Summer Sips and Big Riffs: Geelong Beer Festival Takes Over Johnstone Park

Sun-drenched lawns, fresh pours and a crowd ready to kick summer into high gear.

Geelong Beer Festival is set to transform Johnstone Park on 17 January into the city’s most vibrant, flavour-packed backyard party. The beloved festival returns with bigger brews, louder tunes and more ways than ever to sip, savour and celebrate the best in Australian craft.

Johnstone Park becomes a full sensory playground for the day, buzzing with the clink of tasting paddles, the thrum of live music and the scent of something delicious sizzling from every corner. For beer lovers, festival wanderers, music tragics, food truck devotees and anyone who simply loves a good Saturday session, this is a golden ticket to the peak of Geelong summer.

Geelong Beer Festival

When: Saturday 17 January

Where: Johnstone Park, Geelong

Keep up to date with the latest in food and drinks across regional Victoria here.

As for the music? It’s stacked. The Grogans take the Mountain Goat Mainstage as headliners, bringing their signature surf-rock haze full of sunny riffs, breezy choruses and the kind of garage-pop swagger that practically demands you ditch your shoes and dance on the grass. They’ll be joined by Yarra Valley’s blues-rock heavy hitters Smoke Stack Rhino, turning the heat up with thunderous grooves and old-school musicianship, while world-travelling one-man orchestra Rhys Crimmin builds loops, stomps beats and spins Australiana stories with joyful charm. The stage will also spotlight emerging and established local artists throughout the day, keeping the park humming from gates-open to final cheers.

Across the festival grounds, it’s a craft lover’s dream tour. Expect taps pouring everything from crisp lagers to hazy hop bombs to experimental small-batch gems. Local legends like Blackmans Brewery, Great Ocean Road Brewing Co, Little Creatures, Flowstate, and Bellarine Estate Winery share the spotlight with rising stars Rocky Ridge, JKB Brewing, and SURE Brewing, whose sharp, sunshine-ready styles feel tailor-made for a warm Geelong afternoon. With more than 30 producers on site—brewers, distillers, cider makers and winemakers—the only challenge is deciding where to start. Head to Central Victoria with Daylesford Cider, head north with Murray Town Brewing or keep it local with Mt Pleasant Road.

Food options follow the same “no wrong choices” philosophy. Picture bao soft enough to melt away, burgers smashed to perfection, dumplings by the dozen, seafood skewers lacquered in sugarcane, woodfired pizza, smoky Texan-style BBQ and sweet treats for the cooldown. It’s the kind of roaming feast that encourages multiple passes, and maybe a cheeky second dessert. The lineup is Chubby Bao, Gypsy Burgers, The Hot Dog Guy, Lil Dumpling Van, Melbourne Paella, Pizza Party Hire,  Saccha Sugar Cane, Timboon Ice Cream, and Wildfire Craft BBQ. Pillow the fermented friend with these bites. 

The festival isn’t just about sipping, either. Masterclasses, guided tastings, blind pairings and forums give curious drinkers a chance to chat with the makers and dive deeper into the craft behind the cans. Roaming entertainment keeps the energy light and lively, while the park’s central location—just a short stroll from Geelong Station—makes it almost too easy to make a day of it.

For 2025, festival organisers have poured something extra: comedy on tap. This year’s laugh lineup is packed with some of the country’s sharpest talents, including Aussie favourite Dave O’Neil (Spicks and Specks, Fisk), the endlessly charming Ivan Aristeguieta (Have You Been Paying Attention?, Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala), and the razor-bright He Huang (Australia’s Got Talent, Thank God You’re Here). Hosted by crowd-warm legend Gavin Baskerville, the comedy program promises the perfect palate cleanser between tastings.

With more than 5,000 attendees expected—including interstate travellers making a weekend of it—the festival continues to boost the region’s vibrant summer economy. Stay-and-play packages with Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong put festivalgoers five minutes from the gates, making the transition from tasting paddle to plush pillow blissfully simple. With the location just a skip from the Geelong Train Station, Geelong Beer Festival is in prime position for out of towners, whilst ideal for locals not wanting to be the designated driver.

Festival Director Kieran Blood describes the event as a fusion of community spirit and independent innovation, where good times meet good taste and local makers get their moment in the sun.

“Geelong Beer Festival is where great beer and good times collide,” he says.

“It’s relaxed and welcoming, but it’s also a serious platform for independent producers, new releases, collaborations and face-to-face with the people behind the products. It’s good for the region and good for the industry.”

It’s big for the region, big for the industry, and even bigger for anyone who likes their summers with a side of discovery.

Sun, sound and fresh pours—Geelong Beer Festival is ready to serve it all up. Cheers to that.

Tickets are on sale now via geelongbeerfestival.com.au, and with last year selling out early, the smart move is to secure your spot sooner rather than later.