Cheers to 10 Years

THE Great Australian Beer Festival (GABF) will celebrate its 10th anniversary at Johnstone Park in Geelong this January with showcasing local producers, entertainment and gourmet food.

Delivering an immersive ‘Taste of the Region’ style two-day festival that celebrates and connects the region’s best in food, drink, arts and entertainment, the 10th anniversary of the festival on January 20 and 21 will showcase a lineup of world-class breweries, cideries, distilleries, cocktail specialists, vineyards and local gourmet food.

Additions to the 10th annual celebration include more local food and drink producers; a culinary stage celebrating local ingredients; a live comedy stage; more family friendly entertainment and activities; live music from Jolyon Petch, Ash Grunwald and Telenova and much more.

For the 2023 festival, GABF have partnered with the City of Greater Geelong to help cement itself as Geelong’s signature summer festival experience.

Festival founder and co-director Kieran Blood said he is excited to be partnering with the city and hopes to deliver an event that welcomes locals and visitors from far and wide.

“We are both excited and honoured to have the opportunity to work in partnership with the City of Geelong to continue to invest in diverse programs that will develop GABF into a signature “taste of the region” event and ‘must do experience’ for all,” festival founder and co-director Kieran Blood said.

“As habits shift and the demographic of the festivalgoer becomes more sophisticated, the demand for quality, artisan products and experiences increase as well.

“As a festival, we have also evolved from a locally attended showcase of breweries to an iconic cultural and destination experience in the city centre, attended by a broad cross section of the local community and primarily by a targeted, intra/interstate audience.”

City of Greater Geelong Mayor Peter Murrihy said Geelong’s major events calendar contributes to the rich cultural life that locals and visitors enjoy in Geelong.

“More than half of all attendees at our major events are from outside the region, which has helped our visitor economy return to pre-pandemic highs,” Cr Murrihy said.

“The increased program across two days is set to bring over 8000 people from all over Victoria and interstate into the Greater Geelong region, with many opting to stay more nights to experience the abundance of activities and entertainment on offer.

“The expansion of the festival will help us capture more overnight visitors, and share the spoils among our tourism sector.”

For the first time, GABF will partner with Rydges Geelong to offer tailored festival accommodation for those looking to travel into the region or those who simply want a staycation close to home

For a full list of brews, food, music and limited tickets go to www.gabfgeelong.com.au