Two major beer events on southern Vancouver Island have been cancelled for 2025.
Organizers of the annual Great Canadian Beer Festival and Langford Beer Festival announced that both events will not take place this year due to rising costs and limited funding.
According to the Victoria Beer Society, 2024 was a milestone year for the local craft beer scene, marking the 10th edition of Victoria Beer Week and the 30th celebration of the Great Canadian Beer Festival.
Despite that success, organizers say financial pressures are too significant to move forward in 2025.
“Today, the challenges facing events and the craft beer industry as a whole are no secret,” wrote the Victoria Beer Society Board of Directors in a media release. “Like many of our partners, we’ve faced rising costs, increased competition, and other challenges.”
Instead of hosting the events this year, the organization says it will focus on finding a financially sustainable path forward for the festivals in future years.
One of the major factors behind the decision is the increasing costs breweries face due to the US-Canada trade war. Hops—most of which are imported from Washington’s Yakima Valley—will be subject to a 25% tariff, creating added pressure for BC craft brewers.
Another key factor is the cancellation of the BC Fairs, Festivals and Events Fund (BCFFE). In 2024, the Great Canadian Beer Festival received $33,500 in funding from the BCFFE, while the Langford Beer Festival received $13,600.
That fund had supported around 1,100 events in recent years, all of which now face the challenge of going without that financial support.
