Roses craft beer and music fair returns 9-11 October

Roses will host the eighth edition of its Craft Beer and Music Fair from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October, with five independent breweries, live bands and DJ sessions over three days.

The event mixes beer tastings with concerts. It also offers a popular lunch on the final day.

Five breweries, three from the Alt Empordà

Five craft brewers will pour their beers at this year's fair. Three are based in the Alt Empordà, the county that includes Roses, Figueres and Castelló d'Empúries. These are Cervesa de Roses, from the host town, Cervesa No T'enfadis from Figueres and Cervesa Cadaqués from the coastal village of the same name.

The other two come from further south in Catalonia. Cerveses L'Escumatent is based in Sabadell, near Barcelona, and Cerveses Canetenca comes from Canet de Mar on the Maresme coast.

Visitors who don't drink alcohol will also be catered for. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be on sale on the fair grounds.

Friday: opening night

The fair opens on Friday 9 October at 18:00 and runs until 00:30. After the official opening, the band The Seventies will take the stage. A DJ session from Radio Cassette Nights follows, and Big Mouthers will close the first night with a concert.

Saturday: premium tasting and three acts

On Saturday 10 October the fair opens earlier, at 17:00, and again closes at 00:30.

The day starts with a premium tasting of beers from all the participating breweries at 17:00. Tickets cost €10 and include a limited-edition glass.

Live music begins at 19:00 with James Band. Radio Cassette Nights will return for a second DJ set, and The Bazaga's will play the final concert of the evening.

Sunday: fideuada and a daytime concert

The last day has a shorter, daytime timetable. The fair will be open on Sunday 11 October from 12:00 to 16:00, with a performance by Merkado Negro.

At 13:30 there will be a fideuada popular, a communal meal built around fideuà. This Catalan dish is similar to paella but made with short noodles instead of rice. Portions cost €6. The lunch is organised by the Associació d'Empresaris Roses Cap de Creus, the local business association, together with Restaurant Falconera.

Programme at a glance

• Friday 9 October, 18:00–00:30: opening, The Seventies, DJ Radio Cassette Nights, Big Mouthers
• Saturday 10 October, 17:00–00:30: premium tasting at 17:00 (€10, limited-edition glass), James Band from 19:00, DJ Radio Cassette Nights, The Bazaga's
• Sunday 11 October, 12:00–16:00: Merkado Negro, fideuada at 13:30 (€6)

Our Take

Reaching an eighth edition suggests the fair has become a fixed date on the Roses calendar rather than a one-off experiment. The line-up points to a clear local focus: three of the five breweries come from the Alt Empordà itself. For small producers, that kind of shop window can matter.

The timing is also worth noting. Early October falls after the main summer rush, when many coastal businesses are looking for reasons to keep visitors coming. Food and drink events are increasingly filling that gap along this stretch of the Costa Brava. Empuriabrava has its own example in the Oktoberfest returning to the resort. For residents of Empuriabrava and Castelló d'Empúries, Roses is a short drive away, which makes the two events easy to combine in the same autumn.

It is worth watching whether the fair grows its brewery list in future editions. Another question is whether the involvement of the local business association leads to more cooperation between restaurants and producers around the event. Next year's programme should give some answers.