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2024 Dates...

Barrow Hill Rail Ale festival at Chesterfield, Derbyshire in May

Tickets include:

Entry to the event

Programme

Train rides until 5.00pm (Friday and Saturday)

Buy your tickets online NOW from See Tickets

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Booking fees apply

Welcome . . .

. . . to Rail Ale Festival's dedicated website, where you can find information on previous Festivals and keep up-to-date with news of Rail Ale 2024, including where to buy tickets, links to our sponsors, beer lists and confirmed musical acts.

You will also find regular updates on Rail Ale on our Twitter feed and on Barrow Hill Roundhouse's Facebook page. Click on the links to follow us. And don't forget to add us to your Favourites list on your internet browser.

Tickets for Rail Ale 2024 – the most atmospheric music and drink festival of them all – are now on sale!

Once again, we have lined up three days of fantastic entertainment for you all.

Back by popular demand, because there’s so much going on at Rail Ale 2024, is the three-day Rail Ale Weekend Pass, which includes entry to Rail Ale Rock Night on Thursday 16th May with AC/DC UK, Europe’s most explosive tribute to AC/DC.

Headlining Rail Ale on Friday night will be Soul Battalion, a Sheffield-based Soul & Motown band with blazing brass, driving rhythm and soaring vocals. And we have a real treat in store for Saturday night with Calling Planet Earth, showcasing the best of New Romantic 80s: Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Ultravox, Tears For Fears, ABC, Japan, Human League and more. Definitely not one to miss! We’ve got some more great music acts lined up throughout the Festival and we’ll be putting more information on here and on our social media pages over the coming months.

As well as the music, we mustn’t forget all those lovely beers and ciders, the renowned Rail Ale Gin Palace and, of course, the Rail Ale trains!

To quench the thirst there will be over 400 real ales from around the country including many brewed locally in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, a great range of ciders and craft beers, the hugely popular Rail Ale Gin Palace and a sprinkling of sparkle with the Prosecco & Wine bar.

For music lovers there will be fantastic live music in the marquee and on the main stage from jazz and brass through acoustic, funk and soul to rock and roll.

The Street Food Court will be on hand to provide you with a tasty range of food to suit every appetite from pork pies to pizza and hog roast to noodles.

Between 12noon and 5pm on Friday and Saturday the popular Rail Ale train will be running for our visitors. The dedicated shuttle bus service will also be running from Chesterfield railway station into the Festival on all three days.

Please note that it is over 18s only after 5.00pm on all three days of the Festival.

Thursday 16th May will be our Trade and VIP day and we are now taking bookings for this. If you are a publican, brewer or supplier to the brewery industry and would like to attend the Trade Day please email us at tradesession@railalefestival.com

If you would like further information on our Rail Ale Festival VIP packages please email: VIPevents@railalefestival.com.

Thank you everyone and see you soon!

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Please note that although we welcome children at Rail Ale, all under 18s must leave the Festival at 5.00pm on each day. This is strictly an adults-only event from 5.00pm. Thank you for your cooperation.

Rail Ale Rock Night with AC/DC UK

AC/DC UK is one of the most renowned and authentic DC Tributes in Europe. A full-sized production features six fully firing cannons, inflatable Rosie, a Hells Bell, a wall of Marshall stacks, and an incendiary delivery from the band themselves!

The band has played in over 20 countries worldwide, at legendary festivals and venues to thousands, including multiple sold-out nights at Glasgow's O2 ABC, located only yards from where the historic "If You Want Blood" album was recorded.

AC/DC UK are proud to pay tribute to the greatest rock outfit in history.

Get ready to rock the roof off the Roundhouse – for one night only!

Please note this is an all-standing event.

7.45pm - The Crossroads Band (support)
9.00pm - AC/DC UK

Camping at Rail Ale 2024

We have a dedicated camping area for those wishing to spend more time at the Festival. You can stay for one, two or all three nights. To book a space please email camping@railalefestival.com providing the following information:

Name and contact details (email address and phone number)
Dates you wish to book
Whether you are bringing a camper van, vehicle and caravan or vehicle and tent
Vehicle registration number.

Our camping co-ordinator will then get in touch to confirm your booking.

Please note that we are adding facilities to this year’s camping area so a daily fee will be payable to cover the cost of this.

Where to stay - special offer

Wanting to make the most of your visit to the Rail Ale Festival and explore the Chesterfield area during your stay?

Ringwood Hall Hotel & Spa is a beautiful 19th century Grade 2 manor house set amongst 6 acres of formal award-winning gardens and surrounded by 29 acres of parkland. The hotel is only a short hop in the car or a 20-minute walk to Barrow Hill Roundhouse, the venue for the Rail Ale Festival.