HEREFORD'S popular Beer on the Wye festival has been cancelled for 2025.

Herefordshire CAMRA, who organise the riverside festival, has said that due to works taking place at Hereford Rowing Club, the festival will be paused for 2025.

Mark Haslam, chair of the festival’s organising committee, said it was "regrettable" that the decision had been made, and he appreciated a lot of people would be disappointed.

"However, it was difficult to see an alternative with so many changes and challenges that the festival currently faces," he added.

“Over the next few months a number of significant changes are to be made to our site as part of improving the facilities at the festival’s Rowing Club home.

"Whilst the organising committee are comfortable that these alterations will not prevent us from running the festival in the future, we can see great merit in waiting for the works to be completed.

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"This will then allow us to organise with 100% certainty based on with what is actually ‘on the ground’. It is vital to minimise all risks to the event, particularly as it involves a considerable financial outlay to stage."

Mr Haslam added that the festival needs more volunteers to "step up" and get involved in organising the event. 

An appeal has since been started, in the hope that the recruitment drive will bring the ‘new blood’ that is needed onto the organising committee.

“With all these changes in the pipeline, it is also considered that now is the right time to undertake a thorough root and branch review of the festival.

"Such an exercise is long overdue, and to achieve this aim it is essential to stop the treadmill of monthly planning meetings, so as to provide the time and space for those on the organising committee to devote themselves to this important process".

It is anticipated that Beer on the Wye will return in July 2026.