The Great Canadian Beer Festival Celebrates 30 Years of Beer in September

This year’s Great Canadian Beer Festival (GCBF) is a special one as it will celebrate its 30th Anniversary in Victoria, British Columbia. The beer festival was launched in 1993 and has been held annually ever since except for 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. For its 30th edition, the 2024 GCBF will take place Friday, September 6 from 4:00 – 9:00pm and Saturday, September 7 from Noon – 5:00pm. Tickets for this popular event will go on sale in June.

GCBF gives festival-goers the opportunity to taste beers they can’t find anywhere else in British Columbia. This premium tasting event will feature up to 250 different beers from up to 80 breweries from coast to coast, many of them served by the brewers themselves. It’s a rare opportunity to talk to these folks about what makes their beer special, and to try some new and classic brews from their lineups. The full brewery and beer list will be announced in the summer. Special hotel packages have already been set up and are available on the website.

“We are so excited to celebrate 30 years with our friends at the breweries, our dedicated volunteers, and all the folks in attendance – some of whom have been going to GCBF since the early days in the 1990s!” said Ryan Malcolm, Executive Director of the Victoria Beer Society.

Over the coming weeks and months, GCBF organizers will work hard to ensure that the event features a diverse mix of beers. They are also brainstorming fun and original ways to celebrate the 30th year. GCBF founders Gerry Hieter and John Rowling, who retired and handed the festival over to the Victoria Beer Society in 2018, will be in attendance to lead the media tour and ring the opening bell.

Royal Athletic Park – 1014 Caledonia Ave – Victoria, BC