Geelong’s Great Australian Beer Festival is set to return on a summer’s day in February next year. Enjoy a cold brew on a hot day as the festival celebrates its fifth year – and a few very big changes.
With the explosion of the Australian craft beer scene, the Great Australian Beer Festival is a celebration of both local and state-wide breweries, showcasing hundreds of different brews and a variety of styles – with so many this festival is one to please even the fussiest hop-heads.
Live music includes the likes of The Potbelleez, Richard Clapton, Jon Toogood, Reuben Stone, Mitch King, Joe Mungovan, Luke Morris, Pat Tierney, Rach Brennan Band, Gerry McKeague and Joss Russell with even more to come!
Next year’s festival will also see the addition of a fully exclusive VIP area within great viewing of the main stage. There will also be a variety of interactive activities for festival-goers to participate in from keg rolling, quirky costume races, beer cabaret and even a beer cocktail corner (need we say more?)
There will also be a series of free seminars over the day giving beer lovers the opportunity to meet and mingle with the brains behind the brands.
With three stages, an international beer hall, a variety of food trucks and BBQ’s, festival director Michael Ward says that “GABF’s not only a smorgasbord of 200+ beers and ciders, it’s an experience designed to stimulate more than just taste buds.
“It’s just a great social event, a real celebration,” he says.
The Potbelleez
Having not performed in Geelong since their 2012 show at Eureka Hotel on March 15, this Irish-Australian three piece make this festival their grand return. The Potbelleez of course are best known for their tracks ‘Don’t Hold Back’, ‘Are You With Me’, ‘Hello’ and ‘From the Music’. This year has seen them release two tracks ‘Horny’ and ‘Shout’ and our guess is there’ll be quite a few more before the GABF comes around.
Richard Clapton
Australian singer-songwriter,producer and guitarist from Sydney, you would probably recognise Richard Clapton for his classic 1975 hit ‘Girls on the Avenue’. Now in his 43rd year as a recording artist with 13 studio albums spanning four decades, Richard has earned his position as one of the country’s most influential and admired musicians having amassed a dedicated and diverse fan base along the way. Grab a pint and settle in for a true aussie rock performance.
Jon Toogood
Jonathan Toogood is the frontman (lead vocals and guitar) of the New Zealand rock band Shihad for 25 years, with whom he wrote more NZ radio hits than any other artist in NZ music history. With the youngest Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, picking up the honour at the RIANZ New Zealand Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, the multi instrumentalist, radio presenter, mentor, theatre performer and voiceover artist will be bringing his legendary performances to the Geelong Beer Fest!
Early bird tickets are currently on sale at www.gabf.com.au – so get in quick and save your coin for future beer purchases! Discount tickets are available from the website until November 11.
When & Where: Geelong Racecourse – February 18 2017
