The GBBF, which is run by the Campaign for Real Ale, is returning to Olympia, west London, from 7 until 11 August and Planet Rock will be bringing a number of bands to entertain festival goers on the Thursday session.
This is in addition to the regular music line-up throughout the week of the festival. As well as this, Planet Rock will run a competition to win VIP tickets to the Thursday session, which one of their radio presenters will be attending.
Fantastic entertainment
GBBF organiser Catherine Tonry said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with the popular and award-winning station Planet Rock.
“On top of experiencing 30 different bars under one roof, beer lovers can enjoy some fantastic entertainment and music between sips.
“We look forward to celebrating good beer and good music this summer.”
Planet Rock head of marketing Jon Norman hailed the weekend of the event “rocking”.
Rocking weekend
He said: “It is great to be part of the biggest beer festival in the UK.
“Beer drinking and listening to rock music has gone hand in hand for decades. Marry that up with the Planet Rock stage on Thursday, it is going to be a rocking weekend at Olympia.”
Meanwhile at last year’s festival, Irish craft brewers collaborated for the first time. A dozen beers were available to drinkers at the GBBF on the Co-operative Irish Brewery Bar throughout the week of the event.
Organisers claimed this was a unique opportunity for the brewers, as cask-conditioned real ale is virtually non-existent in Ireland, where the majority of beer is served from a keg.
The Co-operative Irish Bar (or the Kruger Bar) saw Porterhouse and Carlow and small brewers Kinnegar, White Hag, White Gypsy and Metalman brew one session and one special beer at the festival.