Darker Days has been one of many festivals to be given the runaround by the pandemic over the past couple of years. But, undeterred, the team at Bright Brewery are aiming to make the 2022 event their biggest and best yet.

Darker Days 2022 will take over an entire weekend, kicking off with a brew day experience and dinner on the Friday, followed by a ten hour festival on Saturday with Bob Evans headlining the main stage, and closing with a Brewer's Breakfast and more on the Sunday.

It takes place from June 17 to 19 in and around Bright's brewery home in the Victorian High Country, designed as "a celebration of all things dark and decadent" and centred around dark beer, live music and crackling bonfires.

On the drinks front, Bright will be joined by Banks Brewing and Moo Brew, plus High Country spirit producers Reed & Co Distillery and Backwoods Distilling, with the booze offering rounded out byb Alpine Cider and Billy Button Wines.

Pulling it all together is brewery marketing manager Laura Gray, who said of the festival that's not run since 2019: “We were so close last year – we got within 24 hours of opening and we thought we were safe, but COVID, as always, had other plans.

“So this one will be very, very special after everything everyone has been through, especially with Bob Evans headlining.”

Ticketholders who chose to hold on to their tickets from 2021 are guaranteed access to this year’s festivities, with tickets for the general public on sale from 4pm on April 29.

Early Bird prices and a weekend-long VIP Darker Pass are available as well as standard festival entry, while readers of The Crafty Pint can enjoy 10 percent off by using the link below and the code CRAFTY10.

Crafty beer club members can scroll down for details of another giveaway for them too.

BUY TICKETS HERE

The Schedule:

Friday, June 17:

• Brewer For A Day: with Bright’s Head Brewer Reid Stratton
• Darker Dinner: a dark & decadent four-course meal with matched beers

Saturday, June 18:

• Festival Day: 10-plus hours of live music, headlined by Bob Evans 

Sunday, June 19:

• Brewer’s Breakfast: think brekkie beers and beery cocktails
• Barker Days Fundraiser for RSPCA Vic
• Recovery Session with free live music

Children can attend the main festival day at a reduced price, but no pets are allowed.

BEER CLUB BONUS

The lovely folks at Bright have come up with the goods for members of our beer club, The Crafty Cabal, once again. They've given us six of their Darker Days to put up as prizes for six Cabalistas to win.

Each pack includes:

• 6 mixed dark beers, including the 2022 Stubborn Imperial Stout
• a tasting glass
• beanie
• stubby holder

For your chance to win one (and hundreds of other prizes every year) either sign in or sign up via the Cabal website or the free Crafty Pint app.