Denver is getting ready to welcome the Great American Beer Festival this October, one of the city’s biggest annual beverage events. The festival runs October 9–11 at the Colorado Convention Center. The event will showcase independent craft breweries, top chefs, and live music.
Highlights
- The Great American Beer Festival will return with craft beers, ciders, seltzers, and other beverages.
- The event will also offer live music, costume contests, and entertainment.
- This year introduces the Distilling Experience, highlighting craft spirits.
Denver Prepares for The Great American Beer Festival This October
Founded in 1982, the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) has grown along with the American craft brewing industry. It has become one of the most influential beer events in the country.
Thousands of craft breweries and celebrated chefs will join food trucks, live music, and games, along with a wide range of drinks. Guests can enjoy cocktails, teas, craft beer, cider, and seltzers.
The festival’s signature competition awards top brews in more than 100 beer and cider categories. Over the years, GABF has promoted independent breweries and shaped global beer trends, cementing itself as a central part of American beer culture.
Here’s What’s Different in 2025
The Great American Beer Festival is introducing The Distilling Experience this year. The new Distilling Experience will feature samples from leading U.S. distillers. It will feature several distilleries pouring 0.25-ounce samples of whiskey, vodka, gin, and other spirits.
Guests can also sample kombucha, zero-proof drinks, cider, and ready-to-drink cocktails in addition to beer. The Mile High Vibes stage will bring live bands, lip-sync battles, costume contests, and stein-hoisting competitions.
Among the headliner bands, Aiko, featuring Bill Nershi & Jason Hann of the String Cheese Incident, is set to perform on October 9. Award-winning and Grammy-nominated band Southern Avenue will be performing blues, modern soul, and gospel-infused roots music on October 10.
The costume contests will have different themes each day, and the winner will bag a ticket for the GABF festival of 2026.
Tickets
General admission tickets cost $85 for Thursday, October 9, and $95 for both Friday, October 10, and Saturday, October 11.
The festival will start from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, it will take place from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. A three-day pass is available for $220. Tickets for the PAIRED food-and-beer experience cost $129, or $199 if combined with a GABF session.
Featuring thousands of unique brews, craft distilleries, and live entertainment, the festival remains a marquee event for beer enthusiasts nationwide.
