Warsaw Beer Festival – Fall 2025

A party like no other

A few years have passed. Many have grown up in that time, many have changed industries, some have turned off the lights and disappeared from the scene. And yet it – the Warsaw Beer Festival – is still going, still pouring into mugs (and festival glasses), still growing, and promising that its upcoming, 20th edition will surpass everything that has come before. 

"We're lucky with anniversary editions, because this spring we celebrated the tenth anniversary of WFP. That's the magic of this festival," laughs Paweł Leszczyński, the main organizer and originator of the event from the beginning. What new things have he and his team of enthusiasts, gathered under the banner of the Wolny Kraft Association, prepared this time? More on that in a moment. First, let's check out the standings of the regular program. 

A sauna called Parostacja (with aromatherapy wicks) will be available. Guided beer tours with or without tastings and workshops (e.g., on French brewing or American breweries) will be available. There will be the legendary Sztosy Auction, the festival's main charity event, with proceeds going towards ACA therapy. There will be four-legged rescue dogs from the OSP Marki group, specially trained dogs who have stolen the hearts of many and to whom many owe their lives. As always, there will be plenty of activities related to ecology, health, and health prevention (e.g., the "healthy water" campaign, where you can fill water bottles with water from brewery taps). There will be mead (more than in previous editions!) and Gastrofaza, a food truck zone for all those who enjoy good food (and who doesn't!). There will be a Retro Games Zone, expanded with legendary titles for good old PCs. There will be a craft fair. There will, of course, be a festival stand with unique merchandise and a stand by the Wolny Kraft association. Last but not least, there will be the best selected craft breweries and new beer flavors from them, including 0%, subjected to the same rigorous selection as % beers, tasting like never before. In short, everything you need for WFP will be available. 

Information about individual events, their dates and times, as well as tickets for them can be found in the program on the website WFP.

Phew... The permanent festival checklist is ticked off. Let's move on to what's new. The attractions could be listed for the next edition. So let's choose the most important ones, let's say... 7, because it's a number symbolized by fullness (it could be a synonym for WFP). So let's get started.

  1. A is for Watercolor

First of all: the poster. One might say, "as if painted." And that would be the truth. Almost the entire truth, because the poster is not "as if painted," but painted seriously. What's more, it's done in watercolor—a paint that doesn't forgive mistakes. The author, Grzegorz Wróbel, an architect and watercolorist, observed, experimented, discussed, and explored the festival at the 19th edition of WFP. Based on these experiences, he created a complete, colorful, and diverse work, capturing the spirit of the festival and pointing the way to it, or rather, the path. "There could be as many of these as there are WFP participants," says Michał Lassota, the second main organizer next to Leszczyński, responsible for marketing, promotion, and partnerships. The poster can already be admired in Warsaw.

  1. As if internationally

It doesn't matter how many roads, they all lead to Legia. And I'm not just talking about national roads. With each edition, more and more international guests are checking in at the WFP. These are our neighbors from Lithuania and the Czech Republic, but also from France, Great Britain, and Israel. "I'm always surprised by how eager they are, how they travel such long distances, how they schedule new editions, and how they buy tickets in advance, not just for the WFP, but also for flights and trains. It's also amazing to me how they react to the festival, to Polish craftsmen, to our breweries. It's in contact with them that I see most clearly that what we do in Poland and how we do it is not just European, but world-class," says Leszczyński. 

International guests are also contributing to the program for the 20th edition of WFP; the British Embassy will promote British beers, and CAMRA, an organization based in the UK, will discuss traditional beverages. Speakers from France and Germany will take the festival stage, discussing beers and brewing, among other topics. There will also be a meeting during which beer educator and author Markus Raupach will discuss his 60 (!) brewing-themed games.

  1. Serfdom, tokens and life imprisonment

Speaking of games, the organizers have also prepared something special: the Nowhere to Wear it Party. Do you have a great outfit at home that you wouldn't want to throw away because it's so cool, but you just never have the opportunity to wear it? Well, here it is. "It doesn't matter if it's a kimono from vacation, a suit from your grandfather, or a ball gown from the days when you were crazy in reenactment groups. Air out your outfits, iron the creases, and run to WFP in them," encourages Małgorzata "Gyshka" Kowcun, the festival organizer responsible for among others. for its visual communication and special projects. It's worth taking advantage of the incentive, because if your outfit steals the hearts of other festival-goers, you'll win... among other things, lifetime passes to the WFP. Yes, yes, that's no joke. LIFETIME. And since the festival has been reveling for over 10 years, you already know what you'll be doing every spring and fall for the next decade. ...If only you win. "We can't guarantee that. But we guarantee that we've created a system in which the voting will be truly fair and anonymous," assures Gyshka. It works like this: the person in the costume collects tokens for their costume. Only guests who enter the festival on Saturday, right after it opens (12:00 p.m.) will receive tokens. They will be the jury. If they decide that the costumed person deserves a vote, they will give them a token (each person will have only one token, meaning one vote). The winner will be the one who collects the most tokens. That's all, and that's all. Important info: this vote cannot be canceled 😉

The awards gala will take place on Saturday at 5:00 PM on the main stage. "If not for the token and not to dress up yourself, the Wear It Party is worth coming for another reason: legend has it that one of the members of Wolny Kraft will dress up as a serf," encourages Michał Lassota. Where did this particular outfit come from? It's a reference to another festival attraction: a meeting with Kuba Rużyłło, the screenwriter of "1670," a series that probably needs no introduction. At WFP, he will perform in his second role – as a freestyler – and will meet rapper Proceente on stage. What will come of it? You'll find out at the festival. One thing is certain: there will be no boredom (Friday).

