The Beer Idiots’ festival and special events calendar is full of great events in Belgium and nearby. However, a few names have fallen off the list, notably Zythos as the organisation has a re-think on its direction.
Don’t forget the Beer Idiots’ Belgium Beer Week. If you are are bar, brewer or event holder sign up for a great week 25 August – 1 September to celebrate Belgian beer culture in imaginative ways.
Remember, things change, so please check the links to the site for changed dates/venues/cancelled events. It happens!
If we have missed any events, do not hesitate to contact us at contact@idiots.beer. It’s gonna be another incredible year of meeting people, all for you.
2024 Festivals and events
February 23-25: Week-End Bières Spéciales à Sohier
Sohier puts on the 30th edition of this festival featuring about 100 beers, making it one of the oldest beer festivals in Belgium. It is a bit out of the way in Wallonia so plan your trip accordingly. Facebook.
February 26: Beer Experience expo
This expo featuring 50+ exhibitors is being held at De Koninck brewery from 11-19h. It is hosted by Becomev, which also runs the Brussels Beer Challenge.
March 9-10: Mechelen Beer Festival
A fun festival held in the town’s historic square.
March 16: Lichtaarts Bierfestival
About 100 beers are on the menu at this local fest in Lichtaart. Everyone is welcome on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at the Ligahof in Lichtaart from 2 p.m.
March 23-24: The Beer Experience
In 2022 we went to the inaugural edition of The Beer Experience at the old colliery buildings in Heusden-Zolder (Limburg). The festival combines craft beer with music, talks, and food surrounded by the historical equipment of the former coal mine. It features some of Belgium’s best craft and artisanal breweries. Not to be confused with the Beer Experience expo held in February.
This 8th edition takes place at the Grand-Place of Louvain-la-Neuve from 1:00 pm to 11:00 pm each day and features 20 brewers and 70 beers.
March 30: Kastels Bierfestival
Set in Kasterlee, this festival is organised by Kastelse Biervereniging, a group of homebrewers who have produced four beers so far.
April 12-14: Hoppe International Craft Beer Fest
This festival features cans and bottles of Belgian and international beers and encourages bottle sharing at the GC De MARc/kT in the center of Merksplas.
April 19-20: Fest’ IPA
This celebration of IPA styles features about 50 beers and is held at La Nef in Namur, Belgium.
April 20: Zwanze Day
Cantillon is now holding Zwanze Day every two years in alternation with Quintessence. Zwanze was cancelled in 2023 and is being held in 2024, followed by Quintessence in 2025. Zwanze day marks the release of a special geuze at the same time at selected bars in Belgium and around the world. In the video Jean Van Roy, Cantillon’s owner and brewer, speaks about the reason he started Zwanze day.
April 27: Koerselse Biermarkt
The Koerselse Biermarkt is held in Beringen, Belgium and offers 100 beers to taste and entertainment, including live bands and an annual football tournament.
April 27-28: Twisting the Fate 2024
He may have left us in 2022, but the spirit of Armand Debelder lives on at Brouwerij 3 Fonteinen in the people and in the brews. Twisting the Fate is always and incredible event at the brewery and in the sunshine (most years). You get to taste limited edition lambics that have been aged on different types of wood. That is you can normally only drink them at the brewery at Lot (Beersel).
May 2-4: La Cité De La Bière
Held at the Musée de la Vie Wallonne in Liège, this festival features local brewers in the area and a few international ones. Keep track on Facebook.
May 3-5: Poseidon Beerfest 2024
This first festival is hosted by Poseidon Beers at Puurs-Sint-Amands. This beer festival is organised by Poseidon Beers, voted ‘Best beer trade of the year’.
May 4-5 2024: Toer de Geuze
These are the days when the geuze and lambic brewers and blenders open their doors to the public. Expect bus loads of people from all over the world touring these breweries, some of which only open to the public for the event.
May 5: Great Breweries Marathon
You can walk or run the marathon or 25 km course, which features a run past Duvel Moortgat, Bosteels Brewery and Palm & De Hoorn breweries. Yes beer is served during and after. And you collect a beer package to take home. A Duvel awaits you at the finish. It all starts at Duvel Moortgat Brewery.
May 12: Beerlovers Marathon 2024
The Beer Lovers’ Marathon is a running race and a 42.195-kilometers party. The theme this year is prohibition, the era of the roaring ’20s. Get dressed up and run. There will be 16 Belgian beers served along the route and afterwards. Facebook.
May 16-19: Summer Beerlovers’ Festival
This festival in Liège features craft brewers, cocktails, wine, street food and music. Check their Facebook page for regular updates.
May 26-30: EBC Congress and Brewers of Europe Forum 2024
It’s not a festival, but a font of knowledge and a gathering of the best brains in brewing. The Beer Idiots went to the Forum in Prague in 2023 and found it’s a great platform to take the pulse of brewing in Europe and around the world. This year it is a joint EBC Congress and Brewers Forum, hosted by the EBC and the Brewers of Europe in Lille, France. Facebook.
