The Vancouver Craft Beer and Music Festival takes place in July at the PNE fairgrounds. The event features bands, food trucks and lots of craft breweries.

Years ago the festival was a week-long series of events, and so was called Vancouver Craft Beer Week. More recently, but still in the past, it has been a two-day event. The last couple of years, however, it has just been a one-day affair. The same was the case in 2025 when it happened on July 12th.

Other events that take place around the same time are the Carnaval del Sol Latin festival in Vancouver, Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Festival in Surrey, and both the Harrison Festival of the Arts and Fort Langley Hawaiian Luau in the Fraser Valley. There is also the Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow and Festivibe Festival on Vancouver’s North Shore.

See our July Calendar of Events to learn about the above and other events happening this time of year. Continue reading for information about the craft beer festival.

This article contains the following information about the festival:

Where and When is VCBW? | Admission Rates and Prices | What to Expect | Video | Other Information

Craft Beer Festival in Vancouver

In 2025 the Vancouver Craft Beer & Music Festival took place on Saturday, July 12th. New for this year, one big part of the event was Wing Fest. It included some of the best chicken wings in the city that paired perfectly with the featured drinks. There were more than 150 craft beers at the event this year, along with over 20 restaurants serving wings. Performers included Oliver Hazard, Harbour and other artists.

Where and When is VCBW?

The festival is just a one-day outdoor event at Vancouver’s PNE fairgrounds. The venue’s address is 2901 East Hastings Street which isn’t far from the Trans-Canada Highway.

In 2025 the event was on Saturday, July 12th. New for this year, there was an afternoon session and an evening session. The afternoon session ran from 12:00 pm until 4:00 pm. The evening session, meanwhile, went from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm.

Admission Rates and Prices

There were General Admission and General Admission Plus tickets available to purchase in 2025. Both ticket types increased in price as the event drew closer.

Regular tickets for the afternoon and evening sessions cost $30 at the pre-sale price and $49 at the regular price. General Admission Plus tickets cost either $55 or $74 depending on when you got them.

The benefits of the more expensive tickets are you got $30 worth of tokens and access to the expedited entrance. (Note: Access to the shorter entry line was a huge benefit. In past years organizers have had problems with processing people and some folks have had to wait over an hour to get in.)

Note: Samples of all beers were included with the admission price in 2024. They were not, however, in 2025. This explains why prices were less this year than they were the year before. After paying to get in, you still needed to pay for your beer.

What to Expect at the Beer Festival

Expect to be in craft beer heaven at the event! At the Vancouver Craft Beer Festival there are rows upon rows of stalls offering craft beer samples. Breweries come from across North America, but primarily from the Lower Mainland, other parts of BC and even the west coast of the US most years.

In 2025 another big component of the event was Wing Fest. It featured chicken wings from more than 20 different restaurants. This year’s event also included local wineries, chef pop-ups, craft ciders, non-alcoholic beers, live entertainment and more.

The atmosphere at the festival is fun and the crowd is of all ages, but primarily young and male with the average age of participants probably close to around 30.

Craft Beer Festival PNE Venue — VCBW at the PNE Grounds

Craft Beers and Ciders

This isn’t just any beer festival. VCBW is the largest craft beer festival in the Pacific Northwest and it attracts the largest selection of premium craft beers and ciders available within BC. Guests at the event can try several of the more than 150 beers and ciders that are showcased. House of Funk, Studio, Deep Cove, Stanley Park, 33 Acres and about 70 other incredible breweries participate most years.

Wing Fest and Chefs

In 2025 the event included chicken wings from many of the city’s best restaurants. If that wasn’t enough, organizers also connected with some of the region’s top chefs and others to do chef-driven pop-ups. Be sure to bring your appetite to the event when you go next time!

The Music Festival

In addition to beer samples and food vendors, at the beer festival there is live music. Feaster, the producers of VCBW, puts together an incredible list of live talent each year.

In 2025 the lineup included Oliver Hazard and Harbour.

Vancouver Craft Beer Festival Video

Check out the following video to give you an idea of what the beer festival looks like. The video shows scenes of the festival from 2022. As you’ll see, it’s a big event with lots of beer vendors and people having a great time.