Sarah Gibson MP Opens Chippenham Beer and Cider Festival

Chippenham’s Beer, Cider and Perry Festival was a roaring success this year, with all three sessions selling out and nearly 1,500 people coming through the doors.

Festivalgoers packed into the event across the weekend to sample a huge range of drinks, and it wasn’t long before all 23 ciders and perries had completely sold out — with just one lone barrel surviving until Saturday night!

The beer barrels were a little more resilient, with a choice of 42 different beers still available by the end, but organisers said most were snapped up by the festival’s close.

Branch Chair Don Steele said the event had been a huge success for Chippenham:
"We were delighted with the successful and popular Chippenham Beer, Cider and Perry Festival this year, with all sessions selling out. There was a great atmosphere and the fantastic range of 100 beers and ciders on offer being complimented by the live music and hugely popular freshly cooked food. We are grateful to our Festival Chair, Judith Brown, who pulled it all together, and of course to all the willing and cheerful, hard working volunteers who make it all possible. We are already thinking about next year’s Festival which will be on the 24th/25th April 2026."

Visitors were full of praise for the weekend, describing it as a “great time” with “fantastic volunteers” — and many are already counting down the days to next year.

The festival was officially opened by Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson, who also presented CAMRA’s Pub of the Year award to local favourite The Old Tavern.

Sarah Gibson MP said:
"It was a real honour to open this year’s festival. The range of drinks, the brilliant atmosphere, and the community spirit made it a real highlight for the town. Huge congratulations to The Old Tavern on their well-deserved award, and a big thank you to the volunteers who made it all happen. I can’t wait to come back next year!"

The event is now firmly established as one of Chippenham’s highlights, at a time when events like this are more important than ever for the hospitality industry.