Ballarat Beer Festival 2016

Sat 16 Jan 11:00am

Ballarat Beer Festival 2016

Ballarat Beer Festival returns for a fifth time in 2016 with new owners and new features – plus permission to rename the city Beerllarat for the weekend.

The popular annual event will once again be held in the City Oval on January 16, 2016.

More than 35 craft brewers will line the oval, offering up samples of more than 100 beers and ciders, while sponsors Coopers will have a large marquee onsite too.

Aussie rock legends You Am I headline the main stage supported by Dallas Crane, Kylie Auldist, The ReChords, Bakersfield Glee Club and The New Savages, while Radio Brews News host Pete Mitcham will be hosting tasting, matching and live brew sessions.

“Possibly the most exciting news this year is that we got approval from the City Council to rename Ballarat to Beerllarat for the weekend of the Festival,” says incoming festival director Ric Dexter, who is one of the owners of Ballarat's craft beer and gastropub, The Mallow.

“Ballarat is home to two craft breweries, 3,500 home brewers and the largest university course for brewing in the Southern Hemisphere. It has been the epicentre of Australian beer brewing for decades and we are proud to be a part of this vibrant and exciting town.”

The festival will also feature local winemakers, as well as food trucks and the Brewcage, a new marquee area. The traditional Friday Degustation Dinner returns, this time with Daniel Wilson from Melbourne’s Huxtable and Huxtaburger creating a four course dinner with matching beers.

Adult ticket prices start at $51 including booking fee, which gets attendees into the festival, an official tasting glass and festival lanyard. The Friday dinner costs $95 plus booking fee.

There are family tickets available too, as well as various package deals. You can view them all and book tickets via the festival website.

You can travel there in style too, with a vintage train running to Ballarat from Melbourne via Geelong on the day. Full details here.

Similar events

Bittersweet and Wild with La Sirène
Wed 20 Mar 6:15pm

Wild Ale, Wine & Cheese Masterclass with La Sirène
Thu 21 Mar 6:15pm

Drag Bingo at Burnley Brewing
Thu 21 Mar 6:30pm