We've come a long, long way together

The little festival that grew

Midsummer Beer Happening in Stonehaven raises £61,000 to support more than 30 local good causes 

The Midsummer Beer Happening in Stonehaven has raised £61,000 for charity this year, bringing the total it has raised over the past 15 years to £375,000

The Midsummer Beer Festival in Stonehaven is celebrating a stunning weekend success which saw more than 6,000 visitors flock to the festival – while raising a fantastic £61,000 for local good causes. This means that the festival has now raised an astonishing £375,000 since it began as the Stonehaven Real Ale Festival 15 years ago.

Organisers have thanked everyone who visited the much-loved three-day event – plus all the volunteers who help stage the Happening at times braving the unusual wet and at times chilly summer weather. “Not even the low temperatures and at times lashing rain could dampen the spirits of folk who turned up to enjoy brilliant beer, fantastic food and marvellous music at the Happening,” said organiser Robert Lindsay.

“As well as having a good time to drive away the summertime blues, they have also done so much good by raising such a phenomenal amount that will now help more than 20 charities and good causes in Stonehaven. We cannot thank them enough.”

This terrific total of funds raised will see the town’s Carronhill School, for children with additional support needs, Edenholme Care Home, Stonehaven Sea Cadets and Stonehaven Fireballs each receive £7,000.

Robert said: “These are four very deserving causes that do such amazing things to improve lives in Stonehaven, whether it is giving young people the best education and best start in life, helping people enjoy life to the fullest in their golden year, or putting Stonehaven on the global map every Hogmanay with an iconic ceremony known around the globe. “We are delighted to help each of them enhance the work they do in our community.”

In addition, £2,000 each will go the town’s RNLI, the Stonehaven Folk Festival, Stonehaven Scouts, Mackie Rugby youth, Stonehaven and District Lions Club, Stonehaven Men’s Shed, Oakley Play and Resource Centre, Mearns and Coastal Healthy Living Network, and Stonehaven Youth Football Club, plus mental health charity Pillar.

Receiving £1,000 each will be Stonehaven Amateur Swimming Club, Aberdeen and Stonehaven Yacht Club, Rhythm Dance Nation and Dunnottar Pipes & Drums, Forest View Centre, Alzheimer Scotland, Friends of Anchor, and Grampian MS Therapy.

And £500 will go to Girl Guides Stonehaven, Stonehaven Cricket Club, the town’s gymnastics club and Paws On Plastic. The Happening will maintain its tradition of supporting Guide Dogs with a £3,000 donation.

Robert said that this had proved to be a banner year for the Midsummer Beer Happening with a number of “firsts”. “For the first time we screened an international football game and the first time we had a pipe band in our marquee. Dunnottar Pipes & Drums played a memorable set that had the whole tent cheering and singing, ready for the kick off for Scotland v Germany on Friday night,” he said. “The atmosphere was electric – well it was until 10 minutes into the game. But everyone just partied on, aided and abetted by more than 150 great beers to choose from, excellent street food and some brilliant bands that lifted everyone’s spirits.” Robert said there was another first – of a more romantic nature. “We were delighted to have our first wedding proposal at the Midsummer Beer Happening against the backdrop of pipers playing as an Italian visitor went down on one knew. There were cheers and tears when she said yes.”

Robert said he was thrilled to have seen 6,000 guests visit the Midsummer Beer Happening over the three days from Thursday, June13, to Saturday, June 14, in addition to the 850 riders who took part in the event’s hugely-popular cycling Sportive on the Saturday.

“We never take for granted that people choose to come to the Happening and to support the event and everything around it. We can’t thank them enough.

“Neither can we thank enough the army of volunteers who roll up their sleeves and make the Happening happen. They are the big, beating heart of the festival.”

“And I would also like to thank our sponsors for this year, who have come on board to help us stage one of the most popular events in the north-east calendar. They are  Simpson’s Malt, EnerQuip, The Bay Fish & Chips, Whittakers Engineering, NFU Mutual and Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace.”

Robert said everyone involved in the Midsummer Beer Happening was delighted that 2024 proved to be so memorable. “And now we start planning to make 2025, just as spectacular.”

It started in November 2009 as the Stonehaven Real Ale Festival, staged by a few friends who wanted to put on the sort of beer festival they wanted to go.

At the time, the idea of a beer festival also offering food and live music was unheard of - and as for fairy lights round the bar, well…

The first festival was storm-born – arriving just days after Stonehaven was devastated by floods. The people of the town embraced it as relief from the misery and upset. When organisers opened the doors on that first Friday night, there was a queue snaking down Allardice Street.

The people of Stonehaven had taken the beer festival to their heart. They have ever since.

