It鈥檚 a sad day for Victoria鈥檚 beer scene, as the Victoria Beer Society (VBS) board of directors has announced the cancellation of this year鈥檚 Langford Beer Festival and Great Canadian Beer Festival.
鈥淭oday, the challenges facing events and the craft beer industry as a whole are no secret. Like many of our partners, we鈥檝e faced rising costs, increased competition and other challenges,鈥� the VBS board said in a press release issued May 1.
鈥淎fter much deliberation, we鈥檝e made the difficult decision to pause the Langford Beer Festival and the Great Canadian Beer Festival in 2025. Instead, we鈥檙e focusing our efforts on crafting a financially sustainable path forward for these two flagship events in the future.鈥�
The news comes after VBS celebrated the 10th edition of Victoria Beer Week and the 30th anniversary of the Great Canadian Beer Festival just last year. The VBS team expressed deep thanks to supporters over the years who helped make the festivals a success.
鈥淭hese achievements were only possible thanks to the dedication of our small team, the countless hours of community volunteers, and the unwavering support of all the breweries and cideries who partnered with us,鈥� the VBS said.
鈥淭hank you for your partnership in the past. We look forward to celebrating craft beer culture together with you again in the future.鈥�
More to come.
