A massive beer and cider festival that took place in Manchester last weekend has addressed fall-out on social media after some attendees slammed it as the ‘weirdest most dysfunctional festival ever‘.
People have said that the International Brewing and Cider Festival had a ‘strange atmosphere’ due to there being ‘no one there’, had a limited selection of drinks, and was generally ‘a bloody awful evening’.
Some people have even gone so far as to compare it to the now-infamous Wonka Experience.
But the festival has now hit back at these harsh reviews online, saying that there were more than 400 different types of beer and cider available, with around 800 attendees over the weekend.
In a statement, they apologised for a ‘less than perfect experience’.
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The International Brewing and Cider Festival – a not-for-profit trade organisation – stressed that ‘early teething troubles’ were ironed out as the event progressed through its four sessions.
As well as inviting breweries from around the world to serve up beers under one roof in one of Manchester’s coolest venues, the beer festival had 19 food and drink traders, and a programme of live music and DJs.
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Despite only receiving a couple of actual complaints directly, the festival has been hit with criticism on social media.
Visitors to the beer festival at Depot Mayfield had shared photos of a mostly-empty venue at points over the weekend, with many saying it was ‘freezing’ inside.
One person wrote: “I went with a mate and we left after an hour. The venue was so freezing that the beer itself was too cold to enjoy.”
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Someone else said: “This was by a country mile the worst event (not just beer event) I’ve ever attended. Truly horrific.”
The International Brewing and Cider Festival, a beer festival in Mancheser, has been hit with complaints. Credit: X, @SimonR
A detailed tale of the experience on Reddit, which said the International Brewing and Cider Festival was a ‘contender for Manchester’s Wonka experience’.
They said that they were ‘greeted by an extremely rude person’ and then struggled to order a beer, with several beers on the list unavailable and ended up with ‘a plastic cup of foam’.
The person said: “It was still early at this point so I expected it to get a bit busy but it never did combined with some depressing music and freezing cold temperatures the atmosphere was strange.”
Someone else said on X: “It was a massive scam. Willy Wonka type scam. No one there. Beers not great. It absolutely was not worth £40. The keg bar was closed, the cask bar closed at 8:30, the only decent beer available was from the few independent brewers who had decided to stick around (half had left). No atmosphere as no one there. Just awful.”
Another person said: “I don’t think I’ve been to a worse organised event. The term ‘Couldn’t organise a pi55 up in a brewery’ was made for this festival.
“Mid session there were less than 100 people. The signs on the cask and keg were too small to read at any distance. People pouring on the bar had no knowledge of any of the beers & no info in the app.
“For the entry fee of £20 to drink out of plastic, beer costing ‘town prices’, & some of the brewers had packed up and left hours before the end, left me feeling like I’d been ripped off.”
A spokesperson for the International Brewing & Cider Festival said: “We are very sorry that some people had a less than perfect experience – this was our first Festival and when you start something new, there will be learnings.
“We are a not-for-profit trade organisation representing the value chain, supplying the brewing and beverage industry.
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The International Brewing and Cider Festival, a beer festival in Mancheser, has been hit with complaints. Credit: X, @SimonRThe International Brewing and Cider Festival, a beer festival in Mancheser, has been hit with complaints. Credit: Reddit, u/Luc1dJay
“As the organiser of the oldest international brewing and cider awards in the world, we held the Awards in Manchester this year and wanted to bring the entries from around the world to the public in the city.
“We adapted throughout the two days, ironing out some early teething troubles to deliver a better model as the event progressed.”
But now that Indy Man Beer Con has announced it won’t be returning for 2024, there’s definitely room in Manchester for a new beer festival.
Let’s it comes back to the city again and next time, is a roaring success.
Man jailed for 10 years after raping ‘extremely vulnerable’ woman in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after being found guilty of raping an ‘extremely vulnerable’ woman multiple times in Manchester city centre.
Benjamin Wilson, of Norwood Avenue in Chesterfield, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison after being found guilty of offences committed in Manchester city centre back in June 2022, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.
