Sip, sample, and socialise at Geelong’s Great Australian Beer Festival

Get sipping, sampling, and socialising — Geelong’s Great Australian Beer Festival 2023 (GABF) is back and bigger than ever, with beer tasting, food trucks, comedy, live music and more to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Each year, GABF celebrates the region’s burgeoning beer industry, putting hundreds of amazing artisan breweries on display and bringing the best beers of Geelong, Bellarine, Surf Coast and Otway regions to Johnstone’s Park.

The festival’s director, Kieran Blood, said for its 10-year anniversary, the outdoor festival would be hosted over two days and will be more than just a beer appreciation event, balancing entertainment with beer appreciation.

This year GABF will put on display more than 200 beers, ciders, wines and cocktails, as well as adding new elements including free masterclasses, food trucks, roving cabaret performers, comedy and live music.

“We are really looking forward to delivering the event across two days.”

“We love Fridays as the start to the weekend, and what better way to kick it off, than with an awesome line-up of comedy and live music… thank GABF it’s Friday!”

Blood said the festival is looking forward to the introduction of a new culinary stage and cooking demonstrations from MasterChef contestant Tim Bone and Little Creatures chef Stephen Shing.

“Our 10th anniversary will see a lot of new elements at GABF, as well as the elements that remain true to the GABF experience,” Blood said.

“From comedy on the Friday featuring the likes of Nick Cody and Tom Ballard to the introduction of a new culinary stage on Saturday with cooking demos from Masterchef contestant Tim Bone and Little Creatures chef Stephen Shing.”

The January 20 session, running from 4-10pm will feature roving performers and live music from Tyne-Jones Organ and Aria-nominated Joelyn Petch.

Also on the Friday night, some of Australia’s favourite comedians will take to the Brick Lane comedy stage, Tom Ballard, Nick Cody, Alex Ward and Kirsty Webeck will all be taking to the stage hosted by Stewart Bell.

On January 21 from noon-7pm, enjoy cooking demos, free masterclasses, roving performers, children’s activities and live music from Australian blues artists Ash Grunwald and Melbourne-based pop trio Telenova.

Blood said GABF attracted a diverse audience, with the event offering something for every generation.

“It’s not uncommon to have three generations from the same family sprawled out on a picnic rug enjoying a day of beer, wine, cocktails, free masterclasses and live music.”

Among the more than 200 local brews to be put on display you will find Bells Beach Brewing, Better Beer, Blackmans Brewery, Coast Seltzer, Flowstate Brewers & Distillers, Austin’s Wines, Little Creatures, Mt Pleasant Road Brewers, and more.

Beyond beer, enjoy cheeses from Archive Wine bar, or indulge in an array of food trucks including Bavarian Bangers Burn City Smokers, Chubby Bao, Digging for Fire BBQ, Gypsys Lunchbox, Lil Dumpling Van, Pizza Forno and Sidewalk Cantina.

GABF will run on January 20 from 4-10pm and January 21 from noon-7pm at Johnstone Park, Geelong.

To find out more or purchase tickets, head to gabfgeelong.com.au .