust vintage buses on today from 11.3O at Stand A at Wigan Bus Station, and then every half hour throughout the day until 8pm, a few minutes later at the stop opposite the Swan & Railway Hotel, and returning from outside the festival venue every half hour too
#2026WBF
A great time was had today @wiganbeerfest.bsky.social #2026WBF 🫠 #RealAle 🍺 #BeerResearch 📝 #cheerstobeers 🍻 #CAMRGB 🍺 #CosAlien👽 #camra 🇬🇧 #GoToThePub👍#SupportOurPubs 🤗 #cask 🍺 #BskyBeer ⛅️
Getting busy @wiganbeerfest.bsky.social @beerfestbuddy.bsky.social #2026WBF 🫠 #RealAle 🍺 #BeerResearch 📝 #cheerstobeers 🍻 #CAMRGB 🍺 #CosAlien👽 #camra 🇬🇧 #GoToThePub👍#SupportOurPubs 🤗 #cask 🍺 #BskyBeer ⛅️
Pump clip imagery for dokkr by Orm's Ol brewery
Pump clip imagery for Milky Milky by Big Trip
A pump clip for US IPA v79 by North Riding Brewery
2/2 Our Champion Beer of Britain NW Region in the strong stouts and porters category is Orm's Øl Dokkr; our Dark Beer of the Festival is Milky Milky by Big Trip; and our Pale Beer of the Festival IS US IPA v79 by North Riding Brewery.
Congratulations to all our winners #2026WBF
The pump clip for Guardian Angel by Clay Brow Nano Brewery
The pump clip for Heidrun by Problem Child Brewing
What were our 2026 beers of the festival you ask - yes? (1/2)
Well, here they are. Our Brewed in Wigan Dark is Guardian Angel by Clay Brow Nano Brewery in collaboration with the Gasket and Pennington's; our Brewed in Wigan Pale is Heidrun by Problem Child Brewing; #2026WBF
The beer festival hall full of people on a Thursday evening
Thank you to everyone who came to our Thursday evening session. Day 2 today from midday. See you later #2026WBF
Some pictures of @wiganbeerfest.bsky.social yesterday with @stitchnsup.bsky.social @drewlilmo.bsky.social a good time was had #2026WBF 🫠 #RealAle 🍺 #BeerResearch 📝 #cheerstobeers 🍻 #CAMRGB 🍺 #CosAlien👽 #camra 🇬🇧 #GoToThePub👍#SupportOurPubs 🤗 #cask 🍺 #BskyBeer ⛅️
It's not been all beer today! Cider has played a part #2026WBF 🫠 #RealCider #SupportOurPubs 🤗 #cask 🍺 #BskyBeer ⛅️ #Wassail 🍻 #cider 🍎 #apple 🍏 #CiderResearch 📚
A vintage double decker in old GM Buses colours
Your chariot awaits. Full details available via this link: sites.google.com/view/wbforga.... We are very grateful to Wigan Transport Trust for their service. Please leave donations in the collection buckets. Cheers
#2026WBF
A few keg beers sampled at @wiganbeerfest.bsky.social #2026WBF 🍺 #BeerResearch 📝 #cheerstobeers 🍻 #CAMRGB 🍺 #CosAlien👽 #camra 🇬🇧 #GoToThePub👍#SupportOurPubs 🤗 #keg 🍺 #BskyBeer ⛅️
Katy Perry, the singer
Katy Perry the apple and pear cider, or at least the label for it on a box
The label on a box of Sandford's Slack ma Girdle dry west country cider
The label on a box of Lily the Pink cider from Celtic Marches
They said we had Katy Perry appearing at the festival, but it turns out it isn't the internationally acclaimed American singer (she wasn't available), but a medium sweet apple and pear cider. Sounds delicious nevertheless and we have 25 other ciders too. Maybe she'll be available next year.
