The first ever themed Beer On The Pier beer festival in Southport has been hailed a success despite heavy rain – with plans already in place for it to return next year.
The vibrant Oktoberfest themed event was due to be held on the section of Southport Pier which remains open, between the Promenade and the far side of the Marine Lake, on Saturday (20th September 2025).
As torrential rain fell, the beer festival moved inside Silcock’s Pier Family Restaurant where visitors – many of them wearing Oktoberfest fancy dress including lederhosen and dirndls – enjoyed a selection of German beers from Wigan Beer Company and German food including bratwurst hot dogs, schnitzel burgers and black forest doughnuts.
Beer On The Pier is a new community event organised by Southport Hesketh Round Table with all money raised going towards local good causes.
Southport Hesketh Round Table Chairman Jordan Shandley said:
“I think it was a very enjoyable event and one that was well attended, despite the downpours we witnessed on Saturday!
“In terms of Round Table, it’s the first ‘new’ event we’ve launched in just short of 15 years. We’re always looking at ways of fundraising to support the local community.
“It is something we would definitely like to do again. I think there’s definitely things we can tweak going forward.
“I think massive credit needs to go to Silcock Leisure Group, without whom we couldn’t have pulled it together this year.”
Silcock Leisure Group Operations Manager Serena Silcock-Prince said:
“It was a fantastic event! Everyone at Southport Hesketh Round Table was great. We all worked really well as a team.
“The weather was torrential, but we weren’t going to let it rain on our parade!
“We were determined to go ahead with the beer festival and were really pleased to see it supported by such a superb turnout of people, with lots of them wearing Oktoberfest themed fancy dress!
“We are definitely looking forward to hosting the Beer On The Pier Festival once again next year, when we hope that better weather will enable everyone to stand outside on Southport Pier and enjoy the beautiful views looking across the Marine Lake and Kings Gardens.
“It’s such a wonderful venue for events.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to attract more and more people to come and enjoy it and it will get bigger and better each year. It has so much potential.
“I would like to pay tribute to Jenny Prescott and all our team from Silcock’s Pier Family Restaurant who worked so hard to make this festival happen.”
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