Rail Ale music and beer festival steams back to Barrow Hill Roundhouse

Rail Ale Festival is at Barrow Hill Engine Shed from September 9 to 11, 2021.

Celebrity DJ and legendary actor Craig Charles will launch the three days of tunes and tipples with a Rail Ale Party Night on Thursday, September 9.

The star of television’s Robot Wars and Red Dwarf is a funk and soul icon broadcasting on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6.

A popular presence at numerous festivals, Craig’s credits include playing to more than 10,000 people at Glastonbury in 2016 and 2019.

Soul, funk and blues band Highway Child, who have headlined the previous three Rail Ale festivals, will open for Craig’s Funk & Soul Club show.

Throughout the festival there will be a wide range of music in the marquee and on the main stage, from jazz and brass through to acoustic, country, funk and soul to rock and roll. This will culminate on Saturday night with a Rail Ale newcomer, the Retro Rock Show, a five-piece band performing the greatest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s by the likes of Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Def Leppard, Toto and Van Halen.

Wet your whistle at Rail Ale with a huge choice of ales from across the UK, as well as ciders, craft beers, gin, wine and prosecco.

Tickets have been selling well for the festival which was cancelled last year due to the Covid pandemic. To book for both the Craig Charles Party Night and the Rail Ale Festival, go to www.seetickets.com

The festival’s Rail Ale Train will be in operation from Roundhouse Halt up the Springwell branch on Friday and Saturday afternoon. The free bus service shuttle between Chesterfield railway station and the town centre and the Roundhouse will also be running on all three days of the festival.

Barrow Hill Roundhouse has partnered with Rail Operations Group to provide a shuttle service to Rail Ale 2021 – the Barrow Hill Rail Ale Festival Charter which will run on September 10 and 11. The morning departure will travel from Derby, pick up at Chesterfield and then via Sheffield and the Old Road to Barrow Hill. Traction will be provided by class 37 37510 on the Friday and class 37 37800 on the Saturday, with a class 57 at the rear. To book tickets, go to www.retrotours.co.uk