Liquid Dreams, London’s ultimate beer festival is back for 2026

Never fear, drink beer

Hermione Blandford's avatar
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A bark worker pours a pint of Guinness at the bar in pub in central London
(Image credit: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)

The rules for Dry January are similar to any mammoth task: take regular breaks, treat yourself as much as you like, and have plenty of lovely rewards to look forward to at the end of it. So, for anyone ditching the booze this January the news of an all-you-can-drink beer festival, Liquid Dreams is probably the equivalent of finding money in an old coat.

Housed at Notting Hill’s gorgeous Mall Tavern, the festival will feature over 100 beers from 50 independent breweries from the UK and around the world, essentially being cheaper but probably just as culturally enriching as going interrailing. It will be taking place on 27th and 28th February 2026, so the post-Christmas food fatigue should have finally worn off – and the harsh, self-inflicted New Year’s resolutions probably will have too.

Inside The Mall Tavern: What to try at this classic London Pub

Never one to turn down absorbing some liquid culture, Shortlist headed down to the festival last year, dubbing it our “new favourite beer festival”, even shortlisting (wink wink) our four favourite pints from the showcase.

There are a couple of things that make this festival stand out from the crammed conference room/ dangerously overheating marquee based festivals you often find in a poor imitation of an Oktoberfest in the UK. Firstly, it’s in an actual pub – and not just a trendy pub but a family run, proper local boozer which blends the cosy with the classic. Also, tickets aren’t oversold for each session, meaning there’s a convivial feel without it being completely packed and you’re not fighting bottomless-brunch-style to get as much as you can because you’re not sure if you’re even going to get another round in before your time is up. Plus, they have some hyper micro breweries in, meaning you get to support small batch producers, as well as sample liquids which almost no one else does. Win win.

Inside The Mall Tavern: What to try at this classic London Pub

Tickets are priced at £60 this year for a standard five-hour tasting session, slightly more expensive than last year which was around £49. The tickets include unlimited access to all the beers, cover your entry, and also get you a festival tasting glass. The sessions are running:

  • Friday 27th February (5pm – 11pm)
  • Saturday 28th February (12pm – 5pm)
  • Saturday 28th February (5pm – 11pm)

Tickets are now on sale and are available via The Mall Tavern’s website.

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Hermione Blandford
Hermione Blandford
Content Editor

Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

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