WX Wakefield Exchange hosts the Big Jolly Beer & Ale Weekend
Monday, July 07, 2025
Real-ale festivities are coming to Wakefield Exchange.
The Big Jolly Beer & Ale Weekend features tours and toe-tapping tunes as part of Wakefield BID’s Beer & Ale Week 2025 (Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 July).
“This will be a fabulous celebration of real ale, craft beer, and good old-fashioned merriment at WX - Wakefield Exchange.
“Wakefield has a growing reputation for real ale. And this event will be a fun way to showcase the craft and the community behind the brew, with music and events.”
Cllr Hannah Appleyard
Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport.
Highlights include behind-the-scenes brewery tours at The Exchange Tap, an evening of ales and tales in conversation with the Jolly Boys. Plus, live music ranging from raucous ceili to high-energy brass.
The weekend opens with a special beer-themed edition of WX’s regular quiz night, Colin All Quizzers (Thursday 10 July, 8pm), followed on Friday 11 July by two standout events: In Conversation with the Jolly Boys (7pm), offering insider stories from the Jolly Boys brew team, and The Brew Hoolie (8pm), an unmissable ceili with The Hooliemen and a guest performance from Morris dancing troupe Wath Morris.
Saturday 12 July offers guided brewery tours (3pm & 6pm), plus an evening set from genre-busting brass outfit Deadbeat Brass (7.30pm–10pm).
The festival wraps up on Sunday with a relaxed lunchtime performance by the Knottingley Silver Band (1pm–3pm) and a final brewery tour at 3pm.
Entry is FREE, but the brewery tours require pre-booking due to limited capacity.
For details, visit: wxwakefield.co.uk/Whats-On