The victim – who was described as being ‘extremely vulnerable and intoxicated’ – plucked up the courage to go on a night out with friends in Manchester, however she became separated from them and was later subjected to a serious sexual assault, which was linked to a suspected drink spiking.
During the evening, the victim – whose identity has been withheld – and her friend believed their drinks had been tampered with, and she later found herself alone, heavily intoxicated, and extremely vulnerable, before she came into contact with Wilson near a takeaway.
Wilson took advantage of the situation, guiding her into a taxi before repeatedly raping her at a flat in Manchester.
The following morning, he dropped her near the hotel where she had been due to stay with her friend, and she proceeded to report the incident to police shortly afterwards.
A man has been jailed for 10 years after raping an ‘extremely vulnerable’ woman in Manchester city centre / Credit: GMP
From the outset, investigators said they faced ‘significant challenges’ – including limited early forensic opportunities and issues securing CCTV footage, all while needing to prioritise the victim’s wellbeing.
Hundreds of hours of work went into analysing witness accounts, financial and phone data, intelligence checks, and overcoming cross-force barriers leading to Wilson’s arrest in Derbyshire.
“The case was ultimately built through meticulous investigation, persistence, and, crucially, the strength and courage of the victim’s testimony,” GMP said.
Speaking following Wilson’s sentencing this week, DC Phillip Sargeant, of GMP’s Longsight CID, commented: “I am awestruck not only by the courage of the victim in coming forward, but also by her patience and resilience in waiting for justice.
“The impact on her, her family and her support network has been profound.
“I hope today’s sentence provides some measure of closure and enables them to move on from this traumatic experience.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Council sets out plans to rework busy Manchester junction after ‘serious safety concerns’
Emily Sergeant
Bold new plans to transform one of Manchester’s busiest junctions following ‘serious’ safety concerns have been unveiled.
All the way back in 2022, Manchester City Council identified the junction of Wilmslow Road with Ladybarn Road and Sherwood Street as an area that would ‘greatly benefit’ from upgraded infrastructure.
As a major route into Manchester, and an important route cutting through the city’s southern neighbourhoods, this junction sees a vast amount of road, cyclist, and foot traffic every day… and because of this, there are also said to be ‘serious concerns’ around safety when it comes to this particular stretch of road.
In a five year period between 2018 and 2023 alone, there were 15 collisions at this junction, the Council explained – with two of these classified as ‘serious’.
Under the plans – which have been announced by the Council this week – the junction is to be partially redesigned, creating several new and safer crossing points for cyclists and pedestrians, a more ‘seamless’ route along the current cycling lanes, and overall, just general improvements to the layout.
🚧 Wilmslow Rd Junction Improvements 🚲 Works start 18 May 2026 at Wilmslow Rd / Ladybarn Rd / Sherwood St to make the junction safer for pedestrians & cyclists. ✅ New cycle lanes ✅ Safer crossings ✅ Better links to the Fallowfield Loop 🔗 https://t.co/Y26mH7cc8Epic.twitter.com/IiOih5ehqp
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 11, 2026
Some of the safety features set to be included are three dedicated crossing points for pedestrians at the junction, rumble strips for cyclists at pedestrian crossing points, and improved signage and road markings.
Work is due to begin as early as next Monday (18 May), and will run until January 2027.
The work is set to be carried out in four phases, the Council has confirmed – with the first phase of these works comprising of the removal of street furniture, kerbs and tarmac, as well as upgrades to the drainage and road markings.
“This junction in particular sees a high volume of traffic – from cars, cyclists and pedestrians, commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“So it was clear that improvements were required following our engagement with local residents.
“As has been the case with other schemes like this in Manchester, safety remains our number one priority.
“We have long said that we want Manchester to be a city where people can walk and cycle around in safety, and by upgrading this junction and improving its crossing points, we are taking another step towards that goal.”
Daisy Jackson -
27th March 2024 
