Thursday 2 – Saturday 4 October, 2025 in Troon Concert Hall.

Planning meetings have started for the 24th Ayrshire Real Ale Festival which opens on Thursday 2 October 2025 at 12 noon for CAMRA members, or 2pm for non-CAMRA members.

We’re just a short 10 minute walk from Troon railway station (hopefully no major restrictions unlike last year!) and even closer from the local bus stops which serve Irvine, Dundonald/Kilmarnock and Prestwick/Ayr.

Overall, we will have around 150 cask ales, 25 real ciders and perries, some low/no-alcohol beers, wine and soft drinks, along with the provision of hot snacks and musical entertainment. More details nearer the time of the festival.

Tickets will be available on the door only, so come along early with some friends, grab a seat and enjoy the weekend. 

The festival organisers would like to say a huge “Thank You” to everyone who supported the 2024 beer festival and for making it a great success.

Attendance increased with over 2,300 people enjoying 151 different cask ales and 20 real ciders and perries. Our ‘new’ entrance at the opposite end of the building worked very well and gave us more space (and it was less draughty for the volunteers!)

Our themed “Champions Bar” in the Walker Hall was extremely popular, but the first beer to run out was from our newest brewery in Ayrshire – Blackshaw Brewery’s Blackshaw Mild. We also sold all of our ciders by early on Saturday evening. Ayrshire Riviera Cider’s Culzean was voted as Cider of the festival. A big shout out to all our sponsors, and to our 101 volunteers who helped out at the festival – we couldn’t have managed to run the festival without your support. You can view a selection of photos from the festival by clicking here.

Mighty Oak Captain Bob was voted as our Beer of the Festival – the presentation will take place on Wed 29 Jan at 1.30pm at the Mighty Oak brewery in Maldon, Essex followed by a brewery visit and then a visit to their Tap Room in High Street, Maldon. The date has been chosen to coincide with the Colchester Winter Beer Festival in case members wish to explore the area. Members should make their own travel and accommodation arrangements, but Matt Miller, our social secretary, is willing to coordinate them if anyone wants to get in touch. Contact Matt on 07734 500934 or social@awcamra.org.uk. Suggestions for places to stay include Chelmsford, Colchester or Maldon itself, and local travel is possible by bus or train depending on location.

Finally, a very big thank to everyone for their generosity in supporting our festival charity, Ayrshire Cancer Support. An amazing sum of £3,039.04 was raised via collecting cans, the sale of raffle tickets and donations via unused money left on the festival’s beer token cards. The cheque presentation was held at our festival volunteers’ social in the Twa Dugs, West Kilbride. More info on the charity at www.ayrshirecs.org

Date for your Diary:
Next year’s festival will be held on 2-4 October 2025.