One of Stroud’s most beloved pubs and live music venues, The Prince Albert, is raising a glass to summer with its much-anticipated August Bank Holiday Beer & Music Festival, running from Thursday 21st to Monday 25th August 2025.
This annual five-day celebration brings together outstanding live music, a hand-picked selection of cask beers, perries and ciders, delicious food, and the warm, vibrant atmosphere that has made the pub a true community favourite.
Beer Festival Highlights
Festival-goers can look forward to over twenty specially chosen beers served from the cask, showcasing some of the UK’s finest breweries. Expect top picks from Purple Moose, Brew York, Barsham, Church End, New Bristol, Siren, Fixed Wheel, Tleys, Iron Pier, Fierce & Noble, Only With Love, Electric Bear and Thornbridge, including three versions of the legendary Jaipur.
“Jaipur is the only beer that always features in our beer fest menu,” said landlady Lotte Lyster Connolly, who runs The Prince Albert with her husband Miles and their family. “It’s one of Miles’ favourites, and since his birthday falls over the weekend—and did you know it’s also Prince Albert’s birthday on the same day?—we thought we’d celebrate in style.”
Music Line-Up
The festival’s live programme spans genres and continents, from sea shanties and Celtic folk to psychedelic indie rock and Mongolian throat singing, plus vinyl-spun DJ sets of global grooves, jazz, reggae, and tropical beats.
Thursday 21st August – Shanty Bants
- A raucous evening of sea shanties, drinking songs and radical twists. Bring your own song to share.
Friday 22nd August – Celtic Afternoon & Fat Tony’s Live Jukebox
- 3pm: Celtic Session – music from Alba, Ireland and beyond.
- 8pm: Fat Tony’s Live Jukebox – choose the setlist via his special web app. Expect surprises.
Sunday 24th August – DJs & Blind Yeo
- 1–11pm: Los Domingos – 10 hours of global grooves and tropical vibes with Ben Pearce, Vinyl Richie, Jack Duplock, The High Priest (spiritual jazz), and Myogeniks (reggae 7s).
- 8pm: Blind Yeo – A psychedelic carnival of sound born from the Cornish underground scene.
Monday 25th August – Johanni Curtet & Nasanjargal Ganbold
- Dive into the soundscapes of Mongolia with master throat singer Nasaa and ethnomusicologist Johanni Curtet, blending overtone singing, horse-fiddle melodies, poems and improvisations.
Food & Atmosphere
The festival also serves up a mouthwatering food offering: locally reared beef burgers, Moving Mountain vegan burgers, and The Prince Albert’s famous pizzas (vegan and gluten-free options available).
Entry is completely free every day. Festivities kick off at 6pm on Thursday and continue through to 7pm on Monday evening.
“Our Bank Holiday Beer Festival weekends are some of our favourite times of the year,” said Miles Connolly. “We get to showcase beers we normally can’t sell in the pub due to our beer tie. After such a fabulous summer, we can’t wait to open the doors for a proper celebration. We’ve even got some exciting new additions in our ‘secret garden’ for you to discover. Whether you come for the music, the beer, or just the company—you’re guaranteed a great time.”
