Tsukuba Craft Beer Fest 2026
Free entry. You pay only for the beer and food you order.
Tsukuba Craft Beer Fest 2026 (つくばクラフトビアフェスト2026) takes over Tsukuba Center Plaza, right next to Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express (TX), from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026. Forty breweries from Hokkaido down to Okinawa set up booths, and walking in costs nothing. This is the 13th edition of a festival that first ran in 2013, and the organizers say last year drew around 20,000 visits over the event.
Below: opening hours and last orders, how to get there, how the cup system works, and the full list of breweries.
Dates, hours and last orders
The Friday session starts in the afternoon, and Sunday wraps up early. Each day, last orders are one hour before closing.
| Day | Open | Last orders |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 Oct | 3 pm–10 pm | 9 pm |
| Sat 17 Oct | 11 am–10 pm | 9 pm |
| Sun 18 Oct | 11 am–6 pm | 5 pm |
| Venue | Tsukuba Center Plaza (つくばセンター広場) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-10-1 Azuma, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0031 |
| Entry | Free (food and drink paid separately) |
| Organizer | Tsukuba Craft Beer Fest Executive Committee |
| Co-organizer | Tsukuba Machinaka Design Co., Ltd. |
| Supported by | Tsukuba City; Tsukuba Center Area Revitalization Council |
| SDGs partner | Green White Co., Ltd. |
Getting there
The plaza is about a 3-minute walk from Tsukuba Station, the last stop on the Tsukuba Express line. Since you will be drinking, the train is the obvious choice. On Friday and Saturday the festival runs until 10 pm, so check the time of your last train home before you settle in.
How it works: pick a cup, then buy beer
The system is simple. First, sort out something to drink from. Then walk up to any brewery booth, buy beer in the size you want, add some food and enjoy. There are three ways to get a cup:
Option 3 is what sets this festival apart. Most beer events make you drink from the official cup, but here you can show up with your own. The organizers pitch it as a way to cut single-use cups, and it also means you are not forced to buy a cup to get started.
Beer Concierge, food and stage
Not sure where to start? With 40 breweries in one place, choosing is the hard part. The Beer Concierge at the venue asks what you like and what you are in the mood for, then points you to a beer. This year there is also a concierge who uses sign language, so Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors can talk through the options too. The festival is also running a joint project with Tsukuba University of Technology, a university in the city for students with hearing or visual impairments.
More than beer. This year’s theme is beer meets ***: the idea is to pair beer with something else. Expect food (including local Tsukuba dishes), stage performances and hands-on activities around the plaza.
All 40 breweries
These are the breweries scheduled to take part, as announced by the organizers. Japanese names are shown in brackets.
| Nasu Kogen Beer (那須高原ビール) | Hopdog Brewing (ホップドッグブルーイング) |
| NAT.BREW | Echigo Beer (エチゴビール) |
| REPUBREW | Iwate Kura Beer (いわて蔵ビール) |
| Romeo Brewery | Ushiku Jozojo (牛久醸造場) |
| DD4D BREWING | Locobeer (ロコビア) |
| Free Spirits Brewing (フリー・スピリッツ・ ブリューイング) | Twin Peaks Mountain Brewing |
| HORSEHEAD LABS | RotoBrewery |
| Yellowbeerworks | KOSHU BEER |
| Shimoda Brewing Company | Hop Garden Brewery (ホップガーデンブルワリー) |
| Honjo Ginza Brewery (本庄銀座ブルワリー) | BLUE MAGIC |
| NORTH ISLAND BEER | VERTERE |
| Shiokaze Blue Lab (潮風ブルーラボ) | Smoke Craft (スモーク・クラフト) |
| GREAT DANE BREWING | Campanella Brewing (カンパネラブリューイング) |
| Brewery Tumugi | BrewBeast |
| Tsukuba Brewery (つくばブルワリー) | NASU BOULDER BREWING |
| NAMACHAん Brewing | GRANDLINE BREWING |
| ONE DROP | Platanus Brewing |
| Shinkichi Jozosho (シンキチ醸造所) | Nara Jozo (奈良醸造) |
| 808BREWERY | In a daze Brewing |
| Sakazuki Brewing (さかづきBrewing) | Tokoshie Jozo (トコシエ醸造) |
Line-up may change. See the official website or the organizer’s Instagram and X account for updates.
Tips to keep costs down
- Bring your own glass. If you already have a glass you like, using it means you can skip buying a cup altogether.
- Use the size options. Breweries sell beer in different sizes, so smaller pours let you try more styles on the same budget.
- Check payment before you go. The announcement does not say which payment methods booths accept, so look at the official site first. If cards turn out to be accepted, a card that earns points on everyday spending helps; see our guide to credit cards in Japan for foreigners.
- Make a weekend of it. Looking for more free or low-cost events this autumn? Try the Musashino Art University Festival later in October, or browse past picks like the Shibaura Canal Festival and the Setagaya Tamagawa Fireworks.
FAQ
- Q. Is entry to Tsukuba Craft Beer Fest 2026 free?
- Yes. Entry is free. Beer and food are paid for separately at each booth.
- Q. What are the opening hours?
- Friday 16 October 3 pm–10 pm, Saturday 17 October 11 am–10 pm, Sunday 18 October 11 am–6 pm. Last orders are one hour before closing each day.
- Q. Can I bring my own glass?
- Yes. You can bring a glass from home, buy a reusable cup at the Circular Station, or buy an original festival glass at the venue.
- Q. How much does a beer cost?
- Prices are not listed in the announcement. Check the official website before you go.
- Q. What is the nearest station?
- Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express line, about a 3-minute walk from Tsukuba Center Plaza.
- Q. I am new to craft beer. Where do I start?
- Ask the Beer Concierge at the venue. They suggest a beer based on your taste and mood, and a concierge who uses sign language is also available.
Information as announced by the Tsukuba Craft Beer Fest Executive Committee in its press release (20 August 2026). Details may change; always check the official website and Facebook page for the latest.