Beer festivals follow the seasons just as faithfully as beer styles do. Spring brings Belgian ales and Czech pilsner celebrations; summer fills with outdoor waterfront events and garden festivals; fall is dominated by the great European harvest traditions; and winter, though quieter, has its own warmth. If you’re planning a year of beer travel in 2026, this seasonal calendar is your starting point — organized by time of year with the events worth putting in your diary.
Spring (March–May): Belgian Ales and Pilsner Season
Spring is when Belgium comes alive. The hop bines start climbing, the abbey breweries release their spring editions, and the festival calendar kicks into gear.
Zythos Bierfestival — Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (Late April) The largest consumer beer festival in Belgium, organized by Zythos, gathers over 100 Belgian breweries under one roof in Sint-Niklaas. Lambics, tripels, saisons, and Flemish reds all represented. One of the best value-per-pour events in Europe. See the full Belgian beer festivals guide for everything you need to plan the trip.
Copenhagen Beer Celebration — Copenhagen, Denmark (May) Mikkeller’s tightly curated two-day festival is one of the most coveted tickets in global craft beer. A small number of world-class breweries, exclusive collaborations, and an extremely limited attendance list. Sell-out time is measured in minutes.
Czech Beer Festival — Prague, Czech Republic (May) Prague’s largest beer event runs for 17 days in May, gathering more than 70 Czech breweries at a tented fairground in Letňany. The focus is traditional Czech lager — pilsners, pale lagers, and dark lagers poured unfiltered from tank. Combine with a visit to Pilsner Urquell in Plzeň for the complete Czech beer experience.
Oregon Craft Beer Month (July) Oregon’s official craft beer month launches in July, with events throughout the state. Portland’s breweries run special releases, tasting events, and tap takeovers throughout the month, leading into the Oregon Brewers Festival at the end of July.
Summer (June–August): Outdoor Festivals and Cask Ale
Summer rewards outdoor festival-going. Long evenings, warm weather, and the natural alignment of lighter beer styles with the season.
Washington Brewers Festival — Redmond, Washington (June) Held at Marymoor Park, this two-day event showcases Washington State’s brewing community — IPAs, lagers, and Northwest-specific styles in a beautiful park setting east of Seattle.
Vermont Brewers Festival — Burlington, Vermont (July) Burlington is a remarkable craft beer city, and this waterfront festival assembles some of the most celebrated breweries in New England — including producers who rarely do public events. July weather in Vermont is ideal for outdoor tasting.
Oregon Brewers Festival — Portland, Oregon (Late July) One of America’s oldest and most beloved outdoor craft beer festivals, held on the banks of the Willamette River since 1988. The laid-back Pacific Northwest atmosphere is a big part of the appeal. CraftBeer.com consistently ranks it among the country’s top regional events.
Great British Beer Festival — London, England (August) CAMRA’s flagship annual event at Olympia London. Thousands of cask ales, ciders, and perries from hundreds of UK breweries, with an international pavilion for non-British styles. The best single place to understand why real ale is different from any other beer format.
Fall (September–October): The Great Harvest Festivals
Fall is the peak season for beer festival travel, anchored by the German Märzen and Festbier tradition but extending well beyond Munich.
Oktoberfest — Munich, Germany (September 19 – October 4) The world’s largest folk festival, drawing six million visitors to the Theresienwiese. Sixteen days of Bavarian Märzen and Festbier from the six official Munich breweries, served in one-liter Mass steins. Reserve tent seats in January or February — don’t leave it later. See the full Oktoberfest guide 2026 for everything you need.
Cannstatter Volksfest — Stuttgart, Germany (Late September–Mid October) Germany’s second-largest folk festival runs concurrently with the end of Oktoberfest. Swabian breweries, regional food, and a more local crowd — an excellent alternative or complement to Munich.
Great American Beer Festival — Denver, Colorado (October, TBC) The Great American Beer Festival and its flagship competition, run by the Brewers Association. Sessions typically sell out fast. Denver Beer Week surrounds the official festival with dozens of independent events.
Brussels Beer Challenge — Brussels, Belgium (November) International beer competition with public tasting events. An excellent late-season reason to visit Brussels, with the city’s world-class beer bar scene as a bonus.
Winter (November–February): Warming Ales and Smaller Events
Winter festivals are quieter, cozier, and often underrated.
Arizona Strong Beer Festival — Tempe, Arizona (February) February in Arizona is peak festival weather (sunny, mid-70s°F), and the Strong Beer Festival showcases the Southwest’s brewing scene with a focus on higher-ABV styles — barleywines, imperial stouts, and strong ales.
Great Winter Beer Festival (CAMRA) — Various UK Locations CAMRA runs winter festivals in Birmingham, Manchester, and other UK cities during the January–February window. Smaller than GBBF but well-organized and focused on seasonal styles.
Full 2026 Calendar at a Glance
| Season | Festival | Location | Approx. Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Zythos Bierfestival | Sint-Niklaas, Belgium | Late April |
| Spring | Copenhagen Beer Celebration | Copenhagen, Denmark | May |
| Spring | Czech Beer Festival | Prague, Czech Republic | May |
| Summer | Washington Brewers Festival | Redmond, WA | June |
| Summer | Vermont Brewers Festival | Burlington, VT | July |
| Summer | Oregon Brewers Festival | Portland, OR | Late July |
| Summer | Great British Beer Festival | London, UK | August |
| Fall | Oktoberfest | Munich, Germany | Sept 19 – Oct 4 |
| Fall | Cannstatter Volksfest | Stuttgart, Germany | Late Sept–Oct |
| Fall | Great American Beer Festival | Denver, CO | October |
| Fall | Brussels Beer Challenge | Brussels, Belgium | November |
| Winter | Arizona Strong Beer Festival | Tempe, AZ | February |
Use Untappd to log beers at each event and build a year-long tasting record. BeerAdvocate is excellent for finding local breweries and bars to visit between festivals.
The Brew Professor Takeaway
A well-planned 2026 beer festival year can take you from Brussels in April to Prague in May, London in August, Munich in September, and Denver in October — with excellent regional US events to fill the gaps. The key is booking early: accommodation at Oktoberfest, sessions at GABF, and tickets for anything involving Mikkeller or Cantillon. Start with one event, plan from there, and let the calendar build itself around the beer. The festivals hub has in-depth guides for every major event on this list.
