September 26 - Love Letter: To the Weekend Warwick Came Together 🍻☀️🎉
Dear Warwick,
Well, wasn’t that quite the bank holiday weekend!? I think we may have only just recovered.
A little soggy around the edges to begin with, admittedly. But by Bank Holiday Monday, the sun had arrived, the town was buzzing and something that started as a simple idea between a group of Warwick pubs had become something rather special.
The very first Warwick PubFest had arrived. And more than 800 wristbands later, we think it's safe to say you rather enjoyed it.
One wristband. 14 pubs. A whole town to explore: The idea behind PubFest was deliberately simple. Grab a £5 wristband, pick up your hat and programme, and spend the August Bank Holiday weekend discovering 14 brilliant Warwick pubs, each with their own offers and plenty happening along the way.
What followed was three days of people wandering between venues, bumping into friends, discovering pubs they'd never visited before and experiencing Warwick in a completely different way.
There was live music popping up across the town, karaoke for those brave enough to take the microphone, food, drinks, entertainment and plenty of reasons to stay for "just one more".
The rain may have made an appearance on Saturday and Sunday, but this is Britain after all. And judging by the packed venues and very determined PubFest hats making their way around town, it certainly didn't stop anyone.
Everyone was invited:
Perhaps one of our favourite things about the weekend was just how many different people made PubFest their own.
There were groups of friends working their way through the programme.
Couples making a weekend of it. Families enjoying the entertainment together. Visitors coming over from neighbouring towns specifically to join in.
People staying overnight and turning PubFest into a proper Warwick getaway.
And, naturally, plenty of four-legged participants accompanying everyone along the way.
Some took their PubFest mission particularly seriously too. With more than 100 people completing the Grand Prize challenge, putting themselves in the running for 25 prizes, including the ultimate reward: a weekend back here in Warwick. Which feels rather fitting!
More than a great weekend:
For all the fun, there was another reason PubFest mattered.
Every wristband sold helped support our charity partner, The Graham Fulford Charitable Trust, meaning a weekend spent enjoying Warwick also helped raise thousands of pounds for a fantastic cause, with the final total still being confirmed.
It was good for our pubs too. Participating venues welcomed new faces through their doors and saw a significant boost in trade. But perhaps the biggest success belonged to Warwick itself. People travelled here because something was happening.
Then, once they arrived, they explored. They ate. They drank. They discovered somewhere new. And they got to experience the kind of atmosphere that happens when businesses across a town decide to create something together.
That's what made PubFest feel like more than simply a pub crawl. It became a reason to experience Warwick.
Shall we do it again?
We thought you might say yes! So, diaries at the ready:
Warwick PubFest will return for the 2027 August Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday 28 – Monday 30 August).
And if the first year was anything to go by, we'd recommend getting that one in the calendar now! There will be plenty more to share as next year's plans take shape. But for now, we want to say thank you...
To the pubs who took an idea and ran with it.
To the musicians, entertainers, sponsors, partners, volunteers and everyone else who helped bring the weekend to life.
To the visitors who travelled to Warwick to be part of it.
And to everyone who bought a wristband, pulled on a PubFest hat and embraced three days of exploring the town – rain or shine.
You proved something rather lovely, Warwick. Give people a reason to come together, and they'll do far more than simply turn up. They'll make a weekend of it.
Same time next year?
With love,
Warwick Chamber of Trade ❤️❤️❤️
Find out more about the participating Pubfest pubs below:
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