The very best beers in the UK will be battling it out to be named the cream of the crop at the Cambridge Beer Festival, with the famous event holding CAMRA’s prestigious Champion Beer of Britain competition.
CAMRA’s longest running festival, and one of the largest in the UK, it runs from Monday 18 May to Saturday 23 May, at the picturesque Jesus Green park, just across the road from the historic Jesus College.
The winner of the Champion Beer of Britain 2026 will be announced on the festival’s second day, Tuesday 19 May. Beer lovers can buy their tickets now. With free entry for CAMRA members, they will be among the first to try those battling it out to be crowned overall winner.
Promising a great atmosphere and fantastic beers, what’s not to like? Often attracting around 40,000 visitors, last year beer lovers enjoyed more than 69,000 pints of British beer, 10,650 pints of international beer, 8,100 pints of cider, 5,740 glasses of mead and 3,400 glasses of wine.
This year, the festival boasts more than 300 UK and international beers – including the Champion Beer of Britain finalists while stocks last – with an impressive range of 80 ciders and perries, plus mead and wine. There will also be over 20 gluten free beers on offer and a brand new low and no bar for festivalgoers to try!
The festival favourite cheese counter returns with an impressive range of cheese from across the UK, along with pork pies, scotch eggs, olives, breads, vegan and vegetarian food plus much more.
With 2026 marking the 100th anniversaries of both Winnie-the-Pooh and Paddington Bear, this year’s festival theme will celebrate our beloved bears with a range of eye-catching collectables available at the event.
Even beers with bear themed names will be at the bars, including Marmalade Sandwich (6%), an amber beer brewed with orange peel by Green Jack Brewing in Suffolk, and The Beer Necessities (5.5%), a tropical IPA by Bowler’s in Peterborough, along with many more.
This year, the festival is proud to be supporting Cambridge Samaritans at its chosen charity. Last year their local volunteers answered more than 28,000 calls from people needing help and support, offering a vital lifeline.
Neil McGovern, Festival Organiser said:
“Once again, we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to Jesus Green and our fantastic range of beers, ciders, mead and wine. Last year we had around 37,000 people attend. At the moment, the weather is looking dry and warm! However, even if it doesn’t hold out, our massive marquees make sure that the beer is still available for all to enjoy. I would encourage you to get your tickets early and come along to what promises to be a fantastic event, with the added bonus of finding out who has been crowned Champion Beer of Britain.”
Shelly Bentley, CAMRA Awards Director said:
“A sunny Cambridge is the perfect location for the most sought-after cask beer award in the UK. The competition is a reminder of the remarkable brewing talent in all corners of this country, so let’s use Champion Beer of Britain and all six days of Cambridge Beer Festival to celebrate the wonders of cask beer, together.”
