The organisers have also arranged bus transport direct from Wigan Town Centre in conjunction with the registered charity Wigan Transport Trust. It is a free service running every half hour from Wigan bus station and Wigan Northwestern Station. Checkout the Timetable.

The shuttle bus is likely to feature from one of the above. It’s a nice chance to ride on a vintage bus too. Please note due to the buses being old, that there can be no guarantee that a full schedule will operate. Also they may not be as accessible as modern vehicles for people with disabilities.

What Happens at a Beer Festival

Wigan beer festival isn’t just about the opportunity to sample some different beers, cider’s and gins. Clearly that plays a big part, but the food, entertainment and a completely different locale all add to the festival feel.

On arrival, your entry charge gets you a glass and tokens to spend. Don’t worry if you don’t use them all as you can cash them in before leaving. A variety of entertainment is lined up throughout the sessions.

If you’ve never been to a beer festival before, we recommend the Thursday or Friday as the best days for a variety in drink. By Saturday evening the range, although still good, can be more limited depending on earlier demand.

So What’s on Tap at CAMRA’s Wigan Beer Festival?

Well it is a beer festival and inevitably there’s a wide variety of real ales. You will also find cider’s and perries (pear based). This year there is also a craft ale bar and for the first time a gin bar.

Yet, it’s not just a vast and varied range of alcoholic beverages that are on offer. There are food outlets which are always handy to keep you going. Various entertainments feature as do bar games.

Read on to find out a little bit more about the types of drinks on offer.

Real Ale Bar

Arguably the bar that many people might think of, when they imagine a typical UK beer festival.

Predominantly serving a wide range of cask ales from across the UK and even further afield. From stouts, dark bitters, golden bitters to IPAs, even lagers and numerous other variants. Yes you can have a cask (as opposed to keg) lager. Take a look at the links at the bottom of this article to see which beers are likely to be available over the festival.

By the way there’s also a society called Beers from the Wood They started out back in 1963 to promote genuine real ale to give us high quality and tasty beer.

Cider & Perry Bar

So you think you know your ciders? Well traditionally ciders are only apple based. Perries are pear based. Don’t worry, you will find a tremendous variety of still and fizzy options to sample. Both go back hundreds of years. Perries have been commonly made in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. However did you know Ciders are also found in Cornwall, South Wales, Brittany and many Commonwealth countries. Unlike many mass produced pear ciders, a true Perry is based on pure fruite juice and not concentrate.

Traditional cider and perry are made in a similar manner. Once the apples or pears have been picked, they are crushed, and pressed to extract the juice. Next that juice is then fermented using the wild yeasts found on the fruit’s skin.

For anybody interested in Cider and Perry, CAMRA has a number of nationwide events that you can enjoy.

Craft Beer Bar

Next up, Wigan Beer Festival presents its Craft Beer bar. How does this differ from Real Ale? First off, craft beer is typically brewed by independents in smaller quantities than the bigger household names. A bit like artisan cheese shops in a sense. Head brewers at such breweries are recognised for enthusiasm and skills, experimenting with techniques and natural ingredients. The results are an incredible array of flavours and strengths to suit just about all.

You may have heard of some breweries previously referred to as micro breweries, farm brewery or brew pub. There are numerous examples of the latter in and around Wigan inclduing the Wayfarers at Parbold with its own range of beers under the label Problem Child. They are also one of the sponsors at this years Wigan Beer Festival.

Give them a go, it might just give you the urge to nip to other local bars in Wigan. Try Wigan Central, Tap and Barrel or upstairs in the John Bull.

Gin Bar

Why not sample a Gin that you have probably yet to see in the many Gin bars around Wigan? Always fun to try something different. Hey and once you have tried and liked, why not find a Gin Bar that sells it and recommend it to your friends.

Apparently gin is derived from the Dutch word jenever which in itself can be traced back to the Latin word juniperus. Research shows that gin has a long history going back to the 11th century through Benedictine monks. From there forwards apothecaries often used as a medicinal herbal remedy and even applies through the black death. In the early 1700’s thousands of gin distillers made their beverage from Barley that brewers considered too poor a quality for beer.

Gin moved on again in the 1900s with the advent of the column still. It gave rise to London Dry gin.

If you want to explore further afield, there is even a national Jenever Museum are located in Hasselt Belgium.

Other Delights from Getting a Taste for Real Ale

After visiting the festival it doesn’t need to end just yet. As well as the beers themselves, you will find wonderful venues that sell them, the length and breadth of the UK. Go and explore Towns & Cities in addition to Wigan such as Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, London to Cornwall and other corners of the UK. From modern craft ale bars to traditional pubs with breath taking architecture. You will find many serve delightful food too that is personal to the establishment and not mass produced.

It’s a great excuse to take a day out with friends or your partner. Watch out for upcoming articles on wonderful venues to visit locally and around the UK.

Opening Times & Admission Prices

Wigan Beer Festival 2023 Prices and What you Get

Thursday 2nd March:                    5.30 pm to 11 pm – £15.00 on the door
Friday Afternoon, 3rd March:       12 pm to 5 pm       – £15.00 on the door
Friday Evening, 3rd March:           5 pm to 11 pm      – £15.00 on the door
Saturday Afternoon, 4th March:   11.30am to 5 pm   – £15.00 on the door
Saturday Evening 4th March:        5 pm to 9.30 pm    – £15.00 on the door

Non CAMRA members gets you the following for your £15;

• Thursday and Saturday Evening; £4 Glass Deposit, £11 of Beer Vouchers
• Friday and Saturday Afternoon; £4 Glass Deposit, £8 of Beer Vouchers, £3 Entrance

Non CAMRA members gets you the following for your £15;

• Thursday and Saturday Evening; £4 Glass Deposit, £11 of Beer Vouchers
• Friday and Saturday Afternoon; £4 Glass Deposit, £10 of Beer Vouchers, £1 Entrance

You can join CAMRA on the day and enjoy the benefits of membership from day one.

You can buy additional vouchers during the session. Unused vouchers are refundable.

What is CAMRA?

Just 4 real ale fans got together way back in 1971 and formed CAMRA. They are support good beer, ciders and much more and are recognised as a hugely successful consumer organisations across Europe. Today CAMRA represents beer drinkers and pub-goers across the UK. They have been instrumental in reinvigorating traditionally brewed ales and saving wonderful pubs and breweries across the UK.

Wooden Casks

CAMRA’s Wigan Beer Festival 2023 Website

Cheers, Prost, Salut and Enjoy #WinstanleyWO