The range of beers is huge with over 400 real ales from all over the country, with a selection from the smallest microbrewers in addition to some of Britain's best-known beers. As well as real ale, ranging from wheat beers to some tasty bitters you can also sample cider, perry and beer from around the world including some fantastic real lagers from Europe and North America.

About the festival

• Biggest Real Beer Festival in the World - the largest volunteer-run beer festival in the world!
• Over 400 real ales from over 200 different British brewers! Wheat beers, ginger ales, beers flavoured with herbs and spices, lots of tasty bitters, milds and stouts - something for everyone!
• 200 foreign beers - Beers from around the world including Czech, Russian, Italian, German, Belgian, Dutch and American. These are not just classic styles but exciting flavours and variations!
• Lager & cider too! The Festival features some of the finest continental lagers including dark and some shockingly good American versions - also forty traditional ciders & perries (pear cider), but you won't find the usual bland mass-produced brands.
• Champion Beer of Britain - Final judging of the most prestigious beer competition in the UK takes place on Tuesday 3rd August 2004. The consumer's choice of the best British beers. Will a Scottish beer win the award for the third year in a row??
• No 'Rip-Off' zone - full pints guaranteed. We use oversized lines glasses so you get what you pay for - a full liquid pint every time.
• Live music/entertainment sponsored by Sainsbury's.
• Tutored beer tastings, hosted by an array of beer experts, are run throughout the festival. They provide you with the opportunity to taste beer like experts and really appreciate the different tastes and aromas. See CAMRA's Tutored beer tastings for full details - summary below.
• About 200,000 pints of beer will be sold at the festival - enough to fill 1,250 domestic baths
• We hope to serve 1.56 pints a second
• Over 45,000 people through the doors over five days
• Approximately 1,000 volunteer staff from all over the UK as well as from many countries abroad!

Opening times and prices

• Tuesday 3rd August, 5pm-10.30pm, £6
• Wednesday 4th August, 12 noon-10.30pm, £6
• Thursday 5th August, 12 noon-10.30pm, £6
• Friday, 6th August, 12 noon-10.30pm, £6
• Saturday 7th August, 11am-7pm, £5

Tickets

• Season tickets available at £17.50 and entitle you to entry at all sessions
• Prices for CAMRA members are reduced by £1
• A further £1 discount is available for all bookings before 23rd July (excluding season tickets which are already discounted)
• Ticket Hotline for advance bookings 01727 867201
• Tickets are available on the door.

Public transport

• Kensington Olympia is on the District Line and other nearby underground stations include Barons Court, Earls Court, High Street Kensington and Hammersmith.
  (The current series of weekend District Line closures avoids the Saturday of the GBBF.)
• Buses to Olympia include numbers 9, 10, 27, 28, 49 and 391.
• National rail stations which provide a service to Kensington Olympia include Clapham Junction, Gatwick Airport, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Rugby, Watford Junction and Willesden Junction.

Tutored beer tastings

• See CAMRA's Tutored beer tastings for full details.
• Tutored beer tastings are run throughout the festival. They provide you with the opportunity to taste beer like experts and really appreciate the different tastes and aromas.
• This year we are running more tutored beer tastings with more places available than ever before, so if you want to improve your beer appreciation skills then you've come to the right place! Tastings this year are from 3rd-6th August and are hosted by an array of beer experts.

Tuesday 3rd August, 6.30pm, Champion Beer of Britain hosted by Roger Protz

£9 for CAMRA members/£11 for non-members

Wednesday 4th August, 12.30, Light and Dark hosted by Paul Ainsworth

£9 for CAMRA members/£11 for non-members

Wednesday 4th August, 6.30pm, Champion Beer of Britain hosted by Roger Protz

£9 for CAMRA members/£11 for non-members

Thursday 5th August, 12.30pm, German Beer hosted by Tom Pereira

£9 for CAMRA members/£11 for non-members

Thursday 5th August, 3.30pm, British Bottle-conditioned Beers hosted by Michael Jackson

£9 for CAMRA members/£11 for non-members

Thursday 5th August, 7.30pm, Chocolate & Beer hosted by Fred Eckhardt

£11.50 for CAMRA members/£12.50 for non-members

Friday 6th August, 12.30pm, Oud Bruin hosted by Tim Webb

£9 for CAMRA members/£11 for non-members

Friday 6th August, 3.30pm, Belgian Beer hosted by Lorenzo Dabove

£9 for CAMRA members/£11 for non-members

Friday 6th August, 7.30pm, Fuller's Vintage Ales Tasting hosted by John Keeling

£9 for CAMRA members/£11 for non-members