Guinness prices rise across the UK
The average price of a pint of Guinness in the UK has climbed to £5.41 in 2026, according to new research. Large regional differences remain, with Bristol offering the cheapest pints while London sits firmly at the top of the price table.
Guinness and St Patrick’s Day remain closely entwined, with around 13 million pints consumed worldwide on the day each year, according to widely cited industry estimates.
For drinkers in Britain, however, the cost of that stout continues to climb. Research by UK Debt Expert found that the average price of a pint of Guinness across the UK has reached £5.41 in 2026. According to the study, this represents a 15% increase compared with 2025, when the national average stood at £4.71.
The figures were compiled by analysing prices across several major pub chains, including Wetherspoons, O’Neills, Hungry Horse and Greene King in large UK cities. Data were collected from pub chain apps in February 2026.
Where the cheapest pints can be found
Despite the upward trend, prices vary widely between cities. Bristol currently offers the lowest average price for a pint of Guinness in the UK at £4.78. Glasgow follows closely at £4.93, making it the only other city where the stout can still be found for under £5 on average.
Other comparatively affordable locations include Stockport at £5.03, Hull at £5.08 and both Blackpool and Bolton at £5.12. Gloucester, Coventry, Dundee and Newcastle also appear among the ten cheapest locations, each recording an average price of £5.15 per pint.
London remains the priciest market
At the other end of the scale, London drinkers pay far more for their Guinness. The capital recorded an average price of £6.87 per pint according to the research, which is about 24% above the national average. Cambridge follows at £6.38, with Brighton at £6.13 and Edinburgh at £6.08.
Oxford also sits above the £6 threshold with an average price of £6.02. York, Leeds, Northampton, Liverpool and Watford complete the list of the ten most expensive locations in the UK.
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Social media drives renewed popularity
Part of Guinness’s recent prominence has been fuelled by social media attention, particularly among younger drinkers. The stout has developed a new following among Gen Z through online trends, including videos of poor pours, celebrity sightings and the challenge known as ‘splitting the G’.
The renewed interest has coincided with sharp price increases over a longer period. The average cost of a pint of Guinness has risen by 30.4% across the UK since 2023.
Some cities have experienced particularly steep increases. Swindon recorded the largest jump, where the price moved from £3.48 in 2023 to £5.20 in 2026, representing a rise of 49%. Stoke on Trent followed with a 45% increase over the same period, while Leeds saw a 43% rise.
Some cities resist the steepest increases
A small number of cities have seen more modest changes. Bristol recorded the smallest three-year increase at 10%, with the price remaining unchanged between 2025 and 2026 at £4.78. Glasgow also recorded a comparatively restrained rise of 12% during the same period.
Blackpool, Portsmouth, Reading and Cardiff also experienced smaller increases relative to the national picture.
Demand for Guinness continues to expand
The growing attention around the stout comes at a time when global demand for Guinness has strengthened. As reported by the drinks business, Diageo is planning to expand its €200 million brewery at Littleconnell in County Kildare in response to rising demand for Guinness and Guinness 0.0.
The expansion would more than double the site’s brewing capacity to 4.5 million hectolitres, supporting growth in emerging markets while easing pressure on production at the St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin.
Sales of Guinness 0.0 have also accelerated. As reported by the drinks business, draught sales of the alcohol free variant grew by 161% between June 2022 and March 2025.
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