The 10 Best Beer Festivals in the World in 2027

Direct Answer

For 2027, the best overall beer festival is Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, where a one-liter Maß of festival beer costs about €15–€16.50 and roughly six million visitors fill the Theresienwiese over 16–18 days. The best value is the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, where a single session ticket around $95–$115 includes unlimited one-ounce pours from more than 500 breweries.

This list is for beer travelers choosing a destination festival, with costs ranging from a few euros per pour up to session passes near $115. Every festival below is real, with real venues, dates, and pricing, ranked on beer selection, scale, atmosphere, and value.

1. Oktoberfest, Munich 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Oktoberfest on Munich's Theresienwiese is the world's largest folk festival, running from mid-September to the first weekend of October. The 2027 edition is expected from about September 18 to October 3.

Entry to the grounds is free; you pay per drink, with a one-liter Maß running roughly €15–€16.50 in 2027 across the 14 large tents. Only six Munich breweries — Paulaner, Spaten, Hofbräu, Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, and Löwenbräu — may be served, brewing to the Reinheitsgebot purity standard.

It ranks #1 for unmatched scale, the iconic tent culture, and centuries of tradition since 1810, when it began as a celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig. Each large tent has its own character — Hofbräu draws international crowds, Augustiner is prized for serving from wooden barrels, and the Schottenhamel is where the mayor taps the first keg with the cry of "O'zapft is!" to open the festival.

Beyond beer, the Theresienwiese hosts a full fairground with roller coasters and the giant Riesenrad Ferris wheel, plus roast chicken, pork knuckle, and pretzels the size of dinner plates. Best for travelers who want the definitive beer festival experience.

2. Great American Beer Festival, Denver 💎 BEST VALUE

The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) at the Colorado Convention Center is the premier U.S. Craft-beer event, expected in late September/early October 2027. It hosts the country's largest professional beer competition.

A session ticket runs about $95–$115 and includes unlimited one-ounce pours from more than 500 breweries serving 2,000-plus beers — a remarkable variety per dollar. Members of the Brewers Association and American Homebrewers Association get early access.

It ranks #2 overall and earns 💎 BEST VALUE for the sheer breadth of craft beer included in one ticket. The accompanying competition is the most prestigious in American craft beer, with gold, silver, and bronze medals across roughly 100 style categories awarded by hundreds of trained judges.

The festival floor is organized by U.S. Region, so you can taste your way across the country geographically, and themed areas highlight categories like sour beers, barrel-aged stouts, and gluten-free options. Best for craft-beer fans who want to sample widely in one place.

3. Great British Beer Festival, London

The Great British Beer Festival (GBBF), run by CAMRA, celebrates real ale and cask beer, typically held in August at a London venue such as Olympia. 2027 dates are expected in early August.

Entry runs about £15–£20, and beers are bought by the third-, half-, or full-pint at roughly £2–£6 per measure, with hundreds of cask ales, ciders, and perries on offer. It's the spiritual home of traditional British cask beer.

It ranks #3 for the world's best showcase of cask-conditioned real ale. Run by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), a consumer group founded in 1971 to protect traditional brewing, the festival pours beer served the British way — unfiltered, unpasteurized, and conditioned in the cask.

The "Champion Beer of Britain" award is announced during the festival, and the bars are arranged by region so you can compare a Yorkshire bitter against a London porter side by side. Best for travelers who love traditional British beer styles.

4. Belgian Beer Weekend, Brussels

The Belgian Beer Weekend fills Brussels' Grand-Place each September, expected around early September 2027. Organized by the Belgian Brewers guild, it gathers dozens of national breweries.

Entry is free; you buy a tasting glass for about €10 and tokens for pours of Trappist, lambic, and abbey ales at roughly €1.50–€3 each. The UNESCO-listed square setting is spectacular.

It ranks #4 for world-class Belgian beer styles in a stunning plaza. Belgium's brewing heritage was recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2016, and the weekend gathers dozens of the country's brewers to pour everything from Trappist ales made by monks at abbeys like Westmalle to spontaneously fermented lambics and fruit krieks.

Each beer is traditionally served in its own branded glassware, and the medieval guildhalls surrounding the Grand-Place make the setting one of the most beautiful of any beer festival. Best for fans of Trappist and sour beers.

5. Zythos Beer Festival, Leuven

The Zythos Bierfestival (ZBF) in Leuven, Belgium, is one of the country's biggest beer-tasting events, held each spring, expected around April 2027. It features 100-plus breweries and 500-plus beers.

A tasting glass costs about €7–€9, with beer tokens around €1.50–€2.50 per pour. Because it's run for enthusiasts rather than tourists, prices stay low and the range is enormous.

It ranks #5 for incredible Belgian variety at modest prices. Best for dedicated beer geeks who want depth over spectacle.

6. Qingdao International Beer Festival, China

The Qingdao International Beer Festival is Asia's largest beer festival, held each August in the coastal city that gave the world Tsingtao. 2027 dates are expected from about late July to mid-August.