#2026WBF
Pump clip imagery for Rivington's Moloch 8% DIPA
Pump clip imagery for Hokey Religion, a 12% Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Imperial Stout
Pump clip imagery for Bang The Elephant's Blue Steel, a 5% Blue Raspberry and Coconut Slushy Sour
Pump clip imagery for Pretty Decent's The Greatest Love Story, a 4.5% single hop pale ale
We also have 69 craft beers, including 12 lagers or wheat beers, 8 dark beers, 24 pale beers and 22 sours or fruit beers. Something for everyone, hopefully #2026WBF
The pump clip for Long after tonight is all over, a West Coast IPA collaboration by Wigan Brewhouse with Hophurst Brewery.
The pump clip for Guardian Angel Coffee Stout, a collaboration by Clay Brow Nano Brewery with Pennington's and The Gasket
The pump clip for Problem Child Brewing's Shenanigans.
The pump clip for Wily Fox Brewery's Dublin Up Irish Stout
Cask Ale list post 3 of 3
We are very fortunate in our CAMRA branch to have 5 fine breweries and Wigan Brewhouse, Wily Fox, Problem Child and Clay Brow are proudly represented on our cask ale bar with 10 beers.
Do join us from 5.30pm on Thursday, midday on Friday and 11.30am on Saturday.
#2026WBF
Pump clip imagery for Brewsmith's Oatmeal Stout
Pump clip imagery for Nightjar's Donkey Oaty milk stout
A pump clip for Collier's Nocturne oatmeal stout
A pump clip for Thornbridge's Imperial Stout from the union
Cask Ale list post 2 of 3
On the dark side we have 31 beers on cask including 29 porters and stouts of great variety, an old ale and an unusual mild. They are ready and waiting for you. We open tomorrow at 5.30pm
The full lists are here: sites.google.com/view/wbforga...
#2026WBF
The programme for the 38th Wigan Beer Festival, 5th-7th March
Pick up a programme on entry - it's almost compulsory after all. The beer that's arrived is almost 100% in line with the programme notes. The only change is that a Torrside Brewing beer that didn't have a name now does. #2026WBF
The real ale bar almost ready for customers nearly 48 hours before we open.
We made so much progress today we could almost open 24 hours early, but the beer will benefit from the extra time to rest. Still no website. Beer posts within the next 24 hours. We open 5.30pm on Thursday. See you there. #2026WBF
The sign of Wigan & Leigh Hospice's store at Robin Park, just around the corner from the beer festival site
We will be raising money for our friends and yours Wigan & Leigh Hospice again this year. Donations of cash and unspent beer tokens gratefully received for a great cause. It all starts at 5.30pm on Thursday. Cheers #2026WBF
The Deevines, a 5 piece covers band
A picture of Ryan James in brown suit, flat cap, white shirt and green tie singing with a microphone in front of the Irish flag
People playing brass instruments in a band
Entertaining you on Friday from 8.30pm will be The Deevines, an R&B/pop and 80s tribute band. And on Saturday from 1pm, it will be Ryan James, a male vocalist, and at 4pm, Pemberton Old Wigan 8 piece brass band. How's that for variety. We can't wait. 4 days to go until be open. #2026WBF
Two vintage maroon and cream double decker buses at an angle side by side
The vintage shuttle bus timetable in the direction to the festival site
Vintage shuttle bus timetable alert, starting from Stand A at the bus station and calling at Wallgate between the two rail stations. Provided by our friends at Wigan Transport Trust. Donations in the bucket will be very welcome. See you on Thursday, Friday and/or next Saturday. Cheers
#2026WBF
We had a bit of a gathering to launch the beer festival at Wigan Brewhouse taproom recently. Pictured in that fantastic space are a few of our organisers, with brewer Jonny. It all starts a week tonight. We'll see you all very soon. Cheers #2026WBF
Thank you to Nick Fairhurst for the photo
The shopfront of the Albion Ale House Micropub in Standish near Wigan, with the shocking pink of the next door shop highly visible to the left
An internal view of the Albion Ale House Micropub looking from the front to the rear, with the bar on the right
Hand pumps on the bar of the Albion Ale House Micropub in Standish
Kevin, the owner of the Albion Ale House Micropub in Standish with a beer in one hand and giving the thumbs up with the other
It is a privilege to welcome the Albion Ale House Micropub as one of our main sponsors. Consistently Wigan CAMRA's community pub of the year, if you haven't visited you really should, and if you have, you really should again. And it's just over a week to go for us. See you very soon.
#2026WBF
