A UK-wide beer week promoting independent beer, pubs, and people is returning for a second year, with a string of events set to take place in pubs, bars, and taprooms.
Indie Beer Week 2026 will take place from 10th-19th April (taking in two weekends), with pubs, breweries, and beer retailers running meet the brewer events, tap takeovers, beer festivals and more across the UK.
Indie Beer Week was launched by the Indie Beer campaign last year as part of a drive to make it easier for consumers to identify beers from genuine independent breweries, rather than global giants.
Last year, 118 breweries across the UK ran events as part of the inaugural Indie Beer Week, a number which organisers are keen to surpass in 2026.
“The response to the first Indie Beer Week last year was great, with a massive lineup of beer events happening across the UK and independent breweries of all shapes and sizes getting involved,” said Indie Beer spokesperson Neil Walker.
“It’s all about celebrating Indie Beer, grabbing the attention of new customers, or offering something fun and engaging to your existing ones — getting involved is as simple as submitting your event via the website.
“If you’re a brewery, pub, bottle shop, or venue selling independent beer and want to get involved, drop us a line and we can make Indie Beer Week 2026 even bigger and better.”
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The Indie Beer campaign now has 667 independent breweries actively enrolled. It has struck a chord with consumers, too, with 31% of young (18- to 24-year-old) beer drinkers now aware of the campaign.
The campaign was launched at the end of 2024 in response to confusion among consumers over which beers were independent. This was after YouGov polling found 75% of people surveyed believe consumers are being misled when purchasing beer from once independent craft breweries, such as Beavertown, Camden, and Fullers, which that are now owned by global beer giants Heineken, Budweiser and Asahi respectively. The figure for beer drinkers surveyed was even higher, with 81% of beer drinkers believing consumers are being misled.
The UK-wide Indie Beer Week is being run via IndieBeer.uk and social media channels. Any UK brewery, pub, or beer venue can apply to have an Indie Beer Week event added free of charge.
How to get involved
Indie Beer Week is open to all types of venue that serve or sell beer from local independent breweries, attracting new customers to venues or creating something interesting for regulars. Here are a few ideas for events.
Indie beer festivals
Beer festivals can be a great way to attract new customers and build your local following, so why not take advantage of the increased press and promotion opportunities of Indie Beer Week to run a festival, large or small, at one of your venues? Events can be prmoted via the Indie Beer social channels.
Tutored tastings
The consumer research conducted as part of the Independent Beer Report frequently shows that consumers increasingly look for an ‘experience’ when choosing where to spend their money, particularly among younger demographics. Tutored tastings can be a great way to offer this in a fun and engaging way. Talking people through a range of beers, discussing the beer styles and what makes each beer special, is a great way to get people thinking differently about beer and potentially convert some new beer-lovers.
Special offers and tasting flights
Running a special offer or a new Indie Beer Week tasting flight can be a great way to capitalise on the buzz of the event and drive some sales through your shop.
Tap takeovers
Tap takeovers can be a great way to get a range of local beers in front of new customers. Get in touch with local brewers to get more Indie Beers on the bar.
Meet the brewer events
Best done in conjunction with a Tap Takeover, Meet the Brewer events can be a great opportunity to engage with customers and talk them through the beers from a local brewery.
