Craft beer festival returns to Edinburgh’s Grassmarket to celebrate thriving independent craft beer scene

Following the success of its first two beer festivals in 2024, Cold Town House is now gearing up to welcome back hundreds of craft beer fans from across the country in the heart of the capital from 12pm to 6pm on Sunday, May 4.

The Grassmarket Craft Beer Festival promises to deliver a “fun and vibrant experience”, with 11 Scottish craft breweries showcasing their finest seasonal drinks.

This year’s line-up features some returning faces, including Edinburgh’s Campervan and Closet Brewing, but also plenty of new faces from the local area including Pilot Beer, Stewart Brewing, Bellfield Brewery and Barney’s Beer. From further afield, craft beer fans can also get a taste for Glasgow’s Main’s Brewing, Falkirk’s Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing, Haddington’s Winton Brewery, and Linlithgow’s Strangers Brewing.

Scottish craft brewers raising a glass to Edinburgh's Grassmarket Beer Festival in front of Cold Town House. | Cold Town Beer / Cold Town House / Signature Group

This fully immersive Grassmarket Craft Beer Festival experience will give people the opportunity to get a close-up view of Cold Town’s very own microbrewery and enjoy some of their street food and Neapolitan pizzas, whilst also enjoying live Indie music courtesy of two local talents - Jono Connelly (1pm-3pm) and Prentice Robertson (3.30pm-5.30pm).

Ruth Reid, brand and marketing manager at Cold Town Brewery, said: "We’re thrilled to be welcoming a top-tier line-up of breweries to our third Grassmarket Beer Festival! Time and again, this event has proven to be a brilliant celebration of the Scottish craft beer community, and this year’s edition is no exception.

“If the line-up is anything to go by, it’s set to be another standout occasion. We’re also buzzing to host a stellar selection of live acts, including our very own Jono Connelly and Prentice Robertson, frontman of local indie favourites Vistas. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic day of great beer, great music, and great vibes—and we can’t wait to share it with you."

Kieran James, sales manager at Pilot Beer, is also feeling the excitement. He said: “Pilot are looking forward to our first time at the Grassmarket Craft Beer Fest. A day sampling the best beers the capital has to offer? What’s not to like? We’ll be bringing some of the big hitters from the Pilot lineup, along with some special seasonal offerings. We hope to see you there!”

Lewis Hamilton, director and brewer at Mains Brewing, added: "I'm really looking forward to being part of the Grassmarket Beer Festival this year and joining the passionate community of breweries in Edinburgh's Old Town. I'll be pouring some refreshing session-strength and yeast-forward brews, and I'm always keen to chat beer to an enthusiastic and thirsty crowd. Cheers!"

L-R: Hayley Ransome (Head Brewer, Cold Town Beer); Catriona Humphrey (Brand Ambassador, Stewart Brewing); Michael Lakomy (Key Account Manager, Stewart Brewing); Lucy Stevens (Owner & Head Brewer, Closet Brewing); and Lewis Hamilton (Director & Brewer, Mains Brewing). | Cold Town Beer / Cold Town House / Signature Group:

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Michael Lakomy, key account manager at Stewart Brewing, is delighted to be returning to the festival after last year’s success.

He said: “We’re thrilled to be back and pouring at the 2025 Grassmarket Beer Festival. This is a great opportunity for not only ourselves, but for so many independent breweries to showcase some of our favourite beers, as well as our limited edition series that aren’t as easily accessible for a lot of our customers.

“Cold Town have been fantastic to work with and it’s always great to showcase the amazing range of local breweries in Edinburgh and Scotland.”

Tickets prices for the upcoming Grassmarket Craft Beer Festival can be purchased for just £15 per person and include entry to the event, a bespoke festival cup and an exclusive festival tote bag. For more information and to buy tickets, go to https://grassmarketbeerfest.com.