There are a few more thank yous following this year's festival, and one right up there is to the drivers, conductors, mechanics, body workers, fitters, bus owners and enthusiasts of Wigan Transport Trust, without which we suspect many people wouldn't make it out to our out-of-centre venue. Cheers.

Big thank you post 2/2. The other big group of people without whom there would be no beer festival, is our customers. Whether you have been to many of our beer festivals, some of them, or this one was your first, thank you, and we very hope to see you again next year. Cheers. #2026WBF

Big thank post 1/2. There would be no beer festival without our staff, every single one of them a volunteer. Thank you so much for your time and talent in making this beer festival such a success. You are all greatly appreciated. And thank you Nick Fairhurst for these photos. #2026WBF

And here is one of our valued volunteers Tony Shaw breaking all his beer rules, enjoying a vanilla milkshake stout from the craft and foreign beer bar. Shocking 🤣 #2026WBF

Thank you Nadine, Aaron and Chris from Western Australia, who just might be our longest distance visitors. Well, ok, Aaron now lives locally, and Nadine and Chris might have been visiting him, but we'll take it. We are really pleased you all enjoyed it. See you next year 😁 #2026WBF

The brass band are warming up nicely playing living on a prayer, and you've turned out in great numbers. Plenty of room left though and plenty of beer, cider and gin left to see us through to 9 o'clock. Do join us and as a bonus it is free admission after 5 o'clock. We would love to see you #2026WBF

We have two Wigan Transport Trust vintage buses on today from 11.3O at Stand A at Wigan Bus Station, and then every half hour throughout the day until 8pm, a few minutes later at the stop opposite the Swan & Railway Hotel, and returning from outside the festival venue every half hour too #2026WBF

One last time indeed. On my way 🍺 @wiganbeerfest.bsky.social

And of course, we have Just the Cheese with us. Do not forget the cheese ❤️❤️

What were our 2026 beers of the festival you ask - yes? (1/2) Well, here they are. Our Brewed in Wigan Dark is Guardian Angel by Clay Brow Nano Brewery in collaboration with the Gasket and Pennington's; our Brewed in Wigan Pale is Heidrun by Problem Child Brewing; #2026WBF

Thank you to everyone who came to our Thursday evening session. Day 2 today from midday. See you later #2026WBF

Your chariot awaits. Full details available via this link: sites.google.com/view/wbforga.... We are very grateful to Wigan Transport Trust for their service. Please leave donations in the collection buckets. Cheers #2026WBF

They said we had Katy Perry appearing at the festival, but it turns out it isn't the internationally acclaimed American singer (she wasn't available), but a medium sweet apple and pear cider. Sounds delicious nevertheless and we have 25 other ciders too. Maybe she'll be available next year. #2026WBF

We also have 69 craft beers, including 12 lagers or wheat beers, 8 dark beers, 24 pale beers and 22 sours or fruit beers. Something for everyone, hopefully #2026WBF

Cask Ale list post 3 of 3 We are very fortunate in our CAMRA branch to have 5 fine breweries and Wigan Brewhouse, Wily Fox, Problem Child and Clay Brow are proudly represented on our cask ale bar with 10 beers. Do join us from 5.30pm on Thursday, midday on Friday and 11.30am on Saturday. #2026WBF

Cask Ale list post 2 of 3 On the dark side we have 31 beers on cask including 29 porters and stouts of great variety, an old ale and an unusual mild. They are ready and waiting for you. We open tomorrow at 5.30pm The full lists are here: sites.google.com/view/wbforga... #2026WBF

We have 58 'pale' cask ales, including an ultra pale, session IPAs, IPAs, NEIPAs, a West Coast IPA, a centrist pale, a kveik pale, an oat pale, hazy pales, blondes, goldens, a tropical ale, a ginger ale, a fruit ale, an English ale and bitters. Full list here: sites.google.com/view/wbforga...

Pick up a programme on entry - it's almost compulsory after all. The beer that's arrived is almost 100% in line with the programme notes. The only change is that a Torrside Brewing beer that didn't have a name now does. #2026WBF

We made so much progress today we could almost open 24 hours early, but the beer will benefit from the extra time to rest. Still no website. Beer posts within the next 24 hours. We open 5.30pm on Thursday. See you there. #2026WBF

We will be raising money for our friends and yours Wigan & Leigh Hospice again this year. Donations of cash and unspent beer tokens gratefully received for a great cause. It all starts at 5.30pm on Thursday. Cheers #2026WBF

Entertaining you on Friday from 8.30pm will be The Deevines, an R&B/pop and 80s tribute band. And on Saturday from 1pm, it will be Ryan James, a male vocalist, and at 4pm, Pemberton Old Wigan 8 piece brass band. How's that for variety. We can't wait. 4 days to go until be open. #2026WBF

Vintage shuttle bus timetable alert, starting from Stand A at the bus station and calling at Wallgate between the two rail stations. Provided by our friends at Wigan Transport Trust. Donations in the bucket will be very welcome. See you on Thursday, Friday and/or next Saturday. Cheers #2026WBF

We had a bit of a gathering to launch the beer festival at Wigan Brewhouse taproom recently. Pictured in that fantastic space are a few of our organisers, with brewer Jonny. It all starts a week tonight. We'll see you all very soon. Cheers #2026WBF Thank you to Nick Fairhurst for the photo

We have a temporary online presence until our website is mended: sites.google.com/view/wbforga... Beer lists etc. Cheers

It is a privilege to welcome the Albion Ale House Micropub as one of our main sponsors. Consistently Wigan CAMRA's community pub of the year, if you haven't visited you really should, and if you have, you really should again. And it's just over a week to go for us. See you very soon. #2026WBF

