Indie Beer Week 2026 begins with backing of 700 breweries

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 10 April, 2026

Indie Beer Week 2026 has begun today (10 April), promoting “independent pubs, beer and people” in a string of events across the UK.

Many of these events will take place in one of the 700 breweries now actively supporting the campaign – up from 400 last year. Other supporting venues will include bottle shops, pubs and bars.

The Week was launched last year by the Indie Beer campaign, in an effort to make it easier for consumers to distinguish between genuinely independently brewed beers and those from global beer giants.

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Polling from YouGov in 2024 found that 75% of those surveyed believed that consumers were being misled when purchasing beer from once independent craft breweries.

In response to this, the campaign has launched a ‘Brewery Checker’ tool on its website, which holds information about every known UK brewery.

Neil Walker, head of comms & marketing at the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), explained: “Indie Beer Week is a celebration of everything that is great about UK beer, with festivals, beer launches and beer events of all kinds taking place in all corners of the nation.

“Wherever you are, there is a brewery near you which is part of the Indie Beer campaign, many of which are running some brilliant events over the next ten days.

“And if you’re unsure if the ‘craft beer’ you’re buying is the real deal then use the brewery checker tool on our website and know for sure.”

The campaign has seen it cut through with consumers – around 31% of beer drinkers aged 18-24 are aware of the campaign.

Indie Beer Week has also recently announced a partnership with Waitrose, which is backing the campaign with an “Indie Beer” section on their online store and planned in-store promotions, as Harpers reported.

Over the week, events will include meet the brewer sessions, tap takeovers, beer festivals and more, running from 10-19 April, so as to take in two weekends.

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