Hopfenfest Recklinghausen

Hopfenfest — Recklinghausen's Craft Beer Fest

The Hopfenfest Recklinghausen is one of the most important craft beer festivals in the northern Ruhr area. On the central Rathausplatz in the city center, over 100 regional and international beer varieties gather for three days, presented by selected breweries — Pilsener, Wheat Beer, Bock Beer alongside experimental craft varieties and beer cocktails. Street food stalls provide Bratwurst, burgers, fries, and vegan alternatives.

Exact 2026 Dates Being Prepared

The exact dates for 2026 have not yet been officially published at the time of going to press. Historically, the Hopfenfest took place at the end of June / beginning of July (2023: June 29–July 1), sometimes also in August. An event aggregator listed August 15–17 for one edition. The exact 2026 dates will be announced by the organizer BIWENKO via the festival website and the city of Recklinghausen.

Over 100 Beer Varieties — Expert Brewer Talks

The concept sets the Hopfenfest apart from traditional beer festivals:

• Regional Breweries from the Ruhr area, Münsterland, and Sauerland
• International Craft Breweries from Belgium, Netherlands, USA
• Beer Cocktails and mixology experiments
• Expert talks directly with the brewmasters about brews, hop varieties, and trends

Change of Location from Altstadtmarkt to Rathausplatz

Originally, the Hopfenfest took place on the Altstadtmarkt — but it grew so quickly that the space was no longer sufficient. Since then, the spacious Rathausplatz 3 in the city center has been used. This relocation has made the festival a supra-regional destination for beer lovers in recent years.

BIWENKO — The Organizers

The organizers are Oliver Daniel Sopalla and Philipp Pöss through their agency BIWENKO. The festival is part of a portfolio of event series specializing in craft beer culture and culinary concepts.

Recklinghausen — City on the Edge of the Ruhr Area

With just under 115,000 inhabitants, Recklinghausen (an independent city in the district of Münster, Recklinghausen district, North Rhine-Westphalia) is the central hub of the northern Ruhr area. Known primarily as the venue for the Ruhrfestspiele — Germany's oldest theater festival. In addition, a vibrant gastronomy and event scene has developed, into which the Hopfenfest fits.