Thank you to Worldchoice Travel for again sponsoring our beer festival. Based in Market St, Wigan, they will be happy to help however far you want to travel, for how long, and for how much or how little you want help for the days in between. Do call in to see them, and do call in to see us. #2026WBF

It is great to welcome back Escape Brewery as one of our main sponsors and we will have two of their beers on our Real Ale Bar: Lynn's Eerie Adventure, a "bold, complex and zesty" pale with Simcoe hops, and Taxi for Cole, a traditional London Porter. Two to look out for. #2026WBF 5th-7th March

Yay, there's less than 2 weeks to go lovely people. Lots to share soon, including beer and cider lists and heritage bus timetables. Please keep a look out for our posts #2026WBF

A very big welcome to a new main sonsor, Motormec Ltd. They offer a friendly and trustworthy service ensuring your vehicle gets the best possible care: servicing, MOTs, tyre repairs, specialist clean, wheel alignment and more. Call 01257 425631 or visit motormecstandish.co.uk for details. #2026WBF

Langdon Customs & Excise Solutions is also a valued supporter of our festival. With more than 40 years of expertise, they help breweries and drinks businesses manage alcohol duty, bonded warehouse processes and HMRC compliance, so their products reach customers smoothly and safely. Cheers #2026WBF

It's not too late to sponsor a beer; get a group of 4+ people together; make sure 4pm onwards on Thursday 5th March is free; and have a superb evening sampling our beers and ciders. It's a great deal. Just visit beerfestival.wigancamra.org.uk/beer-sponsor... to sign up. Cheers. #2026WBF

The Swan & Railway Hotel is a highly valued supporter of our festival and it is such a valuable heritage, pub and beer asset for our town too. Located directly opposite Wigan NW station and very handy for our heritage shuttle bus service, it is @wigancamra.bsky.social Pub of the Year 2026. #2026WBF

Without Problem Child Brewing, would it even be Wigan Beer Festival? Doing great things at their brewpub in Parbold, easily accessible by train from Wigan and well worth a visit, we are again very grateful for their sponsorship and there will be a selection of their beers on our bars. #2026WBF

Thank you to our very own Wigan Brewhouse for once again being a main sponsor of our beer festival. They are brewing fine ales and it is just over three weeks to go now until the festival: 5th-7th March 2026. We hope you can join us. #2026WBF

It's great to welcome back @moorhousesbrew.bsky.social as a main sponsor of our 38th beer festival. They are rooted in the north west and brew some very popular beers, not least White Witch. It's less than 4 weeks to go now and you will find a couple of their beers on our bars. See you soon #2026WBF

It is superb to have Wily Fox Brewery back as a main sponsor again, and if you haven't been to their brewery taproom at Kellet Close yet, why not? We will have at least two of their beers on at the 38th Wigan Beer Festival, 5th-7th March. We hope you can join us. It's not long away now 🎉 #2026WBF

We also have the wonderful @blackedgebeers.bsky.social from Horwich back at the beer festival this year, and they are sponsoring our new 38th Wigan Beer Festival glasses. So, of course, you will be able to sample some of their wonderful beers with us, Thursday 5th-7th March. Is it a date? #2026WBF

We have the legendary Bank Top Brewery back with us at the 38th WBF from 5-7 March. We don't know which beers as yet but it's likely to be at least one of the two in photo 2. In relation to the one on the left, have you noticed the registration plates of the vans in photo 4. We love it. #2026WBF

We are delighted to have Rivington Brew Co back as a main sponsor and you will find 4 of their beers on our bars, three on our craft beer bar and one on our cask beer bar. Four more wonderful reasons to come to Wigan Beer Festival 5-7th March 2026. See you there. #2026WBF

No doubt "big" beer festivals are getting harder to run, whatever the model. But we're still lucky to have several medium size ones - ourselves, @wiganbeerfest.bsky.social , @skbeerfestival.bsky.social, Farm Trip included & some notable small ones like @salfordbeerfest.bsky.social and Indie Baum.

We are delighted that @thornbridge.bsky.social is one of our main sponsors and that we will have a St Petersburg style Imperial Stout at 7.4% brewed on their Union kit and Venn, a 4.2% Blonde on cask, and an 8.4% DIPA called Ouroboros on keg. It will be worth turning up just for those! #2026WBF

Why would you not sponsor a beer at WBF2026 (Thurs 5th-Sat 2026)? For £46 you get 4 special sponsors session tickets (from 4pm on 5/3) with £40 of beer tokens, 4 tickets for the Friday and/or Saturday and 4 free goes on our pub games (combined value £60 - last year's tickets shown as examples), 1/2

We have one main sponsorship left. If you would like your name / company name on the Wristbands that all attending have to wear, please email [email protected]. It's only £275 and you also get 6 sponsor session tickets, £60 beer tokens, 6 other sessions tickets, a banner plus 🍻

Happy New Year and best wishes for the whole of 2026 to you all. We hope it's full of highlights, including this one. Cheers 🍻

Good morning from my inbox where I have 14 (fourteen) pitches I would like to commission, but I don't have the budget to fund any of them. I keep banging on about this, but @pelliclemag.com needs more subscribers if it is to continue. Please spread the word. Patreon.com/pelliclemag

Just sayin' 😉

6 months to go folks We are now nearer the next one than the last one 🎉🎉🍺

Last night after our wash up meeting, we presented our Brewed in Wigan Pale Beer of the Festival award to Becca and Jonny of Wigan Brewhouse for their beer Red Light Spells Danger, and it was on fine form at their brewery tap. Well worth visiting 😍

For those of you who love our vintage festival bus service, there is another vintage bus and beer event on the near horizon, and it is a great day out. Highly recommended. Get the train to Burscough or Parbold and join in.