Huge beer festival and new night markets on the horizon

BEER lovers could be flocking to Birmingham next year for a huge new festival of ale.

Westside Business Improvement District (BID) is drawing up plans for a three-day extravaganza of beer to be housed on Centenary Square which will also act as a major fundraiser for local good causes.

The BID’s chairman Gerald Manton hinted at the plans for a ‘Westoberfest’ when news of his appointment was first revealed back in March but he has now outlined more details about the potential event. It could easily become one of the biggest beer festivals in Europe and that it would organically grow arms and legs,” Mr Manton said.

“I don’t see any reason why it couldn’t spread through the rest of Westside (from Centenary Square) into the pubs and restaurants and then maybe go over into the Jewellery Quarter. The first one will run Thursday to Saturday in the second week of September next year but we have a lot to do in the meantime in terms of organising the event. We expect there to be up to 4,000 visitors per day and we think that first event could be the biggest in the UK. If we could have a beer festival that is generating £50,000 every year for charity and I walk away and that is still going in ten years’ time then that would make me incredibly proud.”

The plans include a huge marquee in Centenary Square and a comedy night on the first evening.

Other plans include a revamped

New Year’s Eve fireworks display, again centred around Centenary Square, and open-air night markets with live music and stalls selling food, drinks and gifts.

He said: “I don’t see any reason why we can’t have TV cameras here, giving Birmingham a firework display as good as they do in the other cities around the UK. One of things I had imagined was standing in Centenary Square looking straight down Broad Street and seeing fireworks coming off the buildings.”

Referring to the night markets, he added: “We have already held a night market at the Roundhouse as part of the Commonwealth Games legacy.

“Using that as a test bed, we would like to take that one step further and bring them in regularly, taking them down roads such as Gas Street and onto Centenary Square as well.

“We would like to do it throughout the year as an ongoing initiative.”