The 36th Qingdao International Beer Festival has strengthened its reputation as a global gathering for beer culture, bringing together beer brands and participants from around the world.

A major highlight of this year's event was the 2026 Golden Flower Award for Craft Beer, which attracted 430 domestic and overseas brands and 2,342 craft beer entries, setting a new record for the competition.

At the festival venue, visitors can explore flavors from around the world, with European brands such as Heineken from the Netherlands, Carlsberg from Denmark, and Warsteiner from Germany featured alongside Chinese brands such as Tsingtao Beer.

To better serve international guests, the festival has introduced multilingual services, including Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean signage, as well as multilingual volunteers at key service points. Payment systems supporting digital wallets from seven countries have also improved convenience for overseas visitors.

The festival's global influence has expanded beyond Qingdao. In July, a special edition of the event was held in Berlin, introducing Qingdao's beer culture to overseas audiences. The International Beer Festivals Alliance Cooperative Mechanism 2026 Qingdao meeting also brought together representatives and experts from Germany, Canada, Belgium, South Korea, and other countries to discuss the development of beer festivals and their role in driving local economic growth.

With broader international participation and deeper industry cooperation, the Qingdao International Beer Festival is evolving from a city festival into a platform connecting brewing, tourism, and economic development.

The Tsingtao Beer tent showcases the Chinese brand among global beer offerings at the festival venue. [Photo/WeChat account: QD-JSTPJC]