Back and bigger than ever, The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales returns to Kirkstall Brewery on the Early May Bank Holiday weekend, featuring beers from across the UK brewed especially for the festival. Early bird pricing is now available on tickets for all sessions from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th May.
Now in its third year, Kirkstall’s celebration of historic beer awards medals to breweries for beer judged to be the ‘best in class’ by a specially selected panel. Alongside more than twenty breweries from around UK, the festival also features a variety of street food vendors and local bands providing live music all weekend.
The event has quickly become a fixture on the beer festival calendar and continues to stand out with its focus on history, variety and competition. This year, additional entertainment, collaboration beers and more have been organised to celebrate its third year.
Chris Hall, Kirkstall’s Brand Manager and founder of the festival, said: “Now in our third year, we’re delighted to continue to bring something unique to the beer scene. The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales is about celebrating a history of innovation, flavour and skill that is all-too-often overlooked.”
From Friday to Sunday, the festival takes place at Kirkstall Brewery itself, allowing attendees a glimpse at the impressive collection of brewery memorabilia owned by Kirkstall’s founder Steve Holt, as well as enjoy the full range of beer and food at the Kirkstall Taproom in addition to the festival itself.
A broader range of breweries than ever has been invited to exhibit, including Fierce Beer from Aberdeen, Boundary Brewing from Belfast, Neptune from Liverpool and The Five Points Brewery from London.
“Times continue to be tough for our industry,” added Hall, “so we are deeply proud to present the very best of brewing talent in the UK rising to the challenge and delivering another exceptional experience. This is the beer festival that brewers tell me they book time off to attend, and frankly there is no higher compliment!”
Tickets are now available for all sessions of The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales, with early bird pricing available for a limited time: https://www.designmynight.com/leeds/whats-on/food-drink/the-great-exhibition-of-prize-ales-2025?t=tickets
BACKGROUND NOTES FOR EDITORS
About The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales
Established in 2023, The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales was devised by Kirkstall Brewery to acknowledge and celebrate the growing reappreciation of beer inspired by history. Inspired by the Kirkstall Brewery of 1833-1983, Kirkstall has resurrected a number of 19th and 20th century recipes from brewing archives of its predecessor, in its Revival Series of Prize Ales.
The first edition of the festival took place at Kirkstall Brewery in May 2023, and exhibited over 85 different beers from over 35 different breweries from across the country.
Medals were awarded to beers judged to be the best in each category, with judging of the beers undertaken by an expert independent panel. An overall champion beer medal was then awarded after another round of judging, which went to Amity Brew Co’s Spinning Mill Project 000 Imperial Stout.
In 2024, Round Corner Brewing from Melton Mowbray took the top prize with Underwater Song, an Imperial Baltic Porter.
The following details have been confirmed so far for The Great Exhibition of Prize Ales 2025:
Breweries:
Allsopp’s / Amity Brew Co / Anspach & Hobday / Anthology Brew Co / Boundary / Braybrooke Beer Co / Fell Brewery / Fierce / The Five Points Brewing Company / Horsforth Brewery / Kirkstall Brewery / Leeds Brewery / Little Earth Project / Lost Cause / Lost & Grounded / Neptune / Northern Monk / Roosters / Round Corner / Siren Craft Brew / Theakston / Wylam
Each ticket gets you entry to the festival for the designated session, as well as a commemorative glass, festival programme and a beer token to get you started!
Tokens for sale on the day are priced at £2.50, and can be exchanged for a 1/2 pint of beer under 7% ABV, or a 1/3 pint of beer 7% and above.
Further announcements regarding food and music will be made in due course.
About Kirkstall Brewery
Kirkstall Brewery continues a legacy of brewing left by the Cistercian monks of Kirkstall Abbey and the Kirkstall Brewery Company of 1833-1983. Kirkstall’s own beginnings as Vertical Drinks, importing the likes of Sierra Nevada, Odell and Stone since 2003, allowed them to learn from the masters before starting their own brewery in 2011.
Alongside its most famous beers, such as Virtuous Session IPA and Three Swords Extra Pale, Kirkstall also brews a series of Prize Ales exploring the brewery’s rich history, including some recipes that are over 130 years old.
Including the Taproom & Kitchen at the brewery itself, Kirkstall currently has seven award-winning pubs across Leeds and West Yorkshire, including the historic Kirkstall Bridge Inn, the Grade II-listed Cardigan Arms and The Three Swords in Horsforth.
In December 2022, Kirkstall acquired the Leeds Brewery brand. In January 2024, Kirkstall announced a new joint venture to take on the The Victoria Hotel with the team behind Whitelock’s Ale House.
In April 2024, Kirkstall reopened The Tetley building as a “landmark of Yorkshire beer culture”, showcasing the very best of beer from Leeds and the region, alongside a wealth of historic brewery artefacts from Steve Holt’s personal collection.
Contact: Chris Hall, chrishall@kirkstallbrewery.com
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