Beer Festivals Near Jesmond
From CAMRA's flagship Newcastle festival to Ouseburn taproom events and summer beer fests on the coast — the best beer festivals within easy reach of Jesmond.
Jesmond sits at the centre of one of England's most interesting brewing regions. Wylam, Full Circle, Anarchy, Hadrian Border — the North East has more good breweries per head than almost anywhere outside London, and the festival calendar reflects it.
Here are the beer festivals worth knowing about, all within easy reach of Jesmond by Metro, bus, or a short drive.
Newcastle Beer & Cider Festival (CAMRA)
The biggest and longest-running beer festival in the region, now in its 48th year. Organised by CAMRA's Tyneside & Northumberland branch and held at Northumbria Students' Union — a short walk from Haymarket Metro, which is one stop from Jesmond.
The 2026 festival runs from Wednesday 15th to Saturday 18th April, with over 70 cask ales, 30 ciders, and a selection of craft keg, wine, and mead. Wednesday evening is the opening session (6pm-11pm); Thursday to Saturday run from midday. Tokens are 85p each, with a half pint costing roughly three tokens.
Admission is free for CAMRA members who book in advance. Otherwise, tickets are £5 on Wednesday and Saturday, and £10 on Thursday and Friday.
Best for: The region's flagship real ale event. Over 70 beers, walkable from Haymarket Metro, and free entry for CAMRA members.
The Cumberland Arms Beer & Cider Festivals
The Cumberland Arms in the Ouseburn Valley — a 10-minute walk downhill from Jesmond — runs its own beer and cider festivals throughout the year. With seven real ale hand pulls and six ciders on tap as standard, the pub already has serious drinking credentials, but the festival weekends take things further with guest casks, meet-the-brewer sessions, and live folk music in the herb garden.
Dates are announced on the pub's website and social media, so keep an eye on thecumberlandarms.co.uk for the latest schedule. The setting — a terraced garden overlooking the Ouseburn Valley — is hard to beat on a warm evening.
Best for: Intimate, community-run festivals with exceptional cask ale and cider. The garden views are a bonus.
Wylam Brewery Taproom Events
Wylam Brewery occupies the Palace of Arts in Exhibition Park, about a 15-minute walk from Jesmond or a short Metro hop to Haymarket. The tap room opens Thursday to Sunday and pours Wylam's full range — including the flagship Jakehead IPA — alongside guest beers on cask and keg.
Beyond the regular tap room sessions, the brewery hosts street food pop-ups, DJ nights, and seasonal events in its Grand Hall throughout the year. Their Pints & Pooches bank holiday events (in partnership with Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter) are particularly popular with Jesmond dog owners. Brewery tours run every Saturday at 11am.
While not a traditional beer festival in the CAMRA sense, the combination of fresh beer, street food, and a Grade II listed venue makes Wylam a regular fixture for Jesmond's beer drinkers.
Best for: Newcastle's best brewery taproom. Fresh Jakehead on-site, street food pop-ups, and Saturday brewery tours.
Sunderland Craft Beer Festival
A newer addition to the North East calendar, presented by Vaux Brewing at the Fire Station in Sunderland city centre. The 2026 edition runs on 26th and 27th July, featuring craft breweries from across the region — including Full Circle Brew Co. and Wylam — alongside local street food vendors.
Sunderland is roughly 25 minutes from Newcastle by Metro or train. The Fire Station is a striking arts venue in the city centre, and the festival has a younger, more craft-focused feel than the traditional CAMRA events.
Best for: The North East's craft beer scene in one venue. Metro-accessible from Newcastle Central.
Whitley Bay Beer Festival
Hosted by Rockcliff Rugby Club, this three-day festival runs from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th August 2026 and has been going for over a decade. It is a not-for-profit community event that draws over 1,000 visitors across the weekend.
The beer list emphasises local breweries, but the drinks menu extends to ciders, rums, premium gins, and a prosecco bar. Live music plays across all three days, with local street food stalls on site.
Whitley Bay is roughly 25 minutes from Jesmond on the Metro (change at South Gosforth for the coast line). Combine it with a walk along the seafront and you have a decent day out.
Best for: A relaxed, community-run festival by the coast. Good beer, live music, and an excuse to visit Whitley Bay.
Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge
One of the North East's longest-running and best-loved beer festivals, held at Tynedale Rugby Club in Corbridge. The 2026 festival runs from Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th June, with sessions spanning afternoon and evening.
The setting is lovely — a rugby club ground in the Tyne Valley with views across open countryside. Expect a strong selection of cask ales, ciders, and gins, plus live entertainment and food stalls. Corbridge is about 40 minutes from Newcastle by train (from Central Station), and the village itself is worth exploring.
Best for: A proper country beer festival in the Tyne Valley. Worth the train ride to Corbridge.
The Cluny and the Ouseburn Scene
While The Cluny does not run a formal beer festival, it is worth mentioning the broader Ouseburn Valley drinking scene. The converted flax warehouse at 36 Lime Street has a strong beer selection and a beer garden overlooking the valley, and the wider Ouseburn is home to several brewery taprooms and bottle shops.
On any given weekend, the walk from Jesmond down through the Ouseburn — taking in The Cluny, the Cumberland Arms, and the various studio open days — offers something close to an informal beer trail. The Ouseburn Open Studios weekends, typically held in spring and autumn, are a particularly good time to combine art and ale.
Best for: Not a festival as such, but Jesmond's nearest craft beer corridor. A 10-minute walk downhill from the Metro.
Tips for Festival-Goers
- Take the Metro. Most of these festivals are accessible by public transport from Jesmond Metro station. The last Metro runs around 11:15pm on weeknights, later at weekends.
- Join CAMRA. Membership costs £31.50 a year and gets you free entry to the Newcastle Beer & Cider Festival plus discounts at hundreds of pubs. It pays for itself quickly if you attend even a couple of festivals.
- Bring cash. Some smaller festivals still operate token systems. The Newcastle CAMRA festival uses 85p tokens.
- Start local. The Cumberland Arms and Wylam Brewery are walkable from Jesmond and run events year-round — you do not need to wait for the big annual festivals.
Know a beer festival we've missed? Get in touch.