Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve been asked lots of questions over the years and have collated the most important here. If you have any questions that haven’t been answered, please email us at info@gatesheadbeerfestival.co.uk.

Polite notice
Please consider our neighbours and leave quietly at the end of your visit.

What are the Gateshead Beer & Music festival opening times?

Gateshead Beer  & Music Festival:

Friday – 2.00pm to 11.00pm
Saturday – 12.00pm to 11.00pm
Sunday – 12.00pm to 10.00pm

How do we get to the festival?

Please check out our Location page for Bus and Taxi information

Is there parking available?

If anyone is planning on bringing a car this weekend then we’ve got use of the Dryden centre car park which is a 5 minute walk to the venue (NE9 5UR).
(what3words .grid reference  – ///rots.dairy.spicy)
The car park will be open from 12pm to 23:30 Friday, 10am to 23:30 Saturday and 10:00am to 23:00 on Sunday.
The car park will be closed on Monday, so any cars left overnight will be locked in.
There are a couple of Blue Badge bays at the Cricket Club (located next door to the Rugby Club).
We would however recommend if possible leaving the car at home and using the great local transport links to our club.
Alternatively you could use Dean Taxis who are once again sponsoring our event.

What does my entry ticket include?

Your entry ticket would normally include Souvenir Glass, Festival Programme, as well as entry to the Festival Music Marquee (It does not include any drinks tokens).  However due to COVID purposes we have had to make a couple of changes. For one year only we have switched the programme online and we will provide plastic glasses to avoid cross contamination.

Are entry tickets available on the day?

This is all very much dependent on stock levels and whether that specific day has sold out in advance. Once a day is sold out then unfortunately there won’t be any tickets available on the day


Just a further reminder, that we are not responsible for any tickets purchased from any third party – sometimes we do see people try to take advantage of our sold out days to sell fake tickets, so please do beware!

What time does the music finish?

The Music in the Marquee finishes at 10.30pm on Friday/Saturday and at 10pm on the Sunday.

What are the stage times?

Please head to our Music/entertainment page for all timings

Please note: All artists are subject to change occasionally due to circumstances beyond our control. Any line-up changes will be announced immediately via this website and social media.

Times also may be adjusted without notice.

How do I purchase a drink?

All Beers, Ciders, Craft Ales and Premium Lagers are purchased using tokens. These can be purchased at the token sales counter.

The Gin, Prosecco, Whiskey, Vodka & Cocktail bar will be cash/card sales.

Should you wish to have your glass washed between drinks, please ask at the bar.

I'm not too keen on Ciders or Ales, are other beverages available?

In addition to our pop-up festival bars (Cider, Ales, Craft, Premium Lager, Fizz, Gin and Prosecco Cocktails), we have two permanent bars located in the bar/hall and Lounge areas which sell a fine array of draught drinks, spirits, wines, soft drinks and hot drinks.

Can we bring our own alcohol to the festival?

Due to the strict terms of our licence, you are not allowed to bring your own alcohol into the grounds or premises of the rugby club. Unfortunately, if you are found to have done this we will have to ask you to leave. The ongoing organisation of events such as the music and beer festival is dependent on us working closely with the licensing authorities and we cannot afford to put this at risk, therefore, this area of the event will be closely monitored – we hope you comply with our request and refrain from bringing along any alcohol.

Is there food available at the festival?

There certainly is, this year we have introduced an indoor food court, in addition the guys in the kitchen are working hard to put on a great choice of food with plenty of vegetarian choices for you all to enjoy.

Festival Food Menu

Can we bring our own food to the festival?

‘There is no need to bring your own food, we’ve catered for almost every taste with our home made freshly prepared food’. Leave the Picnics at home and let us do the cooking for you.

However, you are welcome to bring your own snacks to the festival, but no open fires are allowed.

Festival Food Menu

Are children allowed at the festival?

Children are very welcome at the festival and there is no charge to bring your child along. We do insist that children must be supervised by a responsible adult.

Please read our Entry/Purchasing policy prior to purchasign tickets   Purchasing/Entry Policy (Important)

Are dogs allowed at the festival?

Dogs on a lead are allowed onto the field and in the Music Marquee, however, they are not allowed in the clubhouse.

Is there disabled access/toilets?

Yes we have recently installed an access ramp into the club, as well as installing a disabled access toilet within the clubhouse.

Can we bring our own camping chair to the festival?

Yeah, that is not a problem, however please remember to take them home at the end of the day.

Can we reserve a table?

Unfortunately not all seat is unreserved, so we would recommend arriving early.

Do you accept contactless payments?

***CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS***

Token sales, gin bar and our food section will all have contactless payments available.

Cash payments will also be accepted at these stations, but we would encourage people to use contactless if they can!

Remember, our ale bar, cider bar and craft lager bar all use a token system, so no cash payments will be available at those areas.

Are there any ATM's at the festival?

No, there are no ATM’s at the festival although we do cash-back at the clubhouse bars.  You can also pay for your drinks tokens etc using our chip & pin devices.

There are also cash machines on Durham road (Low Fell High Street) and at the Nisa on Old Durham Road (Sheriff’s Highway).

What footwear do you recommend?

Our marquee is located on the Rugby pitch, so it’s probably best to avoid heels if possible.

What other events do you organise or host?

You may only know as as the the home of the Gateshead Beer & Music Festival, however we organise many events throughout the year.

On the Rugby side we run 3 Senior sides, Ladies side and we have a huge Junior and Mini Rugby section which welcomes players of all levels.

Socially we run the Gateshead Gin Festival, Summer Rum-shack, Gateshead Family Fun day, Gateshead Ladies Day, Gateshead Fireworks night and many more events.

If you loved the beer festival then you also need to check out our Summer Fest (All of the info is available on the website)

As you may see our club house has also gone through a huge modernisation project and our rooms are available for hire for private functions….

Call 0191 420 0207 for hire information.