June 1: Maldegems Bierfestival 2024
This one day festival is held in Maldegems by the Waterbek social club. This year’s list of featured breweries includes Brouwerij Braugias, Brasserie-Dupont, Den Herberg, Lupulus, Brouwerij Van Steenberge, Skøllmann Brewery, Brouwerij Kestemont, Ambrazar and Cobblestone.
June 14-15: Bière à Enghien
2024 is the 9th edition of this festival, which is hosted at la Grand Place d’Enghien.
June 21-23: Bier Aan Zee 2024
Beer by the Sea seems to be a new festival in Middelkerke. We wait to see which brewers they feature!
July 20-21: HOPZ! 2024
This free beer festival takes place in Hamont Achel, where about 15 brewers are featured. Facebook.
July 27: Illegaal Feestjes
This festival by Brasserie Illegaal is true to form – the brewery is devoted to funding/supporting the arts in what they call ‘brewing for culture’ and this year features a host of musicians. Facebook.
July 27: Misery Fest 2024
Misery Beer Co. hosts this festival at their amazing location in Aywaille/Harzé. This is the fourth edition and it is already sold out, so you will have to wait for the 2025 edition. As the founders put it: ‘The best event of the summer, with music, beer and the energy of despair in BBQ sauce’.
August 14-15 Internationaal streekbierenfestival
This regional festival in Zwevegem attracts over 12,000 visitors every year who come to enjoy more than 120 regional beers. Some 35 breweries from home and abroad are invited.
August 17: Gents Bierfestival – cancelled for 2024
This is mainly a bottle and can festival, however a few craft brewers also show up to pour some great beers. It’s a nice event put on by the city’s passionate beer club. Facebook.
August 24-25: Leuven Innovation Beerfestival
Brouwerij Hof ten Dormaal hosts this exclusive festival every April. It is truly a festival of discovery as the Janssens invite only the brewers they love and who are cutting edge. Keep track of their Facebook page to find out when and where.
August 26-September 1: Belgium Beer Week 2024
Yep, the Beer Idiots have to put on a festival, and this celebrates Belgian beer here in Belgium and across the world. It’s a co-creation event. Events are put on by the participants themselves, of which there are hundreds in Belgium, the UK, Austria, Germany, Poland, Brazil, Hong Kong, South Korea….the list goes on. Bars, brewers and event holders can participate by signing up here. Check our Facebook page for updates.
August 31: Bier Van Olier
This one-day festival is held in Sijsele, Belgium. Info here: www.biervanolier.be
September 5-8: Gebrande Winning ‘Casino Totale 004’
Casino Totale, 4 days and beers from 25 international breweries. Of course there will be cooking and food at Gebrande Winning restaurant. It’s on the beer trail. Sunday is the day for local breweries. It’s in Sint Truiden.
September 6-8: Open Beer Days
Open Beer Days are for everyone: young and old, beer lovers and families says 3 Fonteinen. Where: lambik-O-droom, Molenstraat 47, 1651 Lot. When : Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September: 12PM – 8PM.
September 6-8: Belgian Beer Weekend
The date has not been officially announced yet as of January. Held at the Grand Place in Brussels by the Belgian Brewers association, this event features parades, bands and pomp among the 50 or so breweries serving beers to about 61,000 visitors over the weekend.
September 7-8: Festival des Bieres de Nivelles 2024
We don’t know much about this festival but it is held in the main square of Nivelles where you can drink ‘quelques’ beers according to the organisers.
September 7-8: Wanderlust
This Brussels festival, held by the Brussels Beer Project, will be held again at Place Sainte-Catherine.
September 14-15: Brugs BierFestival
This festival BBF24 will be the sixteenth edition and takes place in the Bruges Meeting & Convention Centre in the city centre with +/- 70 breweries and beer companies featuring 500 beers.
September 28-29: Dag(en) van de Oude Geuze
Held at Streekproducten Centrum (Regional Products Centre) in Halle by De Lambikstoempers beer club (to which I belong) it features bottles from every brewer and blender of geuze and lambic in Belgium, served up by club members. You will also find a lot of the brewers holding court over the two days. The Beer Idiots are usually among the last to leave it’s so good. A fantastic fest in a parking lot that’s not to be missed.
September 28-29: BXLBeerFest
Kevin Desmet, co-organiser of the BXLBeerFest, speaks about brewers and friends and bringing everyone together at Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium. The beer festival attracts about 60 brewers. Check Facebook for info when the dates are set. See our photos here.
October 5-6: Modeste Beer Festival
Held with in Antwerp around the first weekend in October by Antwerps Bier College at iconic city brewer De Koninck, this festival features beers from about 25 small Belgian breweries. No date has been set yet but you can keep track at the unofficial Facebook page.
October 4-5 2024: Ood Bruin Fest (cancelled)
What is Flanders red ale? We were at the `t Verzet’s inaugural Ood Bruin Fest in Kortrijk to taste the many varieties of the style, which has evolved in many branches (and sometimes even oak leaves) from the early days when Rodenbach developed the style (also known as Flemish red-brown). The festival attracted 23 other brewers from Belgium and around the world to show their variations on the style. Check out our photo gallery of the festival taken on 8 October 2022. Tickets are now on sale at the site. Facebook.
