Qingdao International Beer Festival

Qingdao International Beer Festival has become a major event in the calendar of the beautiful city. The first festival took place back in 1991. It is now usually held once a year from the end of July to the end of August, and lasts for about one month. Qingdao is the largest beer production base in China and the festival provides a great opportunity to show-off the city's unique characteristics.

With a history of over 20 years, Qingdao International Beer Festival is now a nationally recognized event, and successfully combines together aspects of tourism, culture and sport, while also playing a valuable role in promoting the economic interests of the city. As one of the most important festivals of China, it has a worldwide reputation and attracts millions of people to take part every year. In April of 2006 the festival was praised as the No. 1 on the board of 'Top Ten Festivals in China' in the Exhibition and Conference Annual Meeting of China.

Qingdao International Beer Town (No. 195, Hong Kong East Road) is the Festival's primary location. It is here that many of the performances take place. The area also contains a number of shops and restaurants, catering for a variety of tastes. In 2006 two other venues were added in an attempt to bring the celebrations to a wider audience.  One is the Huiquan Plaza with beer tents and activities and the other is Dengzhou Road where the Qingdao Beer Museum is located. The festival begins with the opening ceremony in this town, followed by 16 days of beer tasting, evening entertainment and drinking competitions, concluding with the final ceremony from the second weekend of August.

The slogan for the Festival reads: 'Qingdao-Ganbei (bottoms up/toast) with the World!', indicating the scale of the event. While the 195-year old Munich Oktoberfest primarily focuses on local breweries, the festival in Qingdao is open to both Chinese and foreign groups. More than 100 brands from all over the world have successfully participated at the event over the past 16 years.

Every year daily performances are given at the Beer Town's Center Theatre, where colorful fountains, hi-tech laser shows and dramatic audio effects wow audiences. However, performances are not strictly limited to the town, with 200 such events taking place across the city. Whether walking on the roads, shopping in the local stores or even when catching a ride in a taxi, you will constantly hear people talking about the festival. It is obvious to see that after 16 years of development, the festival has become part of local people's daily lives. We recommend that you sample the buzz on its streets for yourself.

The town is divided into north and south parts, respectively for comprehensive and entertaiment uses. A big amusement park has been built up. There is a big square in the town, which is the permanent venue for the festival. The beautiful Shilaoren Beach is just 10 minutes' walking south of the square.
 

It is held in four venues respectively in Laoshan District, Huangdao District, Licang World Expo Park, and Jiaozhou City. Among them, the one at Golden Sand Beach Beer Square in Huangdao serves as the main venue. A grand carnival is held during the beer festival from July 15 to August 7, 2022. Besides, visitors can enjoy the light show, art parade, and visit Qingdao Beer Museum for free.
 From City Center: Take Tunnel Bus 5, 6, 7, 8 or Tour Bus L3 and get off at Haiyun Jiayuan Station.

From Huangdao District: Take Beer Festival Special Line 6, 7 or bus 18 operated in Qingdao Economic and Technological Development Zone, and get off at Golden Sand Beach Station.

Further Reading
Tsingtao Beer - China’s Most Famous Beer Brand