Trafford and Hulme branch social - Trip to Bradford Beer Festival

This month's trip takes us to the beautiful Victoria Hall, in Saltaire, for the Bradford Beer Festival which promises over 110 cask ales plus keg beers, ciders and perries.

The festival is offering free entry to CAMRA members, you need to buy a ticket in advance for the Saturday 11.30am to 4pm session (£7) and you will receive £7 of beer tokens when showing your membership card on entry.

Book at https://camra.org.uk/event/bradford-beer-and-cider-festival-83269

Entertainment will be from the Hall Royd Brass Band.

There's two options for trains from Manchester Victoria.

09:30 to Leeds, changing at Leeds for the 10:56 to Skipton, arrives at Saltaire at 11.10 (20 minutes before the festival opens).

10:01 to Leeds, changing at Leeds for the 11:26 to Skipton, arrives Saltaire at 11:40.

The Victoria Hall is approximately 5 minutes from the station.

Return trains for those leaving immediately after the festival closes are the 16:09, arriving back at Victoria 17:56 or the 16:38, arriving 18:17.

Alternatively, there are several excellent pubs near the festival including Fanny's Ale House, Number Twenty Four, Salt Beer Factory and the Cap & Collar.

More information on the festival is available from: https://bradford.camra.org.uk/3398-2/

Run by CAMRA volunteers, Bradford Beer and Cider Festival 2026 will showcase some of the best beer and cider the UK has to offer. 110+ Real Ales, Cider and Perry, Craft Keg Beers and selected wines. We will aim to have all 110 cask ales available at the start of every session including Saturday Evening. You will have the same choice of ales available for the first couple of hours on Saturday Evening as you would on Thursday Afternoon.

For the first time for many years we are offering FREE ENTRY TO CAMRA MEMBERS for every session of the festival. However, members will be required to pre-purchase beer tokens to the value of the entrance fee. How will this work?

For CAMRA members to ensure entry they should buy a ticket as normal but will have their entrance fee refunded in the form of beer tokens on production of a valid membership card on entry to the festival. All unused beer tokens are refundable at the glasses stand when you are leaving the festival, or you could donate them to the festival charity. A minimum of 30 tickets will be for sale on the door for all sessions on a first come first served basis. Bear in mind the Friday (both sessions) and Saturday Lunchtime session usually sell out before the festival begins, so we would strongly recommend buying a ticket in advance for these sessions. We cannot exceed the fire limit of the building, which is based on the number of fire exits, not the size of the hall. Please do not turn up to the busy sessions without a ticket and expect to get in straight away.

Tickets are now on sale in the following pubs - Junction (Baildon), Chip 'n' Ern (Bingley), Corn Dolly and Fighting Cock (Bradford), Cap & Collar (Saltaire) and The Fox (Shipley) and will continue until approximately 1 week before the festival opens. Any unsold from the pubs will then be transferred to online.

Entertainments: Thursday Evening - The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, Friday Evening - Leeds Project Big Band, Saturday Lunchtime - Hall Royd Brass Band, Saturday Evening - The Afterglow.

Food: Binns of Saltaire will be providing a range of food including vegetarian options.

No under 18s are allowed. Only assistance dogs will be allowed in the hall.