Dudley Winter Ales Fayre 2026
Dudley & South Staffordshire CAMRA presents the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre 2026
We'd like to welcome you to the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre—forty years of great beer, good friends and proper Black Country cheer. Our famous annual event takes place on the last full week of November. We’re raising a glass to our ruby anniversary of DWAF as well as our golden anniversary of the Dudley & South Staffordshire CAMRA branch. Interested in attending? Then we have all the information you need, right here...
Overview | Dates & Times | Location | Theme | About CAMRA | Drinks | Tickets & Entry | Travel | Food | Charity | Volunteering | Contact
Overview
Welcome to the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre 2026—our ruby anniversary celebration of forty years of DWAF and fifty years of the Dudley & South Staffordshire CAMRA branch. Join us for three days of outstanding real ale, traditional cider, perry, wine, food, entertainment and community spirit.
We’ve updated our ticketing system
In line with CAMRA’s newer national policy, our entrance arrangements now reflect the benefit that CAMRA members can receive free entry to festivals when they pre‑book. This ensures members get the full advantage of the national scheme, while pre‑purchase continues to offer the best value for all visitors. Saturday remains a relaxed, family‑friendly day with free entry for everyone.
Dates & Times
The festival runs from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 November.
- Thursday: 12:00pm – 10:00pm
- Friday: 11:00am – 10:00pm
- Saturday: 11:00am – 7:00pm (may close earlier if beer runs out)
Location
Dudley Town Hall, St James’ Road, Dudley, DY1 1HP.
Theme
We celebrate our ruby anniversary—forty years of DWAF—and fifty years of the Dudley & South Staffordshire CAMRA branch. This year’s beer range includes golden and ruby real ales specially selected to mark the occasion.
About CAMRA
What is CAMRA?
CAMRA—the Campaign for Real Ale—is a national volunteer‑led organisation founded in 1971 to champion real ale, cider, perry and thriving pubs. Our festival is organised by the Dudley & South Staffordshire branch, celebrating fifty years of local campaigning.
Membership benefits include:
- Exclusive publications and newsletters
- Discounts at participating pubs
- Access to local and national CAMRA events
- Free or reduced entry to many CAMRA beer festivals
You can learn more or join at camra.org.uk/membership.
If you join CAMRA at the festival, you’ll receive two free pints (or a T‑shirt, subject to availability).
What’s on offer?
We will have 72 real ales, including golden and ruby ales chosen to celebrate our anniversaries. We also offer traditional ciders and perries, plus wines.
If stocks look tight for Saturday, we will update social media.
Beer list? Coming soon.
Tickets & Entry
You can purchase them at Tckty.
CAMRA Members
Pre‑purchase (before midnight Wednesday):
Pre‑purchase tickets cost £3 for the commemorative glass but give free entry on Thursday and Friday.
Saturday is free for everyone.
Members purchase a commemorative glass (£3) on first entry.
Tickets must be scanned on both Thursday and Friday.
If you do not pre‑purchase:
Entry is £2 on the door on Thursday and Friday.
You must purchase a commemorative glass (£3).
If you attend both days without a glass or token, you will pay £2 entry + £3 glass on each day.
Non‑Members
Pre‑purchase (Thursday‑only or Friday‑only):
Thursday‑only tickets available until Wednesday midnight.
Friday‑only tickets available until Thursday midnight.
A single‑day pre‑purchase ticket covers entry for that day only.
You must purchase a commemorative glass (£3) on your first entry.
Tickets must be scanned on the day they are purchased for — Thursday tickets do not scan on Friday.
Pre‑purchase Multi‑day (Thu+Fri):
Multi‑day tickets are pre‑purchase only.
Costs £10 total, including a £3 commemorative glass and £8 worth of entry (£4 per night), with a £1 saving compared to buying two single‑day tickets.
Covers both Thursday and Friday.
Glass/token must be shown on both days.
If you do not pre‑purchase:
Entry is £4 on the door on Thursday and Friday.
You must purchase a commemorative glass (£3) on your first entry.
If you attend both days without a glass or token, you will pay £4 entry + £3 glass on each day.
If you pre‑purchase Thursday only and attend Friday:
Your Thursday ticket will not scan on Friday.
You will pay the full on‑the‑door Friday price (£4).
You will also be charged £3 for a second commemorative glass.
Glasses & Tokens
Commemorative glasses cost £3 and are yours to keep. They are non‑refundable.
- Take home your glass at the end of the day if you don't plan to return.
- If you intend to attend on a subsequent day, return your glass at the Returns Desk to receive a token.
- Bring either your glass or token for re‑entry on Friday.
- If you arrive without either, you must purchase another commemorative glass (£3).
- If commemorative glasses run out, older festival glasses will be issued free.
- The glass/token system applies to all visitors who have pre‑purchased tickets for multiple days.
Saturday Family Day
Entrance is free for everyone.
A relaxed, family‑friendly day
Saturday is open to all ages. Under‑18s are welcome but cannot purchase alcohol.
We operate a Challenge 18 policy. Anyone who appears under 18 and wishes to purchase alcohol will be asked for ID at the entrance. Those over 18 who look younger will receive a wristband.
Anyone who has pre‑purchased tickets for Thursday and Friday may also attend on Saturday without any additional cost.
