Adelaide Beer & BBQ Fest: 10 Years on Tap
Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival is hitting double digits this year and its birthday bash is set to be its biggest yet. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the June long weekend.
Beers & Non-Beers
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Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival has ridden the craft wave for a decade, continuously finding ways to champion indies doing it best. Countless have stuck with the weekend event since its inception, with Big Shed Brewing, Little Bang Brewing Co, Lobo Cider, Mismatch Brewing Company, Pirate Life Brewing, Prancing Pony Brewery and Vale Brewing just some of the names returning 10 years later this June 6 to 8.
Festival faves aside, there are plenty of newcomers this year, with Cherry Garden nano-scale brewery ill-intentions and Port Lincoln’s family-operated Jump Ship Brewing two of the locals debuting. They’ll join fresh faces Deep Elite (WA), Muffy Malone (VIC), Range Brewing (QLD) and Fox Friday (TAS).
Not into the hoppy stuff? The non-beer lineup at the King’s Birthday long weekend includes The Note faves El Toro Tequila, plus Heaps Good Spirits, 23rd Street Distillery, Somos Wines and debutants Kombi Crew, who’ll be shaking and making cocktails all three days.
Bands
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You know the drill. Three days, over 30 bands, and lots of fun to be had. This year, Beer & BBQ Festival are switching things up and extending its Sunday show into the evening for its inaugural ‘Legends’ night, headlined by none other than Split Enz’s Tim Finn. Industry mainstays Wolfmother will close Friday night, while pub-punk-rock favourites The Chats are turning up the heat on Saturday. There’s also plenty more good stuff where that came from. Think Rocket Science, The Tarantinos and Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys on Friday; Gooch Palms, Dick Moves and Andy Golledge on Saturday. SA locals are doing a lot of heavy lifting this year, too. Get keen to catch Mondo Psycho, FREEGOLF, Halftime Oranges, My Chérie, Pelvis, Nocturnal Animals and The Note Vote winner, amongst others.
BBQ
All this action is sure to whet your appetite. Good thing Beer & BBQ Festival knows how to feed a crowd. The hungry hordes heading to the Adelaide Showground can expect ‘the greatest hits’ on repeat all weekend, with the event’s birthday bash inviting Melbourne institution Fancy Hanks and SA’s own Baltic Fine Foods back to the party. They’ll be joined by some of the best low ‘n’ slow gurus, fried fiends and fire-loving operations, including Belles Hot Chicken, Sneaky Pickle, Bread & Bone Wood Grill, Smokin Grillers and NOLA (who are bringing Anchovy Bandit and La Louisiane as plus ones!). Dig in!
B-Sides
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There’s a wild side to Beer & BBQ Festival where the untapped fun takes place – the weird, wacky and wonderfully unexpected b-sides that make this event one of the state’s best. Across the June long weekend, don’t forget to check out (or participate in) the annual Beer Bod Wet T-Shirt Competition, eating contests and the silent disco, plus rounds of Riot City Wrestling and masterclass panels with the event’s chefs and brewers. There’s also BMX and skating demos, a tattoo parlour and many market stalls to keep you entertained.
Celebrate Beer & BBQ Festival’s 10th birthday this June 6–8 at the Adelaide Showground. Single day tickets and weekend passes are available now via moshtix.com.au.
