GABS Summer Craft Beer Festival

Overview

Southeast Queensland does pretty well in the craft brew stakes and, in 2019, it officially (and finally) welcomed GABS to the area. For those who haven't heard of the boozy annual celebration — which made its presence known in Melbourne and Sydney first — we're talking about the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular. And while its 2020 Brisbane event has been postponed until April 2021, it's giving brew-lovers something to celebrate when January rolls around if you're keen to head up or down the coast.

Consider the GABS Summer Craft Beer Festival a highlights package, taking place on the Sunshine Coast Stadium Foreshore precinct on Saturday, January 2 and the Great Lawn at Broadwater Parklands on the Gold Coast on Saturday, January 9. A huge selection of beverages will be on offer, and they're really not the kind of brews you'll get to sip every day. In fact, there'll be two GABS Invitational Bars, each taking over a 40-foot container and pouring from 120 taps apiece, as well as a dedicated New Zealand Festival Bar focusing on 10 breweries from across the ditch and unique beers they've brewed specifically for the fest.

Split across two sessions on each day — 11.30am–4pm and 5.0–10pm — the GABS Summer Craft Beer Festival isn't just about brews. It's mainly about them, but you'll be able to hop on a giant ferris wheel, listen to jazz and soul performers, and sip vino at a champagne and wine bar on the lawn as well. Also on the agenda: tucking into bites to eat from local food businesses and listening to panel discussions with industry folks.