After a two-year absence, the world's largest Belgian beer festival, Zythos Beer Festival (ZBF), will be held this weekend (23-24 April) at the Brabanthal venue in Leuven.
Now in its 17th edition, the event will draw beer enthusiasts from across the world to Leuven where they can sample 707 different beers from the 108 Belgian breweries and brewing companies that will be present.
"In the past two years, a lot has changed in the beer world. Many breweries had to shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic," ZBF's chairman Freddy Van Daele told The Brussels Times.
"Still, more breweries have opened than have disappeared. In any case, we are looking forward to it after a two-year hiatus."
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Particularly affected by the pandemic were smaller local breweries, with many having no option but to close doors due to the lockdowns and bar closures. But Van Daele stressed that the diversity of Belgian beers remains as strong as ever.
"From 1 January 2021 to date, we have registered more than 3,000 new beers," he said, adding that the festival promotes all kinds of Belgian craft beers from across the country.
From traditional pale ales and stouts to over 500 craft beers, ZBF has something for everyone – including a few exclusive beers brewed exclusively for the festival. "There will also be gluten-free beers, organic beers, low-alcohol beers, and many more."
International acclaim
As the biggest Belgian beer festival in the world, ZBF attracts visitors from all corners of the world. "We have received registrations from 32 countries, going from Europe, Asia (China, Japan, India), South America (Brazil, Cambodia) as well as the United States and Canada."
Still, the organisers are unsure about how many visitors to expect for this first post-pandemic edition. "For the international audience in particular, I have no idea," Van Daele said.
When the registrations went online, a number of Covid-19 restrictions were still in force in Belgium, requiring the organisation to work with time slots for visitors to make sure everyone did not arrive at the same time.
"Luckily, those measures are no longer necessary. So people can just come in and have a beer as soon as they arrive," he said. "There are more than 700 on offer: plenty of choice. Cheers."
Visitors are welcome from 13:00 to 23:00 on 23 April, and from 12:00 to 20:00 on 24 April. Information about tickets can be found here.
