The Laowaijie Craft Beer Festival returns for its 8th edition, and this time it’s bigger, bolder, and hoppier than ever.

Over the years, the event has grown into one of Shanghai’s most popular craft beer festivals, bringing together breweries, beer lovers, music, and street food in a lively outdoor beer garden atmosphere.

This April, Laowaijie will once again transform into a giant craft beer festival, featuring 20 exhibitors and more than 100+ different craft beers to discover.

The theme of this edition is INNOVATIVE IPA — a celebration of creativity and experimentation in the world of hops. From juicy, hazy IPAs and bold West Coast classics to unexpected experimental versions brewed with unique hops, fruits, and modern techniques, brewers will showcase their most exciting interpretations of this iconic style.

Every craft beer exhibitor will offer at least one IPA specially selected for the theme, while also bringing a variety of other craft beer styles.

Even better, about two-thirds of the breweries participating are not based in Shanghai, making this festival a rare opportunity to taste beers that are normally very difficult to find in the city.

What To Expect

• 100+ different craft beers to explore
• Innovative IPAs brewed specially for the theme of the festival
• Breweries from across China and beyond
• A rare chance to try beers not normally available in Shanghai
• Delicious food options from selected restaurants
• A large outdoor beer garden with comfortable seating areas to relax with friends
• DJs and music create a lively festival atmosphere throughout the day

Exhibitors

• Brander Urstoff — craft beer
• Short Tail Cat — craft beer
• Set Back Craft Beer — craft beer
• Timmermans — imported Belgian beer
• Minne — imported Belgian beer
• Postwave Brewery — craft beer
• Rich Guy — craft beer
• Yardley Brothers — craft beer
• Bella Vita — restaurant
• Doe Brewery — craft beer
• The Äppler Co. — craft cider
• BOWKNOT — craft beer
• CRAFT HEAD — craft beer
• MatterFact — merchandising
• Urpiner Slovak — beer
• Zaopishi — craft beer
• Punk Cat Craft Beer — craft beer
• HEY SOUR — craft beer
• Zhi Brew — craft beer
• Twelve Square Meters Brewing — craft beer
• Twintails — craft beer

Yardley Brothers Craft Brewery from Hong Kong

Yardley Brothers Craft Brewery from Hong Kong is one of Asia’s most acclaimed craft breweries. Founded by two British brothers, the brewery has gained international recognition with multiple medals at the Asia Beer Championship, AIBA (Australian International Beer Awards), and HK IWSC, earning a reputation for bold, creative, and technically outstanding beers.

A standout beer is Machine Men, a Double Dry-Hopped Pale Ale exploding with tropical aromas of mango, passionfruit, and lychee, supported by a smooth body and balanced bitterness — a brilliant example of modern hop-forward brewing.

Another highlight is Quit Your Job!, a Belgian-style Saison inspired by farmhouse traditions, offering peppery yeast character, bright fruit notes, and a crisp, refreshing finish.

For sour beer fans, Sour City – Passionfruit Pink Guava Sour delivers vibrant passionfruit and pink guava flavors, creating a bright tropical acidity and silky mouthfeel that has earned gold medals at international competitions. 

CRAFT HEAD Brewery from Shenzhen

CRAFT HEAD Brewery (佳卡哈) from Shenzhen, China, founded in 2014 by Nick (Li Ke) and Penny, is known for its bold experimentation and creative brewing philosophy. The brewery quickly established itself as one of the pioneers of China’s modern craft beer movement, gaining recognition for pushing boundaries and introducing innovative styles such as hopped ciders and hybrid craft beverages to the local scene.

At the festival, they will bring several of their signature creations. One highlight is their Hazy IPA, a modern hop-forward beer known for its juicy character and velvety mouthfeel. Packed with aromatic hops, it delivers vibrant tropical flavors of mango, pineapple, and citrus, creating an intensely aromatic IPA experience.

Another beer visitors will be able to try is their Social IPA (Session IPA), a lighter yet expressive IPA bursting with bright citrus notes, delicate floral aromas, and a crisp, refreshing finish, making it extremely drinkable.

They will also showcase their distinctive Hop Cider, an innovative hopped cider that blends the freshness of apple cider with subtle hop aromatics. The result is a refreshing and elegant drink that sits somewhere between craft beer and cider, perfectly illustrating the brewery’s creative approach to brewing.

HEY SOUR Brewery (嘿酸) from Shenzhen

HEY SOUR Brewery (嘿酸) from Shenzhen, China, specializes in vibrant fruit-forward sour beers, representing a new generation of modern craft brewing. The brewery focuses on balancing refreshing acidity with natural fruit flavors, creating colorful and highly drinkable beers.

At the festival, they will showcase several of their signature creations. The Passionfruit Sour Ale bursts with tropical passionfruit aroma and bright refreshing acidity. The Pink Guava Sour Ale blends juicy guava sweetness with a crisp tart finish, while the elegant Yuzu Citrus Sour Ale delivers fragrant citrus notes and a clean sour finish.

Together, these beers highlight HEY SOUR’s expertise in crafting fresh, aromatic, and modern sour beers that are both approachable and exciting for craft beer lovers.

Punk Cat Craft Beer

Punk Cat Craft Beer (朋克猫精酿) is a craft brewery from Jingjiang, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, China (中国江苏省泰州市靖江市), known for its rebellious punk-inspired identity and bold modern craft beers. The brand represents the new generation of Chinese craft brewing, combining strong flavors with great drinkability.

At the festival, they will showcase beers such as their Hazy IPA, packed with juicy tropical notes of mango, pineapple, and citrus, and their aromatic New England IPA, bursting with flavors of passionfruit, grapefruit, and peach.

Punk Cat also experiments with fruit-forward and sour beers, highlighting the brewery’s playful creativity and modern approach to craft beer.

Short Tail Cat Craft Brewery

Short Tail Cat Craft Brewery (短尾猫精酿) was founded in Shanghai in 2020. Inspired by the personality of cats—independent, playful, and full of character—the brewery creates modern craft beers designed to be expressive yet easy to drink.

Their beers often reflect different “cat personalities,” giving the brand a playful and recognizable identity while focusing on balance and drinkability suited to Asian tastes.

One highlight is their West Coast Double IPA, brewed with Citra, Cascade, and Mandarina Bavaria hops, delivering bold aromas of citrus, grapefruit, pine, and orange peel with a clean bitter finish.

They will also bring beers such as the Grapefruit Lime Ale, a bright and refreshing fruit ale, and the Belgian Orange Wheat, a smooth wheat beer with fragrant citrus notes — perfect for warm festival days.  

Beer Teasting Packages

3-Beer Package (Value: 120 RMB)

Each ticket includes:

• x2 craft beer coupons (redeemable at any participating brewery booth)
• 1 plastic tasting cup
• 1 full glass of draft Amstel lager

Ticket Phases

• • Early Bird Package – 50 RMB
  Available until April 4, 23:00
  
• • Pre-Sale Package – 60 RMB
  Available until April 10, 23:00
  
• • Online Package – 80 RMB
  Available April 10 – April 12 (until 22:00)
  

Entry to the event is free. After purchase, visit the Lolypop Event cashier. The staff will scan your QR code and give you your beer coupons and cup.
Each person may purchase multiple packages.