Pricing Summary
| Ticket Type | Commemorative Glass |
Entry Price |
Total Paid |
| Pre‑Booking – Members (single day) | £3 | £0 | £3 |
| Pre‑Booking – Non‑Members (Thu or Fri) | £3 | £4 | £7 |
| Pay on the Day – Members (Thu or Fri) | £3 | £2 | £5 |
| Pay on the Day – Non‑Members (Thu or Fri) | £3 | £6 | £9 |
| Saturday (Family Day) | £3* | £0 | £0–£3 |
| Multi‑Day (Thu+Fri) – CAMRA Members (pre‑purchase only) | £3 | £0 | £3 |
| Multi‑Day (Thu+Fri) – Non‑Members (pre‑purchase only) | £3 | Included (£8) | £10 |
| Pre‑purchase multi‑day tickets save non‑members £1 compared with buying two single‑day tickets. | |||
Quick Scenarios
- I’m a CAMRA member and I pre‑booked for a single day: £3 total — £0 ticket + £3 commemorative glass.
- I’m a CAMRA member paying on the day (Thu or Fri): £5 total — £3 commemorative glass + £2 entry.
- I’m a CAMRA member buying a multi‑day ticket (Thu+Fri, pre‑purchase only): £3 total — £3 commemorative glass + free entry on both days.
- I’m a non‑member pre‑booking for Thursday or Friday: £7 total — £3 commemorative glass + £4 entry.
- I’m a non‑member paying on the day (Thu or Fri): £9 total — £3 commemorative glass + £6 entry.
- I’m a non‑member buying a multi‑day ticket (Thu+Fri, pre‑purchase only): £10 total — £3 commemorative glass + £8 entry value, with a £1 saving.
- I’m a non‑member doing both days without pre‑purchase: £11 total — £7 on the first day (£3 glass + £4 entry), then £4 entry on the second day.
- I bought a Thursday‑only ticket but want to come Friday: Your Thursday ticket will not scan on Friday. Friday costs £7 if pre‑booked, or £9 on the day.
- I lost my token or broke my glass: £3 for a new commemorative glass.
- I’m coming Saturday only: Free entry. Older festival glasses are free; commemorative glasses are £3 while stocks last. You can pre‑purchase glasses for Saturday only up until Wednesday, but these are limited.
- I want to buy a commemorative glass on Saturday without pre-purchasing: These can be purchased at £3 on the day if there are any unreserved left (but it may be unlikely).
Travel
The nearest train station is Dudley Port, around a 2½‑mile walk from the Town Hall: Google Maps – Dudley Port Station to Dudley Town Hall.
If you prefer not to walk, you can step across the road from Dudley Port railway station and catch the 74 bus into Dudley town centre (as you look out from the station, take services heading to the right).
There are several bus services that run into the town, including the 8 and X8 services, which operate between Wolverhampton and Birmingham via Dudley. The X8 is generally quicker because it serves fewer stops.
If travelling from Birmingham New Street or Wolverhampton stations, you can either take a local train service to Dudley Port and then walk or catch the 74 bus into Dudley town centre. Alternatively, you can travel directly to Dudley on the 8 or X8 bus services from either Birmingham or Wolverhampton. The 74, 8 and X8 all stop close to Dudley Town Hall.
We’re keeping an eye on the tram situation and will update this page if the service is up and running before the event gets underway.
Designated Drivers
Thank you for keeping everyone safe
Let us know at the entrance that you’re the designated driver and we’ll give you two free soft drinks.
Nearby pay‑and‑display car parks include Tower Street (DY1 1NA). Parking cannot be refunded.
There is also off‑road parking on St James’s Road, including disability spaces.
Food
Little Devils will provide hot food throughout the festival. The bar will sell snacks such as pork scratchings, payable by tokens or contactless.
Charity
We are proud to support Rethink Dudley Sanctuary Hub, a local service offering safe, out‑of‑hours mental health support from trained recovery workers.
A charity bucket will be available for anyone wishing to donate loose change.
If you have unused credit on your beer tokens, you may drop them off at the Returns Table. Any donated credit will go directly to Rethink Dudley Sanctuary Hub.
Purchasing Drinks
Beer Tokens
Beer tokens make buying drinks quick and easy, especially during busy periods. You can purchase token cards at the token desk, away from the main entrance queue.
Volunteers will strike through the values on your card as you spend them. You can buy additional token cards at any time.
Any unused token credit can be refunded at the Returns Table — or donated to our charity partner.
The bar accepts contactless payment and beer tokens. The bar does not take cash.
This year, entrance is based solely on glass purchase and entry fee. Pre‑sale beer tokens are no longer part of the ticketing system, but beer tokens remain fully available for use during the festival.
Entertainment
Entertainment is being arranged for Friday and Saturday, including live music and other activities. Thursday will be a quieter evening focused on enjoying the beer selection.
Can I volunteer?
Volunteers make DWAF possible
We welcome volunteers of all experience levels — you do not need to be a CAMRA member. Volunteers receive beer tokens for use during the event and discounts with our caterers.
We intend to order volunteer tops this year; sizing will be confirmed at least two weeks before the event.
The volunteer form will be released soon.
Contact Us
Hopefully we've covered everything, and we will be updating this page when we have any new information, but feel free to email us at webmaster@dudley.camra.org.uk if you have any queries.
Last updated on 7 September 2026