RECORD numbers of ale enthusiasts are expected to flock to York next month, for the city’s biggest ever beer and cider festival.

The Campaign for Real Ale event, on Knavesmire for the fifth year in a row, will also include a top industry competition for the first time and organisers say they hope as many as 12,000 visits may be made over the four days. There will be more than 350 beers, more than 100 ciders and an international beer bar.

This year’s event runs from September 18 to 21 and will be formally opened by BBC newsreader Harry Gration.

The event coincides with Beeronomics, a major international conference for specialist academics and industry experts, being held at the University of York. A number of delegates are expected to attend the festival.

The festival has also been chosen by the Society of Independent Brewers Association (SIBA) to host its North East Beer Competition, in which 145 cask ales and 78 bottled beers will compete in 14 categories.

Around 8,000 visits were made to last year’s festival but the York branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) say they expect numbers to rise this year. Nick Love, one of the festival organisers, said the increased interest through Beeronomics and the SIBA event should lead to a bumper year this year.

In a joint statement, York Camra and SIBA said: “The York Beer & Cider Festival is the largest festival of its kind in the North of England and is a perfect showcase for the SIBA Beer Competition. It attracts visitors from all over the UK as well as from over 20 countries worldwide. York is indeed proving to be the centre of the brewing universe this September.”

The festival will include more than 200 Yorkshire beers, live music from local musiciansm, a range of food stalls, amd a large beer garden.