Our 20th Festival!
Yes, it's hard to believe, but the Rotherham Real Ale & Music Festival will be 20 years old in 2012.
Did you support us in the early years at Oakwood? Tell us about your memories of the Oakwood festivals.
BAAs of STEEL
It's well known that Rotherham makes more steel than the Steel City itself and although the industry employs a fraction of its former workforce, it is still important to our area. The venue for our Festival, MAGNA, was originally a state of the art electric arc furnace. So it's fitting that we have chosen a steel theme for this year's Festival.
Over 200 Real Ales
Several bars in seven distinct areas means the Rotherham Real Festival is unrivalled in presenting real ale on hand pump. Added to that we have a good range of real cider, and a huge choice of wines. Despite its size, the Festival retains the same friendly and exciting atmosphere that has made it so popular since it began in 1992.
Helping Disadvantaged Children
The purpose of the festival is to support local charities that help children throughout South Yorkshire. Last year, £35,000 was shared between our nominated good causes.
This year, the Festival profits will go to Rotherham Hospice, Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice, Weston Park Hospital and MAGNA Trust.
Come and Join Us
We hope you will enjoy a visit to this year's Festival, which runs from Wednesday 29th February to Saturday 3rd March 2012.
Tickets are available online, from the MAGNA ticket desk, and are also on sale at various outlets across Rotherham and Sheffield. Details here.
Would you like to help?
The whole event is organised and run by volunteers. From the people in the "back office" to the bar staff serving your beer, all are unpaid helpers. Thank you everyone.
Many of our volunteers enjoy it so much they come back year after year. No experience is needed, so if you would like to be added to the list for next year's Festival, please email Jill at
In spite of the economic situation, the response from local (and not-so-local) organisations has been fantastic. It's too late to be a sponsor of this year's Festival, but if you'd like to be contacted about supporting us next year, please contact Matthew Ridsdale and he will register your interest.
If you are a sponsor, whether in cash or kind, the Festival organisers offer you a big "Thank You". Please check out who is sponsoring the Festival this year.
