Tameside Beer Festival
The Beer Festival is not a new idea. The first events were organised by the Round Table in conjunction with the Canals Festival that used to be held near Portland Basin.
The original idea was to raise some money towards the “End Polio Now” campaign. This is an initiative of Rotary International working with the World Health Organization started in 1985 with the intention of eradicating Polio from the world. Rotary has raised over $1.8 billion and now there are only two countries with reported cases of Polio
The event proved to be a success and raised about £1,200.
In 2012 the festival aimed to raise funds for WaterAid another Rotary supported charity. This was the first year that we started using the cartoon logo that was created and donated by the late Tony Husband.
From 2013 onwards it was decided to support some local charities. Rather than the few hundred pounds that Ashton Rotary had traditionally given to a number of local charities, the money raised from the beer festival could be significant and make a difference. In 2013, the money was split between Alzheimer’s Society and Rotary’s “Shelter Box”. In 2014 it was shared between Willow Wood Hospice and Rotary’s Disaster Aid UK & Ireland. By 2015 the profits had risen to well over £3,000 and the money was split between “Breast Cancer Now”, “Prostate Cancer UK” & “Friends of Tameside Young Carers (FOTYC)”. Over the years the festival has gone from strength to strength, the profits (all donated to charities) has steadily risen.
In 2016 Tameside Rotary was formed and took over from Rotary Club of Ashton, which had closed, the organisation of Tameside Beer Festival. Many members who had previously been in the Ashton Club transferred to Tameside Rotary and brought with them the knowledge and experience of running such a successful event
The Beer Festival was a huge gamble for a relatively small group of people. We had the cost of the hall, beers, advertising, printing and others which cost about £6,000 before any money was raised. Fortunately, with the generosity of the people and companies that advertise, sponsor the barrels and t-shirts everything worked out.
One of the big problems with this kind of event is the weather and security. We have been fortunate that we could hire Stalybridge Civic Hall with the Old Market Hall providing an ideal venue. In 2023 & 2024 due to roof restoration works at Stalybridge Civic Hall, the event moved to the wonderful Hyde Town Hall. This year it returns to its roots at the fabulous Stalybridge Civic Hall. Staff at both venues have been enormously helpful in making this annual event such as success. Tameside Beer Festival has gone from strength to strength and last years event raised funds to enable Tameside Rotary to donate £5000 to two nominated charities and many local causes.
There is live music throughout the festival and we’ve tried many different styles from folk, soloists, Oompah, choirs, rock and punk. We try to encourage local bands where possible and a number of the bands kindly play just for expenses and on occasion they’ve even given that back.
Copyright © 2025 Tameside Beer Festival. All rights reserved.