Dudley & South Staffordshire CAMRA is proud to bring you Dudley Winter Ales Fayre 2025.

Our event will take place at Dudley Town Hall, Thursday 27 to Saturday 29 November.

There are still lots of details to sort out but do keep an eye on this page for all the latest news and developments.

In the heart of the Black Country at Dudley Town Hall, St James' Road, Dudley, DY1 1HP
What3Words - Dudley Town Hall

When is it?
As usual we'll be running into the last weekend of November. It's on from Thursday 27 to Saturday 29 November. This year we will be opening earlier on Thursday.

On Thursday we'll be open 1:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday 11:00am - 10:00pm and Saturday 11:00am to 8:00pm, although on Saturday we may close earlier if the beer runs out.

What's CAMRA?
CAMRA is the Campaign For Real Ale. A consumer organisation set up in 1971, with a vision to have quality real ale, cider and perry and thriving pubs in every community. This particular festival is run by the Dudley & South Staffordshire branch of CAMRA.

To see the benefits of joining CAMRA, look to Join CAMRA .

What does the logo represent?
This year our logo again follows two themes: the Tipton Slasher and the Dudley Priory.

Is this open to everyone?
It's open to adults, CAMRA members or otherwise, with accompanied under 18s on Saturday only.

CAMRA members will pay £12 at the door, non-CAMRA members £16. For both, this entitles you to a glass, a programme and £10 worth of beer tokens.

If you wish to pre-purchase tickets, CAMRA members will pay £10 and non-CAMRA members will pay £14. This will provide you with the same entitlements as above (i.e. a glass, programme and £10 of beer tokens) but with an additional saving.

Thursday and Friday are open to over 18s only. Saturday is a "family day" and all ages are welcome. In addition, entrance is free for everyone on Saturday.

To pre-purchase tickets click to Dudley Winter Ales 2025 - pre-purchasing site

What's going to be on offer?
We plan to have over 60 beers and 16 ciders and perries. We will also have a red, a white and a rose wine, as well as soft drinks. We won't be serving non alcoholic beers this year, as it didn't prove to be a popular choice in 2024.

If there is a risk that we are limited on stocks for opening on Saturday, we will provide updates on social media before opening.

How do I get there?
The event takes place at Dudley Town Hall. Dudley is very well served by many bus routes around Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the Black Country. However, Dudley Bus Station remains under redevelopment and so buses are instead stopping at various locations around the town centre:

Image courtesy of Transport for West Midlands

Last year we had access to dynamic bus departure information thanks to TfWM. We're pleased to say this going to be available to us once again, with details of which bus stop they'll be leaving from.

If you're travelling from Wolverhampton by train, take a five-minute walk into Wolverhampton, up to Bilston Street, and catch the number one bus (opposite St George’s metro stop).

If you use local train services, our most local stop is Dudley Port station, but this is still 2½ mile walk from the town hall: https://maps.app.goo.gl/DmHDgRAbEmDjRevF8. You may want to instead step over the road and take any of the bus services that go into Dudley town centre (as you look out of the railway station, you need services that are heading to the right).

What if I'm the designated driver?
We really appreciate the support of designated drivers to get family and friends home safely. For you, entrance will be free, and we'll be giving you tokens for two soft drinks supported by our caterers Little Devils. However, there is an option of purchasing a limited selection of non/low alcohol at the bar.

Designated drivers are well served by nearby car parks. We tend to favour Tower Street car park, which is a two-minute walk from the venue (DY1 1NA).

Is there food?
We're reviewing options for food, following feedback.

Are you making any charitable donations?
We will be but - as yet - this is undecided..

How will I purchase drinks?
There are two ways you can purchase items at the bar. We have contactless payment options or, if you prefer, you can purchase tokens. The token cards have small values on them and our volunteers will strike-through values as you spend.

You can purchase more tokens if you wish. Unused tokens can be refunded (this does not apply to the pre-purchased tokens or for some specific vouchers) or can be dropped in the charity buckets as a donation.

Will there be entertainment?
Acts have been lined up but we are still working to confirm.

What are the serving sizes?
Thirds and half a pint as usual, but in some instances we will also be serving in pints, dependant on strength and whether we have said glasses left.

Do I have to pay for a glass?
To cut down on waste, this year we intend to recycle older glasses. We will, however, be selling commemorative glasses . There won't be any pre-orders on glasses this year and they'll be sold on a "first come" basis.

Can I bring children?
Saturday will be a family day, so children are welcome then. We ask that children are supervised at all times.

What if I have an allergy?
We will have details of allergens for the beers available at the bar. Please ask a member of the team for details. Vegan and Gluten Free options will be shown on barrel cards.

Can I still attend if I've not pre-purchased a ticket?
Yes, of course. The pre-purchase element offers priority to getting in (on opening times), but you absolutely can just show up on the day. Payments at the door can be made in cash or by card (including contactless).

What can I buy at the event?
We will have the Good Beer Guide on sale. We'll also have some festival-branded apparel of t-shirts, pin badges and pens.

Are you able to purchase "takeouts"?
Regrettably, you won't be able to purchase beer to take home owing to the rulings by HMRC. This includes decanting into containers. We would ask that you don't bring anything in to decant into. Naturally, it's disappointing, but we absolutely cannot "bend" rules in this regard. Any patrons who we observe that attempt to decant into bottles, etc. will be asked to leave immediately and we will be required to empty your vessel.

Tell me about timings.
You'll notice that we'll be closing at 10pm each night. This is to allow you time to visit our local pubs before last orders. It also gives our generous volunteers an opportunity to get home at a reasonable time after all the clean downs. Thursday we plan to open earlier than usual.

How can I get home safely?
If you're visiting the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre we're keen that you get home safely. If you have a designated driver, they can get in for free. We'll provide them with two free soft drinks via our caterers.

Or, maybe public transport is your preferred option? If so, Transport for West Midlands has been super helpful and put together a link that shows real time departures from the temporary stops around the town centre.

Can I volunteer?
You most certainly can. Volunteers who supported us previously have been emailed to advise that we are proceeding. You won't be paid for volunteering, but we do supply tokens which can be used during the event. Drinking whilst volunteering is allowed, but there are common sense rulings in this regard.

We are likely to begin looking at volunteering roles from September, but don't forget we still have some organisation meetings before the event and you'd be welcome to be involved. Check the branch diary on the left hand side.

I still have questions.
No problem. We continue to update this page, but don't hesitate to email us at ku.gro.armac.yeldud@retsambew