No matter that it’s happening in November and not October, or that it’s not even being held in Sydney’s inner west, the fact that Oktoberwest is going ahead at all this weekend is the true reason to celebrate.
In proper 2020 fashion, Oktoberwest – the beer fest that’s been championing Sydney’s inner-west brewery-laden region since 2017 – is being staged this November weekend (28th & 29th), in the inner south of the city in pared-back fashion over two nights at the venue Max Watt’s in Moore Park.
Featuring the likes of Young Henrys, Wayward, Philter and Grifter and put on by the Inner West Brewery Association and events business Century, this year’s event becomes part of the Great Southern Nights initiative that looks to bring over 1,000 COVID-safe live music events to the people of Greater Sydney and regional NSW during November.
Century’s Tom Downey said the timing of the event, now that we see many restrictions easing around the country, would allow people the chance to celebrate some new found freedoms.
“When (COVID) went down in March we thought ‘no worries, it’ll be all good by October’. But then Melbourne 2.0 happened and we thought there was no hope,” Tom said.
“But now here we are about to have a bloody great time celebrating some of the best beers in Sydney. It’ll be nice for people to let their hair down a little bit and do something ‘normal’ after what has been a pretty crappy year for a lot of people.”
Attendees can expect to receive epic beer, food and entertainment delivered straight to their socially distanced seats plus a complimentary can of the limited edition Oktoberwest Hopped Bavarian Lager ‘Hoppy as Helles’ brewed in collaboration by the breweries that make up the Inner West Brewery Association.
“We have tried to keep the festival vibe of Oktoberwest as much as possible,” Tom said.
“While the beers are still king and we will have over 30 different cans to try, we have curated the entertainment to be enjoyed from the comfort of your seat.
“There will be plenty to watch with live music and stand-up comedy, but there will also be plenty to do, with a bunch of interactive games, pretzel eating contest, choccy milk scull and Young Henrys’ famous ‘bucking tinnie’ which was a real hit at last year’s festival.”
For the full program, information and tickets, head here.
The full list of breweries on show:
- Young Henrys
- Willie the Boatman
- Wayward Brewing Company
- The Grifter Brewing Company
- Batch Brewing Company
- Sauce Brewing Co.
- Malt Shovel Brewery
- Philter Brewing
- Stockade Brew Co
- White Bay Beer Co
The entertainment:
- Jack Ladder (Sat 28 Nov)
- Shining Bird (Sat 28 Nov)
- The Bottlers (Sun 29 Nov)
- Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of a Tony Hawk Pro Skater Cover Band (Sun 29 Nov)
- Aaron Gocs’s Beer Can Olympics & Trivia
- Stand-Up Comedy
- Young Henry’s Mechanical Bucking Tinnie
- The Great Aussie Stitch-up Video DJ Set
- Pretzel Eating Contest
- The Great Choccy Milk Scull-Off
- Fancy Dress (All things T)
- