Britain's Best Beer to Be Crowned at Cambridge Beer Festival 2026

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 hosting CAMRA’s prestigious Champion Beer of Britain 2026 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 Champion Beer of Britain 2026 will be announced on the festival’s second day, Tuesday 19 May, with free entry for CAMRA members.

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.

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. 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.

This year, the festival is proud to be supporting Cambridge Samaritans as its chosen charity.

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! 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.”

Opening Hours

• Monday 18 May: 5pm – 10pm

• Tuesday 19 May: 12noon – 10pm (Champion Beer of Britain announced)

• Wednesday 20 May: 12noon – 3pm; reopens 5pm – 10pm

• Thursday 21 May: 12pm – 3pm; reopens 5pm – 10pm

• Friday 22 May: 12pm – 3pm; reopens 5pm – 10pm

• Saturday 23 May: 12noon – 10pm

About Champion Beer of Britain

First taking place in 1978, Champion Beer of Britain is one of the most coveted and well-respected cask beer competitions in the world. Judging takes two years to complete, starting with individual nominations from CAMRA members and tasting panels, then regional rounds. Each round of judging, including the final, uses a strict blind tasting policy.

For more information:

CAMRA Press Office

Email: press@camra.org.uk | Tel: 01727 337863

Festival website: cambridgebeerfestival.com

Festival press contact: Neil McGovern | Tel: 07969 791292 | Email: organiser@cambridgebeerfestival.com

Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.