The fest went from strength-to-strength, so much so that its popularity outgrew the Town Hall. In 2015, the event moved to a purpose-built marquee in the Baird Park and became the Midsummer Beer Happening in Stonehaven.

The music strand became a showcase for local talent, the al fresco food court a magnet for award-winning street food vendors and, the whole focus, the Happening was offering more than 120 different beers, curated from the finest brewers across the UK, the Continent and even the US.

Even cycling was thrown into the mix, with the challenging and hugely popular Happening Sportive drawing up hundreds of riders keen to take on the gruelling route of up to 100 miles, making it one of the biggest events of its kind in Scotland.

Today the Happening attracts 6,000 people over three days to enjoy its vibrant and special party atmosphere, including the 1,000 cyclists who took on the sportive.

The festival though isn’t just about having a good time. It’s also about doing good. As a not-for-profit event, it has supported local charities from its very first outing. The ethos has always been that money which is raised in Stonehaven should stay in Stonehaven to help local good causes.

Overall, the event has raised a staggering £375,000 to be distributed among a wide range of charities.

Let’s drink to that!

Charitable history

Happening 2024

£61,000 donated

Happening 2023

£67,000 donated

Stonehaven Fireballs Association, Stonehaven Sea Cadets, RNLI, Stonehaven Folk Festival, Stonehaven Men’s Shed, Rhythm Nation Dance and Fitness, Stonehaven Cricket Club, Stonehaven Lions, Mackie RFC Youth, Pillar Kincardine and Stonehaven Cycling Club, Stonehaven Horizon, Alzheimer Scotland - South Aberdeenshire, Guide Dogs Scotland, Scotland Air Ambulance, Archie Foundation, Mearns FM, Eden Holme, Friends of the Open Air Pool, Kincardine & Mearns Youth Clubs.

Happening 2022

£62,273 donated

Stonehaven Fireballs Association, Stonehaven Sea Cadets, Stonehaven Air Training Corps, Carronhill School, Stonehaven Folk Festival, Stonehaven Men’s Shed, Stonehaven Yacht Club, Rhythm Nation Dance and Fitness, Stonehaven Cricket Club, Stonehaven Lions, Mackie RFC Youth, Pillar Kincardine and Stonehaven Cycling Club, Stonehaven Horizon, Alzheimer Scotland - South Aberdeenshire, Guide Dogs Scotland, Scotland Air Ambulance.

Happening 2021

Event postponed (COVID).

Happening 2020

£7,000 donated

Stonehaven’s Men’s Shed (after generous festival-goers waived all or part of the cost of tickets they had bought).

Happening 2019

£52,100 donated

Stonehaven’s Men’s Shed, Stonehaven Sea Cadets, Stonehaven Youth Football Club, and Rhythm Nation Dance And Fitness.

Happening 2018

£29,200 donated

Stonehaven Sea Cadets, Stonehaven Amateur Swimming Club and local Alzheimer Scotland services.

Happening 2017

£27,000 donated

Guide Dogs, Stonehaven Tennis Club, Stonehaven Sea Cadets, Pillar, Mackie FP Rugby Youth, Stonehaven Lions.

Happening 2016

£24,000 donated

Mackie FP Rugby youth, Home-Start, Sea Cadets.

Happening 2015

£16,000 donated

Sea Cadets, Stonehaven Dialysis Unit.

Gap Year 2014

Transition from the Town Hall to the Baird Park marquee.

2013 Stonehaven Beer Festival

£7500 donated

Sandpiper, Fireballs, Sea Cadets.

2012 Stonehaven Beer Festival

£5000 donated

Sea Cadets.

2011 Stonehaven Beer Festival

£8000 donated

Maritime Rescue Institute and Sea Cadets.

2010 Stonehaven Beer Festival

£5000 donated

Maritime Rescue Institute.

2009 Stonehaven Beer Festival

£3500 donated

Carronhill School, Edenholme Care Home, Stonehaven Sea Cadets, Stonehaven Fireballs, RNLI, Stonehaven Folk Festival, Stonehaven Scouts, Mackie Rugby youth, Stonehaven and District Lions Club, Stonehaven Men’s Shed, Oakley Play and Resource Centre, Mearns and Coastal Healthy Living Network,Stonehaven Youth Football Club, Pillar, Stonehaven Amateur Swimming Club, Aberdeen and Stonehaven Yacht Club, Rhythm Dance Nation, Dunnottar Pipes & Drums, Forest View Centre, Alzheimer Scotland, Friends of Anchor, Grampian MS Therapy, Girl Guides Stonehaven, Stonehaven Cricket Club, Stonehaven gymnastics club, Paws On Plastic and Guide Dogs.

Maritime Rescue Institute.