Nine days of festival, over 100 events, 50 craft breweries involved across squares, the Salone Italiano della Birra and widespread initiatives, 20 street kitchens from all over Italy, the Villaggio delle Proloco in collaboration with UNPLI Biella and an entire city that transforms into a large stage dedicated to brewing culture, food and wine and the promotion of the local area. These are the figures for the 11th edition of Bolle di Malto, scheduled to take place in Biella from 30 August to 7 September.
Created in 2015 to promote the culture of craft beer and the excellence of the Biella area, the festival is now an official event of the City of Biella, held under the patronage of the Piedmont Region and recognised in 2024 as the Best Food and Wine Event in Italy at the TTG Travel Experience in Rimini. This growth is also confirmed by the numbers: in recent editions, the event has attracted more than 135,000 visitors, consolidating its position as one of the most important Italian events dedicated to the brewing industry.
The festival’s growth is part of a context in which the beer sector continues to represent a significant asset for the national economic system. According to AssoBirra’s 2025 Report, Italian consumption remained above 21 million hectolitres, confirming the market’s substantial resilience compared to the pre-pandemic period despite a slowdown in demand. Among the most significant trends is the strong expansion of the non-alcoholic beer segment, whose market share rose from 2.1% to 3.9% between 2024 and 2025, a sign of an evolving sector that is increasingly focused on attracting new consumers.
“For us, the eleventh edition of Bolle di Malto represents a year of transition and, at the same time, of planning for the future,” says Raffaele Abbattista, co-founder of the event. “We are confirming a format that, in ten years, has grown to involve three squares, the central axis of the city and over a hundred initiatives, transforming the heart of Biella into a lively space for meeting, participating and sharing.
This year, we have once again chosen to keep access to the squares and concerts free, because we consider free entry a tangible form of accessibility: it means allowing everyone, including people and families going through more difficult economic times, to take part in a major event, attend shows of national importance and enjoy cultural and social occasions.
However, 2026 is also the year in which we lay the foundations for the next development cycle. As an association, we are addressing the change required by the reform of the Third Sector and, at the same time, we are planning the next nine editions of Bolle di Malto, from 2027 to 2035. The goal is to complete the journey of the Salone Italiano della Birra, making it increasingly a national reference point and, by 2035, hosting over 500 exhibitors.
We continue to grow with a clear vision: to create an event capable of generating value for the region, for the Italian brewing industry and for all the people who are part of it. A project made possible by the commitment of volunteers and the collaboration between institutions, businesses, associations and communities, in which beer, food, music and culture become tools for relationships and the common good “.
