Beer Festivals Near Durham: CAMRA Festivals and Pub Events

Durham takes its real ale seriously. The city has an active CAMRA branch and a festival that has been running for more than four decades, along with a handful of traditional pubs that would be on any beer lover's list. Within an easy train or bus ride you'll also find good festivals in Darlington and Newcastle. Here's our round-up of the beer and cider festivals worth putting in the diary.

Most of these events are annual, and the next editions will mostly be in 2027. We give the usual month for each, but the organisers announce firm dates, so check their websites and social media before you plan a trip.

In Durham

Durham Beer Festival

The big one locally is the Durham Beer Festival, run by volunteers from the Durham branch of CAMRA. The 44th festival was held in September 2026 at Durham City Rugby Club on Green Lane, by the Racecourse, which has hosted the festival for its last six editions. It now runs from Thursday to Sunday so the beer has time to settle. The 2026 festival offered 27 real ales plus six ciders and perries. Entry was free for CAMRA members, with a small charge for everyone else. Expect a relaxed crowd, a lot of beers you won't see in your local, and a riverside walk back into town. Dates are announced on durhambeerfestival.org.uk and the festival's Facebook page, and the branch always welcomes new volunteers to help run it.

Best for: Best for: the widest range of real ale in the city in one weekend

The Bishops' Mill real ale festivals

Wetherspoon pubs run national real-ale festivals twice a year, usually in spring and autumn, and The Bishops' Mill on Walkergate takes part. It stands on the site of the medieval mill that once served the bishops of Durham. Over the festival fortnight the pub adds a rotating line-up of guest ales from breweries around the UK and beyond, usually with third-pint tasters, so you can try several without committing to a pint. It's an easy, inexpensive way to sample a lot of styles, and it's handy for the Gala Theatre. The pub chain publishes the dates nearer the time.

Best for: Best for: sampling lots of guest ales cheaply in the city centre

Within easy reach

Darlington Beer Festival

Darlington's CAMRA festival has found a fitting home at Hopetown, the railway heritage site on North Road beside North Road station. Trains have run past it since the earliest days of passenger railways. The festival usually takes place in late February or March. In 2026 it ran from 20 to 22 March, and it typically offers around 40 ales and ciders. It's popular, and beer has been known to run low by Saturday evening, so go early. Darlington is a short train ride from Durham.

Best for: Best for: a late-winter festival with a railway heritage setting

Newcastle Beer and Cider Festival

The Tyneside and Northumberland branch of CAMRA runs one of the region's biggest festivals each April, at the Northumbria University Students' Union near Haymarket. The 2026 festival was the 48th and featured more than 70 ales and over 30 ciders and perries. Newcastle is a quick train ride from Durham, and the venue is a short walk from Haymarket Metro.

Best for: Best for: a big-city festival with a huge cider and perry bar

The Grey Horse, Consett

The Grey Horse on Sherburn Terrace in Consett dates from 1848 and is home to the Consett Ale Works brewery at the rear. It holds its own beer festivals twice a year, including one in August, with a run of guest ales alongside its own brews. It's close to the C2C cycle route, so it makes a good finishing point if you ride out that way. Check the pub's website or social media for upcoming festival dates.

Best for: Best for: a brewery pub festival with a proper local feel

Good real ale all year round

Between festivals, Durham's traditional pubs keep the cask ale flowing. The Victoria Inn on Hallgarth Street is on CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors and has hosted Durham branch meetings. Ye Old Elm Tree on Crossgate is a recent CAMRA City Pub of the Year. The Dun Cow on Old Elvet takes its name from the city's founding legend, and the Half Moon Inn on New Elvet has a riverside courtyard out the back. For more ideas, see our guides to the best pubs in Durham and the best beer gardens in Durham.

Festival tips

• Join CAMRA. Members often get free or cheaper entry and a discount on beer, which quickly pays for itself if you go to a couple of festivals a year.
• Go early. Popular beers sell out, especially on Saturdays.
• Take the train. Durham, Darlington and Newcastle are all on the East Coast Main Line, so nobody has to drive.
• Drink thirds. Most festivals sell third-pint measures, the best way to try more beers sensibly.

Know of a beer or cider festival in or near Durham that we've missed? Get in touch and we'll add it.