FAQs

Yes and you get Fast Track entry for the session you’ve booked! They are on sale now.

The St Lawrence site is much smaller than the racecourse so capacity is limited – though now more than 2023. Therefore we STRONGLY ADVISE you to buy your advance tickets here: York beer and cider festival 2024 tickets to avoid disappointment if they sell out.

Keep an eye on our social media for updates.

There is a CAMRA member discount of £2 per session and £3 for an all day ticket. Please link to your membership number when you buy your advance tickets here: York beer and cider festival 2024 tickets. You MUST show your membership card on entry.

Adult accompanied children are welcome any time up to 20:00, although the afternoon sessions are considered more appropriate. We will have an outdoor marquee, outdoor seating and in the church hall. Please note that at all times children will be the responsibility of their parents or carers.

Unlike the Knavesmire this is an unfenced and open site with access to the main road and the footpath along the side of the church. So please ensure your children are effectively supervised and well behaved at all times.

No – soft drinks only in plastic bottles are allowed.

Apart from Wednesday, the afternoon and evening sessions are separate bookings similar to many beer festivals.
Changeover time is 17:30. There will be specific wristbands to allow entry for each session.

We will offer drinking up time for afternoon session holders until around 17:30 and then start checking wristbands and asking you to leave the site.

You can buy a day ticket priced less than two full sessions and you will be able to purchase a top up ticket when you are enjoying the afternoon session so much you want to stay on.

Buy your advance tickets here: York beer and cider festival 2024 tickets.

Yes you can. We need volunteers to work selflessly on all aspects of the festival from setup to takedown, as well as when we are open.

We are recruiting volunteers (CAMRA members) to work in all areas of the festival. When you work a full session either behind the bar or in another capacity we will give you a drink and food allowance as a thank you. Where you volunteer for at least two sessions we will provide a t-shirt.

You can find out more in our Volunteering 2024 section. To apply please fill in the online 2024 staffing form on that page.

The virus remains in circulation and can be asymptomatic. Although the majority of people are now vaccinated, we ask you to be vigilant.

Should you have any flu-like symptoms at all – please think of others and stay away on this occasion.

YES.  We offer full colour 2024 Souvenir Pint glasses or 2023 Goblets which cost £3 each (non-refundable).

Where you are attending multiple days please re-use your glass. You can also bring your own glass providing it is CE marked and lined -eg previous Festival polycarbonates.

We don’t charge for glasses within the entry price as that brings problems with the many customers who attend on multiple days and don’t need/want to pay for a new glass every day.

Yes we do. Please contact comms@yorkbeerfestival.camra.org.uk.

Yes – our glasses are marked for thirds and half pint measures as well.

CARD and CONTACTLESS are our default payment methods and also for caterers. There are no beer tokens.

Previous visitors will know that we have a policy of keeping prices as reasonable as possible. Beers will be priced individually according to their strength (ABV) and broadly in line with pub prices.

If real ale isn’t your thing then there’s some great craft beers, continental lagers and cider on offer plus wines, meads and prosecco. Non-alcoholic beer, water and soft drinks will be available.

No smoking or vaping is allowed inside the church, hall or marquee. Please respect other guests in your vicinity.

Yes – it’s included with your admission price and comes with full tasting notes and much more! They will be available when you collect your glass and show your session wristband.

There is plenty of cycle parking on site. There is no onsite parking and limited on-street parking as we are just outside the city walls. We do not recommend driving to the festival unless you are a non-drinker. For those coming by train there are scheduled bus services between the station and the festival site.

Dogs are welcomed outside as long as they are kept under control and on a lead AT ALL TIMES.

Learning from our first year at St Lawrence we are moving to two sessions per day – Thursday through Saturday ie afternoon 12:00 – 17:30 and evening 17:30 – 23:00 plus a day ticket available. We are not closing between sessions though we will ask afternoon session ticket holders to leave or buy a discounted extension ticket.

Buy your 2024 tickets here.

On Wednesday 18 September afternoon entry is from 13:00 only for those with trade tickets, 15:00 for CAMRA members with the public from17:00. Entry is for the rest of the day.

We will have an outdoor marquee and along with the church and church hall we expect to accommodate everyone in the dry.

See the Location and travel page for details.

Make the most of it by staying for more than one day. There is a wide range of hotels and guest houses. You can explore and book using the Visit York website.

The cost of putting on a festival of this size is very significant. Admission charges go towards covering just some of the outlay on things such as site hire, marquee hire, toilets, fencing, electrics, bar equipment, scaffolding etc.

In 2023 York Racecourse added in a meeting during September which means that date was no longer available. Although we looked at other potential dates, the time required for Festival setup etc and that for the races means there was no longer a viable option to hold our beer festival on the Knavesmire.

We will endeavour to have the greatest range of beers throughout the festival and reserve the right to keep some back from sales if not ready for drinking. The range will diminish as beers sell out.

Where you can, why wouldn’t you want to come along Wednesday and Thursday?

We strongly advise you buy advance tickets for the sessions you wish to attend. Fast track entry is guaranteed for all advance purchase tickets and apart from just before opening we do not anticipate a queue.

Should you turn up on the day without a ticket we cannot guarantee entry to the festival unless there are unsold advance tickets. See our social media page for updates.

Yes – there will be a range of quality street food including vegetarian and vegan options. Details of our traders will be in the Food page of this website when confirmed.