October 12: Bottles and Barrels Craft Beer Festival
The fourth edition of this beer festival features about 10 breweries in Eppegem.
October 12: Bierhappening
This festival is held in Vijvers, Zottegem by the local beer club.
October 19-20: Brassigaume
Grégory Verhelst of Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles hosts the lovely festival Brassigaume in Marbehan. It’s well worth the trip.
October 18-20: Hoppy Days – Liège Beer Festival
A hundred Belgian and foreign beers at the Palais des Congrès de Liège.
This festival is held in Poperinge, the centre for many of the remaining hop farmers in Belgium. This lovely little festival is held in the square near the Hop Museum and combines traditions with some of the best known and iconic Belgian brewers in the area (hint: including the nearby Trappist brewer).
October: Festibière Potes & Choucroute (cancelled)
No date has been set yet. The fest features more than 20 breweries around a hundred local and craft beers to taste at the Foyer communal de Gembloux.
October 27-28: Herentalse Bierfeesten
About 100 beers are offered here, some on tap.
November 8-9: Billie’s Craft Beer Fest
Tickets go fast at Stéfan Cauwenbergs’ world-famous Billie’s Craft Beer Fest at Waagnatie Expo & Events, in Antwerp, Belgium. It is one price and what you can taste. Certainly, it is not to be missed. Facebook.
November 9-10: Bière a Lille (BAL) Le Grand Final 2024
We list this here as it is such an incredible festival and showcase of French and international beer. They even have a special section for Belgian brewers. Video: Nicolas Lescieux of l’Échappée Bière, one of the organisers of the Bière a Lille (BAL), talks about the growth of craft beer in France and takes us on a walk among some of the brewers. The festival hosts events from 4-10 November with the beer fest on the weekend at Gare Saint-Sauveur.
November 30: Winters Bierfestival
Winters Bierfestival is organised by Waregemse Biervrienden, a group of friends that have been brewing together in Waregem, where the festival is held. It features 11 brewers this year.
December 14-15: Kerstbierfestival, Essen
Kerstbierfestival ends the year with some heavy beers and drinking in Essen. Tickets run out fast as the space is limited and it is one of the great beer events in Belgium. Some 200+ Christmas beers are featured. Tickets presales from September 1.
2025
Internationaal Geuze & Kriek Festival (Nacht Van De Grote Dorst) 2025
Also known as Internationaal Geuze & Kriek Festival, this fabulous festival celebrating geuze and kriek is held every two years at a fabulous bar in Dilbeek. It is one of the great showcases of geuzes and lambics.
Zythos Bierfestival (suspended)
Zythos was cancelled in 2024 due to ‘organisational’ reasons. Let’s hope it is on in 2025. With more than 500 Belgian beers on offer, the Zythos Beer Festival is the largest showcase in the world for the made-in-Belgium brand.
Tilquin British Beer Festival 2025
Pierre Tilquin puts on a fine festival for two days in Rebecq (Bierghes), Belgium. It is usually held every two years, so don’t miss this one! It is an excellent coda to a month that includes Zythos and Leuven Innovation. About 15 British breweries are usually featured. Keep checking the Facebook page for this year’s beer list, and tickets (which run out fast).
Aarschotse Bier Wandeling
Held in Aarschot this festival involves taking a pub walk around the town. You choose your own route and go on a beer discovery. You can taste more than 45 different beers spread over the participating bars. You can return your full card to any participating catering establishment to participate in a draw for a prize.
July: Namur Capitale de la Bière et du Terroir Festival, Namur (suspended)
Namur Capitale de la Bière et du Terroir Festival features a mix of traditional family-run brewers, bigger brands that produce lots of suds, and craft brewers. Co-organised by Emilien Watelet and Sébastien Legrain, it’s Wallona’s largest beer festival, in a part of Belgium that does not feature a lot in the geek calendar.
May: Festival de Gueuze
Held in Aalst. It is hosted by Kultuurcafé De Gaadvis.
June: Swafff! (suspended)
This festival is a Brussels’ favourite run by Grégoire Rifaut of Dynamo – Bar de Soif and Sébastien Albanese of Le Barboteur.
July: Dok Brewing Festival (suspended)
This lovely festival at Dok Brewing in Ghent is a chance to taste some innovative beers from Belgium’s finest craft brewers and some international ones. It’s Dok and friends and we love them all. No date has been set yet.
August: North Sea Beer Festival (suspended)
We are not sure if this festival is being held anymore (we could not find a way to contact the organisers). However a festival on a beach in Oostende is a fantastic way to end a summer. Keep checking the link above to find out whether it revives after being cancelled in 2020.
September: Dag van de Lambiek 2024
This is an event held at In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst bar/cafe in Lennik, Eizeringen every two years.
We are planning our trip to Belgium around the Dag(en) van de Oude Geuze festival on Sept. 28, 29. We are very excited that this lines up with our schedule, as we are not only all brewers but avid fans of Belgian beers, especially sours. Hoping to find more information on tickets and places to stay close by.