46th Bedford CAMRA Beer & Cider Festival
Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th October 2024
Corn Exchange, St Paul’s Square, Bedford MK40 1SL
The new festival logo celebrates the 150th anniversary of Bedford Corn Exchange where our festivals have been held every year since 1978, except in 1988 when we moved west to Queen’s Park while the hall floor was renewed, and in 2020 when Covid-19 restrictions prevented us from holding one.
Admission. Opening times are Wed: 4pm to 11pm, Thu/Fri: 12 noon to 11pm, Sat: 12 noon to 10pm. CAMRA members pay £2 and non-members £5 at all times. Pay at the door in cash or by card – there are no advance tickets. Supervised children under age 18 will be admitted at no extra charge to a family area in the Howard Room upstairs on Thursday to Saturday until 5pm.
Unaccompanied under-18s will not be admitted at any time, proof of age may be required.
Layout. The general layout of the main hall will be similar to last year, with the beer stillage and bar running across the rear wall, allowing space for seating and tables in the hall as well as in the Howard Room upstairs. The foreign and craft beer bar will also be in the Howard Room. A lift is available between floors and from street level for disabled visitors.
Cloakroom. Coats and bags may be left in the basement cloakroom, which will be operated by RAFA Club Bedford members, for a small donation to charity.
Beer and Cider. We expect to offer 75 different cask beers and 21 brands of cider and perry on sale at a separate bar along the side of the hall. A small range of about 10 draught foreign and British craft beers will also be available on KeyKeg dispense. A small range of German bottled beers will include two from Bamberg, Bedford’s twin city in Bavaria.
Glasses. Commemorative festival pint glasses with this year’s logo will be available for a refundable £5 deposit, or take one home as a souvenir. Neck lanyards used to hold glasses are not permitted at this festival.
Entertainers. Wednesday evening: Bedford Ukulele Orchestra
Thursday evening: Innis Eire band
Friday evening: Bedford Town Band
Saturday evening: Blues Brothers tribute band
Paul the magician will perform a magic show for children on Saturday afternoon, followed by light mobile comedy for adults in the evening.
