Budapest Beer Week (BPBW) is Hungary’s leading international craft beer festival, an event that celebrates the passion, creativity and community behind craft brewing. Held annually in Budapest, this week-long festival attracts thousands of beer enthusiasts from around the world, offering a unique experience combining unlimited tastings, live music, street food and networking opportunities for industry professionals. For 2025, the festival is scheduled from 26 May to 1 June, promising a vibrant edition that cements Budapest as a key destination on the global beer map.
History of Budapest Beer Week
BPBW was established in 2018, at a time when the craft beer scene in Hungary was beginning to flourish. Since its inception, the festival has sought to promote both local and international breweries, providing a platform for producers to showcase their most innovative creations. In just a few years, BPBW has grown to become a landmark event, attracting approximately 5,000 visitors each year. Its success reflects the rise of craft beer culture in Budapest, which has gone from being dominated by industrial lagers to a centre of diversity and experimentation.
Event Details
Dates and Location
- Fechas: Del 26 de mayo al 1 de junio de 2025.
- Ubicación: Dürer Kert, Öböl utca 1, 1117 Budapest, Hungría.
The festival takes place at Dürer Kert, an iconic venue near the Danube River, known for its lively atmosphere and connection to Budapest’s cultural scene. The main tasting sessions take place on Friday 30 May and Saturday 31 May, while the rest of the week includes complementary events such as tap takeovers and meetups with brewers.
Programme and Activities
The BPBW offers a wide range of activities designed to satisfy both craft beer enthusiasts and professionals. Highlights include:
Unlimited tasting sessions
Unlimited tasting sessions take place on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 May 2025 at Dürer Kert, from 14:00 to 20:00, in an ‘all you can taste’ format for a fixed price. Each brewery has two taps per session, serving up to four different beers (two per tap), and each keg is replenished only once in the middle of the session, at 17:00, to maximise variety. With the participation of more than 45 breweries from Hungary and abroad, attendees can sample some 360 different brews over the two days. The amount served is 1 dl per pour (0.5 dl for high alcoholic beers), which allows you to try as many styles as possible without overdoing it.
Afterparties with live music
At the end of each tasting session, the venue becomes the stage for free afterparties for those wearing the festival wristband, with performances by punk, rock and metal bands selected by the organisers. In addition to the concerts, local DJs keep the evening going late into the night, keeping the party atmosphere going while some limited edition beers are still available. These late-night parties allow attendees to extend the beer experience in an energetic and very social environment.
Sunday Encore Day
On 1 June, Sunday Encore Day offers a closing day open to the public with no entry fee, although tokens must be purchased for each beer pour instead of unlimited access. On this day, participants get a 10% discount on all beers at the official BPBW stand, and can enjoy food trucks and live music in a relaxed atmosphere. While most of the brewmasters are not present, the beer selection is still varied and the festive atmosphere remains intact.
BPBW Meetup & Conference
The BPBW Meetup & Conference, a professional forum dedicated to the brewing industry including seminars on raw materials, brewing techniques, market trends and distribution, takes place on Thursday 29 May. This event, with admission included in the tasting pass, brings together brewers, distributors and national and international experts to promote knowledge sharing and networking. The session takes place in spaces set up within Dürer Kert, where attendees are also offered a 10% discount on beer throughout the week.
Tap takeovers and ‘meet the brewer’ sessions
Between Monday 26 and Thursday 29 May, several partner bars and brewpubs in Budapest organise tap takeovers and ‘meet the brewer’ sessions with guest brewmasters. At these events, breweries present exclusive taps that do not make it to the main sessions, and allow for closer discussions with the brewers in an intimate and specialised atmosphere. Signature venues and new spaces participate, extending the BPBW experience beyond Dürer Kert and invigorating the city’s beer scene.
The festival is family-friendly and dog-friendly, making it accessible and welcoming to diverse audiences. However, tasting sessions require proof of legal drinking age.
Participation and Scale
With more than 45 participating breweries, BPBW offers a selection of approximately 360 different beers during the tasting sessions. The expected attendance of 5,000 people reflects its popularity and importance as an international event. The diversity of the breweries, which includes local names such as First Hungarian Brewery and Reketye, along with international producers, guarantees a rich and varied experience.
The Budapest Craft Beer Scene
Budapest Beer Week would not exist without the rise of the craft beer scene in Budapest, which has undergone a remarkable transformation in the last decade. Until the early 2010s, the Hungarian market was dominated by industrial beers such as Dreher, Soproni and Kőbányai. However, the craft movement started to gain traction around 2011, with the first craft beer festival and the opening of specialised bars such as Élesztő Ház in 2013.
Today, Budapest is considered a beeradise, with bars such as Léhűtő, Hopaholic and Only Good Beer offering extensive selections of local and international beers. Breweries such as First Hungarian Brewery, known for its reliability and quality, and Reketye, a pioneer since 2014, have led the way in innovation, producing everything from traditional lagers to bold IPAs and experimental beers. This evolution has created a vibrant ecosystem that BPBW celebrates and amplifies, attracting locals and tourists alike.
Practical Information
Entradas
Las entradas para BPBW 2025 están disponibles en el sitio oficial, con precios estimados entre €88 y €157, dependiendo del tipo de acceso (por ejemplo, sesiones de degustación o entrada general). Se recomienda comprar con antelación, ya que el evento atrae a miles de visitantes.
Requisitos
Se requiere prueba de edad legal para participar en las sesiones de degustación. Además, los asistentes deben adquirir un vaso oficial del evento (aproximadamente 3500 HUF o €9 para el regular, 5000 HUF o €13 para el de lujo), que incluye una cerveza gratis.
Cómo llegar
- Metro: Línea M1 (amarilla) hasta Hősök tere, a 10 min a pie de Dürer Kert
- Bus: Líneas 20E, 30, 105; bajarse en la parada Hengermalom út (7 min a pie)
- Tram: Líneas 4 y 6 hasta Széchenyi fürdő, a 10 min caminando
- Coche: Parking cercano en la ribera del Danubio; mejor reservar con antelación
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