What is the Qingdao International Beer Festival?
Qingdao is a seaside city in Shandong province, on China's east coast, with red-roofed colonial villas, sandy beaches and one famous export: Tsingtao, the beer named after the old spelling of the city. Its brewery was founded in 1903, when Qingdao was a German concession, and beer has been part of local life ever since. Locals famously buy draught beer by the bag, carried home in a plastic sack with a straw.
Every summer since 1991, the city has celebrated with the Qingdao International Beer Festival, first held to mark the city's centenary and led by the Tsingtao brewery. It now runs for about a month from mid-July, and the 2026 edition was its 36th. Despite the brewery at its heart, the festival pours beers from around the world: at the main venue in 2026, visitors could choose from about 2,300 of them.
It is part beer hall, part carnival, part beach holiday. Alongside the beer tents there are seafood stalls, bands, drinking games and contests, funfair rides, drone shows and fireworks over the sea, and the crowds are mostly Chinese families and groups of friends on their summer holidays.
The city itself is a good reason to come. The old town, with its German churches, stone villas and tree-lined streets, climbs the hills above the bay, and the long string of beaches to the east fills with swimmers on summer days. Between afternoons by the sea and evenings at the beer tents, a few days here make an easy, relaxed stop on a trip through eastern China.
What to expect
The festival is spread over several venues, each with its own character, and runs every day from late afternoon until late at night.
Opening weekend
The opening ceremony
The festival opens with a ceremony, parades and the first fireworks at the main venue. The opening weekend is busy and lively; book rooms early.
Every evening
Beer city
The main venue, Golden Beach Beer City on the city's West Coast, fills with beer tents run by Chinese and international brewers, each with its own stage, music and food. Seafood, from grilled squid to clams, is the classic pairing.
Any day
Beyond the beach
Smaller venues in the Laoshan district and the old city centre have a more local feel, with fewer crowds and easy access from downtown hotels.
A historic brewing tank at the Tsingtao Beer Museum in Qingdao
Photo by See-ming Lee (SML) / flickr · CC BY 2.0
Planning your trip
Getting there
Qingdao's international airport has flights from across China and Asia, and high-speed trains link the city to Beijing and Shanghai. The main venue on the West Coast is about 40 to 50 minutes by car from downtown and is not on the main metro lines, so plan for taxis or ride-hailing, especially late at night.
Where to stay
Downtown Qingdao, near the old town and the beaches of the east, has the most hotels and puts you close to the smaller venues and the brewery museum. Hotels near Golden Beach on the West Coast suit visitors who want to spend most evenings at the main venue. Prices rise in July and August, China's summer holiday season.
What it costs
Entry to the festival venues is cheap or free, depending on the venue and year. Beer, from local draught to imported bottles, and seafood are reasonably priced, though imported beers cost more. Hotels and transport are your main costs, and both rise during the summer holidays.
Go like you know
- Visit the Tsingtao Beer Museum, in the brewery's original German buildings, before the festival for the history and a tasting.
- Order clams and grilled squid with your beer; seafood is the classic partner in Qingdao.
- Learn the toast ganbei, empty glass, and pace yourself.
- Munich's Oktoberfest and Stuttgart's Cannstatter Volksfest are the great German beer festivals Qingdao's draws on.
- For a winter festival in northern China, see the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Qingdao International Beer Festival?
About a month from mid-July to mid-August. In 2026 it ran from July 17 to August 15; the city announces each year's dates and venues in early summer. The opening weekend and the weekends that follow are the liveliest times to go.
Is the festival only about Tsingtao?
No. Tsingtao is the host and the local favourite, but the main venue pours beers from brewers across China and around the world, more than 2,000 in recent years, alongside food, music and fairground rides. Craft beers have a growing presence too.
Do I need to speak Chinese?
It helps, as English is not widely spoken. Translation apps work well, and menus at the beer tents are often picture-based. Payment is the bigger hurdle: set up a Chinese mobile payment app linked to a foreign card before you travel, as many vendors don't accept cash or cards.
