- The funding from Trondheim Municipality is of great support to our breweries, restaurants and all the other businesses working on to create Trondheim Brewery Festival. We are so grateful. It's not going to look like a normal festival this year, instead we invite people to come down to Torvet, the town square of Trondheim, for what we call an outdoor beer tasting experience. There will be 22 breweries present, as well as four restaurants, says Trondheim Brewery Festival project manager Åslaug Hennissen.

- Now our festival breweries, food producers, teams and business can breathe again, she says.  

These are the breweries coming to Torvet in Trondheim July 29-31

An important part of the grant from Trondheim Municipality is that the money will be used towards local businesses that have been affected by strict Covid regulations. A part of the grant will also be used towards what's called common measures: Measures for businesses that will facilitate increased activity, employment and  economic growth for Trondheim entrepreneurs and startups, event organizers and businesses in travel and tourism. Mayor Rita Ottervik says this year's festival is especially important.

Festival manager Åslaug Hennissen (in the middle) is talking about Trondheim Brewery Festival July 29-31 and the bar that will be created around the Olav Tryggvason statue right in the middle of the town square of Trondheim.  On the left is municipality director Kristian Dahlberg Hauge and on the right mayor Rita Ottervik. The funding from the Covid Compensation Act makes Trondheim Brewery Festival 2021 possible.

- This year Trondheim Brewery Festival is going to be extra important. The city is reopening and we need activities that people would like to visit. We'd like to ensure that the festival continues to evolve. The artisan food and beverage traditions have blossomed a lot these past few years and are an important aspect of the culture of the region of Trøndelag. Trondheim Brewery Festival is an event that shows us the increased diversity and high quality of the local craft brewing culture, says mayor Rita Ottervik of Trondheim Municipality.

Read about Norway's first Meadery coming to Torvet in Trondheim July 29-31

Trondheim Brewery Festival was first organized in 2013. In 2019, the festival had an audience of 30 000 people.  The festival is Europe's second biggest craft beer and brewery festival, with Barcelona being the largest. Municipality director Kristian Dahlberg Hauge is impressed with the continued growth of the brewing business in the region.

- Trondheim Brewery Festival is an important sales and marketing arena for artisanal breweries in the Trøndelag region and contributes to important business for participating restaurants in Trondheim. It has been important for us to support events that get the wheels turning again; that will bring liveliness and livelihood back into the city. Trondheim Brewery Festival is important in featuring the local breweries. I am very impressed with the breweries in Trøndelag, says Municipality Director Kristian Dahlberg Hauge.

Stolt Bryggeri is one of 22 breweries participating in Trondheim Brewery Festival at Torvet this year. Photo: Wil Lee-Smith

Looking forward to international tourists visiting next year

- This year's festival arena will mirror all the great flavors and colorful people that are both the brewers and the audience. Trondheim Brewery Festival is one of the best craft beer festivals in Europe, and we'd love for more international visitors, especially next year when Trøndelag is European Region of Gastronomy 2022, Hennissen says.

- Trondheim Brewery Festival sets the arena for knowledge-based beverage experiences with craft beer, mead and cider. All brews are served in tasting glasses.

- This year the festival audience will experience an inspiring arena created for unique brew experiences with friends and family. In collaboration with EC Dahls Eiendom we've developed street art that will be part of the visual experience of the arena and make it really colorful. People may not be able to move around as freely as before, but will have to sit at tables and order from the menu, Hennissen says.

- We wish to show diversity, traditions and new trends. 22 breweries are participating in this year's event, and 7 of these are from Trondheim. You can explore different styles and brews, learn more about brewing and how to combine food and brew, Hennissen says.

- We will have four restaurants with a variety of tasty meals made from local ingredients. It's going to be good and relaxed vibes. You'll probably not be able to taste all of the brews, but to help you select we'll list the brew menu, as well as the restaurant menus, both digitally and in print, Hennissen says. 

The restaurants are Lager 11, Una Autopizzeria, E.C.Dahls Pub &Kjøkken and Indian Tandoori Restaurant. 

- Together we will make this a safe event. The only thing that can stop us is a full lockdown where we are not allowed to serve alcohol, says Trondheim Brewery Festival manager Åslaug Hennissen. 

Fæby Brewery will be participating at Trondheim Brewery Festival for the first time this year. They are one of the smaller breweries mayor Rita Ottervik wishes to support with the Covid Compensation Act.   

Fæby Brewery is launching two new beers for Trondheim Brewery Festival

Jørund Eggen is the founder of Fæby Brewery and is participating for the first time.

- We are evolving the brewery into larger markets, that's why it feels natural for us to participate in Trondheim Brewery Festival. Here we get to meet new customers. Today most of our beers are sold locally in Verdal, and now we're ready to expand, Eggen says.

- Fæby will be bringing new beers that will pre-launch at Trondheim Brewery Festival, he says.

- We are looking forward to testing two new beers: Norwegian Arm (pale ale) and Feeling Pig (hoppy farmhouse ale). These will be launched in Vinmonopolet August 7, so people will have an exclusive pre-launch at Torvet in Trondheim July 29, he says with a smile.

Fæby Brewery is an expanding business. They not only brew craft beer in Verdal, but they have a restaurant and event space, a shop with local food products as well as their own bottled beers, and they produce pizza with ingredients from local food producers.


Big cheers for Trondheim Brewery Festival!! Festival manager Åslaug Hennissen (left) Trondheim mayor Rita Ottervik, entrepreneurs Jørund and Silje H. Eggen of Fæby Brewery, municipality director Kristian Dahlberg Hauge and CEO of Oi! Trøndersk Mat og Drikke, the company producing Trondheim Brewery Festival. Because of the recent funding from the Covid Compensation Act from Trondheim Municipality, Trondheim Brewery Festival can happen in safe settings the weekend of July 29-31. 22 breweries and four restaurants are coming to Torvet, the town square in the middle of Trondheim, inviting you to outdoor tasting experiences with artisanal crafts and brews from local as well as other Norwegian breweries, all served up with local food from the region.