Yearly archives: 2020

It remains uncertain when large scale gatherings will be able to resume.

However, with the possibility that Manchester Nightingale Hospital will continue to occupy Manchester Central into 2021, we can confirm that Manchester Beer & Cider Festival will not take place at Manchester Central in January 2021.

We hope to put on a festival when safe to do so during 2021, subject to a suitable venue being available. This will obviously need to conform to government health regulations and guidance to protect our customers and volunteers.

At this stage, we therefore cannot confirm when or where a festival will be held, but further updates shall be announced as and when we can. In the meantime please continue to support your local pubs, clubs, breweries and cider makers – and above all, stay safe.

We at MBCF recognise these are tricky times for beer and cider lovers. We trust you are keeping safe, and supporting breweries and pubs who are managing to supply your favourite drinks.

We are working to bring the festival back to Manchester early next year, and monitoring government and CAMRA guidance on the return of large-scale gatherings in the UK. With the current uncertainty, we are not yet able to confirm dates for the 2021 event.

When we are able to promote a festival that is safe for all our customers, supporters and volunteers, we will bring you more news.

In the meantime, CAMRA’s Pulling Together initiative includes details of over 3000 pubs and breweries who are offering takeaway and delivery services during these times.

www.camra.org.uk/pulling-together

Thanks to all 14,402 who came to MBCF20, supped our beers and ciders and (we trust) enjoyed yourselves at the North’s biggest festival.

We doubled the size of our Beers from the Wood bar, laying our hands on every wooden cask we could find. Despite this, you conspired to drink the bar dry on Saturday afternoon. Unlike the other 24 bars in the festival, we can’t simply have a reserve stock to replenish if demand exceeds supply. Perhaps we’ll hide that bar in a dark corner next time…

The number of repeat visitors – we know, thanks to those of you who completed our three-question survey while voting for your favourites – suggests we get most things right. But as organisers we commit to reviewing each part of the festival. No event flourishes by saying “but we’ve always done it this way.”

Several of our team are standing down – to be confident of putting on the festival next year, we’re going to need new people (with new ideas) to join us and shape the future of MBCF. Learn more about joining the team here.

MBCF 2020 started set up on 19th January, opening to the trade on the 22nd and then the public from 23th to 26th. And then it was all packed away again.

Now you can revisit the whole eight days in just over six minutes thanks to Manchester Central’s time lapse camera.

See 400 volunteers erecting stillage, brewers drays offloading, beers being prepared, you the public coming and going and those volunteers packing it all up again…..