Cutting-edge Craft and a scoop of Nostalgia on the bar at KBF26

Your much-loved and long-awaited beer festival is coming back on 28 to 30 May 2026. We’ll be transforming the grounds of Egerton Primary School into a lively celebration of beer, cider, wine, gin and fizz. At the heart of this year’s festival is a celebration of brewing diversity, bringing together established favourites, a local collaboration and bold modern craft breweries.

One of the most anticipated pours of the weekend will be the return of a true northern icon on the Cask Bar: Boddingtons Bitter, now newly revived and once again being brewed in Manchester. Known affectionately as “The Cream of Manchester,” Boddingtons holds a special place in UK beer history, and its reappearance with Manchester brewing marks a significant moment for traditional cask ale lovers. Its smooth, sessionable profile and nostalgic appeal are expected to make it one of the most talked-about beers at the festival.

Paul Buttrick, ex-Head Brewer at Boddingtons and retired volunteer for the Knutsford Beer Festival met with the Boddingtons team for a fresh pour of the returning beer and a trip down memory lane about his time at the Brewery. Here’s what he said about seeing the beer coming back to the festival and once again being brewed in Manchester, he told us:

            “It’s lovely to see this great beer coming back to Manchester and I’m really pleased the beer festival are putting it on the bar. Of course, the taste and flavour of Boddingtons has been etched in my brain ever since I was Head Brewer there and I have to say, the revamped Boddies is pretty good. It actually does look and taste very similar to the original. It still has a vibrant golden colour with a lovely creamy head. It's a very good malty moreish and satisfying beer which will go down very well at the festival.”

Alongside it, you can expect a standout lineup of contemporary craft beers on the Keg Bar pushing boundaries of flavour and style including a very unique beer that has been brewed especially for this year’s Beer Festival.

LOW FLYING PANIC ATTACK is an 11% Affogato Imperial Stout born from a collaboration between Hush Brewing and the Knutsford Beer Festival. David Morgan - volunteer on our Beer Team - teamed alongside the brewers to help craft the beer, making it a true community-led project. Inspired by the Italian dessert affogato, it blends deep roasted malt character with rich coffee influence and smooth vanilla ice cream notes. The coffee itself comes from local Weaverham roaster Creation Coffee, adding a distinctly regional touch to its indulgent profile. Big, bold and luxuriously dessert-like, it’s designed for slow sipping and serious stout lovers.

Pushing into lighter, fruitier territory, CALIFORNIA, a bold 6.5% West Coast IPA from the very local Weekend Project, comes bursting with citrus, pine and resinous hop character. Crisp, punchy and unapologetically hoppy, it reflects the brewery’s modern approach to classic American styles while staying rooted in the North West brewing scene.

For those seeking something more experimental, Rivington Brewery brings its vibrant and playful COSMOS, a 5% banana, mango and coconut sour. This tropical, fruit-forward beer blends sharp sourness with soft, creamy sweetness, creating a layered and refreshing pint that is expected to be one of the festival’s most distinctive flavour experiences.

Together, we hope the selection of beers on the Cask and Keg bars at Knutsford Beer Festival will represent the full spectrum of modern British brewing — from easy-drinking heritage ales to high-strength experimental creations that showcase the creativity driving the UK beer scene today.

MORE THAN JUST BEER!

While beer remains the our main attraction, you will also be able to enjoy a full range of drinks at the extended Morgan Edwards Wine, Fizz & Gin Bar, offering an alternative for those who prefer grapes or botanicals over hops. From crisp white wines and sparkling fizz to expertly mixed gin serves, there is something to suit every palate.

On Saturday afternoon, we will once again host our popular tasting masterclasses, giving you the chance to deepen your knowledge of beer brewing techniques and sample some non-beer alternatives in a fun way. It’s first-come first-served on the masterclasses and spaces are limited so we recommend you get there early.