Entry to the beer-park grounds runs about ¥10–¥30 (roughly $2–$5), and international and Chinese beers are sold by the cup or pitcher at varied prices. The festival draws several million visitors annually.

It ranks #6 for scale and the chance to drink beer at its Chinese birthplace. The Tsingtao Brewery was founded in 1903 by German and British settlers, and the city retains German colonial architecture that gives the festival an unusual East-meets-West feel. Multiple beer-park zones across the city pour both Tsingtao and dozens of international brands, with nightly entertainment, parades, and fireworks during the roughly two-week run.

Best for travelers in Asia wanting a massive, affordable beer event.

7. Pilsner Fest, Plzeň

Pilsner Fest in Plzeň, Czech Republic, celebrates the birthplace of pilsner lager each October at the Pilsner Urquell brewery, expected around early October 2027.

Tickets run about CZK 400–700 (roughly €16–€28) and include access to the historic brewery grounds, fresh-tapped unfiltered Pilsner Urquell, and live music. You can tour the cellars where pilsner was invented in 1842.

It ranks #7 for drinking the original pilsner at its source. Best for lager lovers and brewing-history fans.

8. Mondial de la Bière, Montréal

Mondial de la Bière in Montréal, Canada, is one of North America's largest beer festivals, held each spring, expected around May/June 2027. It features hundreds of beers from Quebec and abroad.

Entry is free; you buy a sampling glass and tokens, with tasting pours running about CAD $1.50–$4 each. The festival emphasizes Quebec's thriving microbrewery scene.

It ranks #8 for strong value and a vibrant Québécois craft scene. Best for travelers in eastern Canada.

9. Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival

The Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival at Nacka Strandsmässan is Scandinavia's biggest, held over two weekends each autumn, expected around late September/early October 2027.

A day ticket runs about SEK 245–295 (roughly €22–€26), with tasting coupons sold for beer and whisky pours. Hundreds of beers and spirits from around the world are poured.

It ranks #9 for combining craft beer with a serious whisky selection. Best for travelers who enjoy both beer and spirits.

10. Asheville Beer Week / Brewgrass Festival

Brewgrass Festival in Asheville, North Carolina — one of America's densest craft-beer towns — runs each autumn, expected around September/October 2027, pairing local beer with bluegrass music.

A general-admission ticket runs about $55–$75 and includes unlimited samples from dozens of regional breweries. Asheville has more breweries per capita than nearly any U.S. City.

It ranks #10 for a tight, high-quality regional craft scene. Best for travelers exploring American craft beer in the Southeast.

How to Choose

• Decide free-entry vs. Ticketed. Oktoberfest, Belgian Beer Weekend, and Mondial de la Bière are free to enter (pay per drink); GABF, GBBF, and Brewgrass charge a ticket that often includes pours.
• Match the beer style to your taste. Choose Munich and Plzeň for lagers, Brussels and Leuven for Trappist and lambic, and GABF or Asheville for American craft hops.
• Think about scale. Oktoberfest and Qingdao are massive, multi-million-visitor events; Zythos and Brewgrass are smaller and more enthusiast-focused.
• Plan around the calendar. Most major beer festivals cluster in September–October, so you may have to choose between Munich, Denver, and Plzeň in the same window.
• Book lodging early for Oktoberfest. Munich hotels sell out months ahead and prices spike sharply during the festival's 16–18 days.

FAQ

Which beer festival is the best overall in 2027? Oktoberfest in Munich is the best overall for its unmatched scale, the 14 historic beer tents, and a centuries-old tradition since 1810. Entry is free, with a one-liter Maß costing roughly €15–€16.50.

What is the best-value beer festival? The Great American Beer Festival in Denver is the best value, since a single session ticket of about $95–$115 includes unlimited one-ounce pours from more than 500 breweries and 2,000-plus beers.

Which festivals are best for craft beer rather than mass lager? GABF in Denver, the Great British Beer Festival in London, Zythos in Leuven, and Brewgrass in Asheville focus on craft and traditional styles rather than mass-market lager, with hundreds to thousands of distinct beers.

Do I need to buy beer with tokens or cash? It varies. Oktoberfest takes cash or card per Maß, while Belgian Beer Weekend, Zythos, and Mondial de la Bière use a glass-plus-tokens system where you exchange tokens for each pour.

Bottom Line

Oktoberfest in Munich is the best overall beer festival for 2027 thanks to its scale, tent culture, and tradition, with €15–€16.50 liters and free entry. For the best value, the Great American Beer Festival in Denver offers unlimited pours from 500-plus breweries for a roughly $95–$115 session ticket.

Sources

• Oktoberfest / City of Munich — official Oktoberfest site (oktoberfest.de)
• Brewers Association — Great American Beer Festival official site (greatamericanbeerfestival.com)
• CAMRA — Great British Beer Festival official site
• Belgian Brewers — Belgian Beer Weekend official site
• Zythos vzw — Zythos Bierfestival official site
• Qingdao Municipal tourism — Qingdao International Beer Festival
• Pilsner Urquell — Pilsner Fest official site
• Mondial de la Bière — official Montréal festival site