Vaux Brewery launches new Sunderland Craft Beer Festival in hidden gem city centre space

A new city centre festival will raise a glass to independent UK craft beers and ciders.

Sunderland Craft Beer Festival 2024 is a new event being brought to the city by the team at the revived Vaux Brewery.

Taking place on Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27, 2024, the festival will give people the chance to try keg and cask brews from 15 different independent breweries, meet the brewers and hear the stories behind the brands, as well as enjoying street food and live DJ sets.

It's taking place at The Parade Ground. Something of a hidden gem in the city centre, it's a space created in a former car park at the back of The Fire Station which comprises its own bar, which will also be serving a range of cocktails and wines at the festival, seating, fire pits and large semi-covered stage.

Steve Smith from Roker-based Vaux said: "There's many people who still don't know about The Parade Ground, but it's a great space and is ideal for an event like this.

"Sunderland is such a vibrant city at the minute with all the investment and new places opening and having its own craft beer festival really ties in with that. There's more and more reasons for people in Sunderland to come out in Sunderland and spend their money here."

As well as the festival, there will be fringe events over the two-days at bars across the city with tap takeovers and battle of the breweries.

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It coincides with the fifth anniversary of Vaux Brewery, one of Sunderland's oldest brands and a Sunderland household name, which was brought back to life by Steve and business partner Michael Thompson in 2019.

They've since brought a number of new beers to the market, which are sold at bars around the country as well as at the taproom in Roker Retail Park.

This year, Vaux has also expanded the business into its own pubs, taking on two sites in the city.

Work is well underway on the new Elephant Rock site, a beachfront bar being created in the old Victorian shelter at the far end of Marine Walk in Roker, so called after the old rock formation which once divided Roker from Seaburn.

And in the city centre, preliminary works have started on the historic Bridge Hotel Vaults in High Street West.

One of Sunderland's oldest pubs, just opposite Pop Recs, it will be brought back as a Victorian-looking pub once more after previously being used by the Youth Offending Service as Lambton House, with its original name of Bridge Hotel Vaults reinstated.

It's also set to open its doors this year.

Tickets

Tickets for Sunderland Craft Beer Festival (SCBF) 2024 will go on sale for the event soon, priced £15, which includes an exclusive festival glass and programme. People can then purchase beer tokens at the event.

The breweries taking part will be announced closer to the time.

There will be three sessions - 6pm to 11pm on Friday, July 26 and two on Saturday, July 27, from 12pm to 5pm and 6pm to 11pm. There will also be an additional session on the Friday for trade.

You can follow the SCBF Instagram here and Facebook page here.