  1. Extreme Deluxe Competitions

Prefer sporting challenges to dressing up? Okay. Test your skills in the Deluxe Ski Jump Championships, especially if you grew up in the Adam Małysz era and always wanted to experience what it was like on that starting line. The WFP organizers may not be able to provide you with the one in Planica or even Zakopane, but they will give you the chance to compete in the main competition in the stadium stands (Saturday).

Those who prefer strength to agility and fitness will be treated to extreme competition in the Harpagan Cup. Those whose greatest strength lies in nerves of steel will be able to test their mettle in the Parrón Challenge (Saturday). 

Don't worry, there's also something for the less adventurous, for introverts, and for everyone who prefers observation to competition: during this edition of WFP, the results of the Polish Homebrewers Association's competition for the best homebrew will be announced (Thursday). Curious about how legends are made? Check it out! (N.B. PSPD will be celebrating its 15th anniversary. So come by on Friday and raise a beer for a toast.

  1. For a good start

WFP isn't a festival without its flaws. The main ones are that it's too short and ends too quickly. But the Wolny Craft Association team has found a solution to this problem. They may not know how to split the time yet, but they know how to move the party – this time, its beginning. This one, the classic Before Party (October 15th), will take place at Beer & Bones Craftt Beer & Mead on Żurawia Street. Here's a tip for those for whom both the before and the festival attractions are still not enough: just like last year, indestructible festivalgoers can also enjoy the After Party at Kufle i Kapsle on Nowogrodzka Street (Thursday) and at Taproom Wilanów (Saturday).

  1. Jam session (almost) until morning

But BEFORE the after, let's focus for a moment on what's new at the festival itself. 

Among them, the concerts stand out. On Thursday and Friday, after 8:00 PM, the festival stage will transform into a music venue. Popular DJs will perform, including the duo behind Winyl Market, Risky and Kraff, and Poland's largest samba percussion group, Ritmo Bloco. There will also be a Jam Session by WFP Orkiestra Live, a spontaneous improvisation that any musician can join in. The same Orchestra will also take the stage with club legend and Boogie Mafia co-founder Harper (both events on Thursday). 

Not enough? Okay. So let's add karaoke (Saturday), which made its grand debut this spring. Anyone who has secretly dreamed of performing at a stadium and whipping up the crowds there their entire life finally has the chance to fulfill their dream. There may never be a better opportunity. (The karaoke registration form can be found in the festival's Facebook event).

  1. The historic Ikarus will take you to the examination

Only those who party responsibly truly have a good time. The WFP team has been repeating this slogan for years, presenting it in various forms: whether it's a run promoting cancer prevention or instructions on responsible drinking. This time, in the area of health prevention, they invite you to take anonymous tests for sexually transmitted diseases (these – for HIV, HCV, and gonorrhea – will take exactly fifteen minutes, because that's how long it takes to get results) and to attend unique workshops during which you will learn how to provide first aid in an emergency... to dogs! (Saturday).

When it comes to responsible drinking, the organizers encourage people to ditch their cars, bikes, and scooters and use the festival bus. A special festival bus will be running around Warsaw from Thursday to Saturday. A detailed map and stops will soon be available on the festival website, but two things can already be said: the bus will be free and not entirely ordinary. "It'll be a Kraftobus, a vintage festival Ikarus with lights, balloons, flags, and streamers. There's no way you'll miss it at the bus stop," laughs Paweł Leszczyński. "And when you hop on, you'll realize it's not just a means of transportation, but also a festival hall, because there'll be music on board, representatives of Wolny Kraft will be there, and there'll be something going on all the time," he adds. It's tempting to say: like the entire WFP.

Exactly. This raises the (quite justified) fear that with so many attractions, it's easy to miss something. The WFP team has also anticipated this. So, there will be a live broadcast of the festival, available both on the stadium's large screen and online. Selected attractions will be broadcast on festival TV. "We hope that between October 16th and 18th, it will be the most popular channel in Poland," laugh the organizers, who, despite having once again achieved the impossible and having prepared an edition that surpasses the previous one in less than six months, modestly say: "It's not us who create the festival, but the passion of the craft brewers. We only gather and accumulate their energy.". 

It's probably not a cumulation, but a synergy, because thanks to the WFP, both the Legia stadium and Warsaw are emerging as friendly, open cities on par with those in Western Europe, as attractive as Copenhagen, Prague, or Berlin. And best of all, although alcohol is the driving force, it's not the focus. Because WFP is, above all, a time for enthusiasts, a time for good food, a time with friends, a time for trying new things, and a time to take a moment and stop for a moment. Something that's invaluable these days. 

Partners are always behind every WFP event. The 20th edition is hosted by the ReCraft Brewery, responsible for the Ale Historia project, among other projects. Other event partners include the Legia Stadium, O3Hotel, Untappd, the Warsaw Tourist Organization, Etigraf Printing House, the British Embassy, and Miejski Lis.

Media patrons are: Radio Kampus, NaszaMiasto.pl, ReportWarszawski.pl and HorecaTrends.pl

Warsaw Beer Festival

Date: October 16-18, 2025

Legia Stadium, Łazienkowska Street 3 

Tickets available for purchase at: https://warszawskifestiwalpiwa.pl/bilety/

Detailed information: https://warszawskifestiwalpiwa.pl

Source: Press Release – Warsaw Beer Festival