Tickets are now available for the launch and closing parties at this year's City of Ale event in Norwich.

The organisers of the event met at the Murderers in Timberhill today for the last time before the main event kicks off on Thursday, May 31.

The official launch party is at St Gregory's Centre for the Arts in Pottergate from 6-11pm and the closing party at the same venue from 2-7pm on Sunday, June 10.

The tickets cost �12 and include three pints of local ale, food and entertainment. They are expected to sell out fast and are now on sale at The Murderers, The Vine, Ketts Tavern and The Rose Inn.

Meanwhile, the City of Ale 2012 beer list is now live on the website http://cityofale.org.uk/beers/, although the list of pubs stocking each ale is not yet accurate, awaiting the local ale list from each pub. There will be 219 beers – several more than last year – to choose from at the festival, and the City of Ale programme should be available by the end of the week. They will be free of charge for people to pick up at any one of the 45 pubs and 35 breweries taking part.

Dawn Leeder, festival co-chairman, said: 'There will be a couple of hundred events taking place. The ale trails will be in the programme and drinkers will have until the end of June to collect the vouchers.

'There's a lot of interest in the festival from other Camra branches across the country, and about 40 people from the Peterborough branch are coming on the first Saturday of the festival.'

Meanwhile, Norwich will be featured on the front of the 2013 Good Beer Guide, which will be published in September.

Ms Leeder added: 'The front always features a picture of a pub or a place and we have been told Norwich will be on the front, which is great news.'

Festival events include a political debate on pubs and brewing on Friday, June 1, and a pub quiz grand final, on Tuesday, June 5.