Sheffield Beer Week 2026 turns the taps up to eleven and celebrates a city built on steel, sound and seriously good brews. We caught up with Sheffield Beer Week founder Jules Gray to chat about everything from musically inspired brews to synth-pop glassware and bold new artwork.
Twelve years in – how has the city’s response changed over time?
It’s humbling every year it comes around, and that folks get excited and want to be involved, to be honest. I never take it for granted. It’s all the pubs, bars, beer shops, breweries, solo event organisers, visitors and more that have made it what it is over the years, and it continues to evolve organically. There will always be the fundamentals – the foundations, as it were – Beer & Food, Community and Heritage strands. Then each year something develops from what’s happening around or within the brewing and beer landscape.
When I speak face to face with visitors, there’s always a sense of enjoyment and a good buzz. It really gives the city and its beer community a positive boost. Since Covid, and now with the real struggles in the industry – rising costs, business rates and so forth – it’s needed even more.
If this year’s theme had a soundtrack, what would be track one?
Such a hard question! There are so many great musicians and bands to choose from in the city. As the ‘Sheffield Synth City’ map is taking inspiration from this particular album this year, I’d have to say The Human League’s ‘The Things That Dreams Are Made Of’, from the Dare album. It talks about the simple pleasures in life and touches on greater ambitions. But I just love the line from it: “Everybody needs love and adventure.”
What makes beer and electronic music such a good pairing?
For me, it’s about having fun. As someone who loves music and beer, it just seems like a natural pairing to try, as it’s two things I love together!
If you talk to writer Pete Brown, whose latest book is all about pairing beer and music, he goes really deep into research in this area – which is fascinating. He’ll be talking about this at an event during Sheffield Beer Week too.
Electronic music is so complex, but for example, if you take dark industrial synth – that grittiness and heavy synth – you might look to pair it with a dark, robust and complex beer like a smoky dark ale, for an intensity hit to all the senses.
Got a personal highlight from the Beer Week line-up?
At this stage, it’s only just being announced so there’s still lots for me to hear about. I always look forward to the thrill and fun of Indie Beer Feast at Trafalgar Warehouse – that’s a big part of my organising.
But I’m really looking forward to hearing about and tasting all the breweries’ musically inspired beers this year. Abbeydale Brewery’s beer is called ‘Synth City’ and I’ve seen the artwork for that, which definitely takes inspiration from Sheffield’s classic synth-pop sound.
I know Saint Mars of the Desert are collaborating with a band, which I’ve got to keep as a surprise for now! Kelham Island Brewery, Triple Point and Tapped Brew Co are brewing together. Duality and Ticking Clock are working together. Little Mesters, Emmanuales and Shakespeares pub are creating a brew.
Sheffield Beer Week really is about supporting indies in the city and wider neighbourhoods, and local breweries – while also recognising we’re part of a global beer landscape.
That said, the various beer and history walks organised by Dave Pickersgill and Adrian Finney’s (Strange Britain) ‘Haunted Pub’ tour are incredibly insightful and enjoyable.
What’s your go-to local pint right now?
I’ve been rediscovering Sheffield classics recently, like Abbeydale’s ‘Daily Bread’ – a malt-forward, lower-strength, traditional copper-coloured bitter. It’s the perfect wintry pub tipple, especially on cask from a hand-pull, with a pork pie of course.
Abbeydale will have been brewing for 30 years in 2026, which is incredible going. That said, cans of this beer are great too and I’ve got some at home which I sometimes mix with lemonade to make a bitter shandy. Love a shandy!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
WHAT: Sheffield Beer Week 2026 – Sheffield Synth City
WHEN: Monday 9 – Sunday 15 March 2026
WHERE: Multiple venues across Sheffield
INCLUDES:
- Brewery collaborations & special brews
- Tap takeovers & tastings
- Beer, music & food pairings
- Brewery tours & walking tours
- Indie Beer Feast (6–7 March)
KEEP UP:
sheffieldbeerweek.co.uk
@SheffBeerWeek (Instagram / Facebook)
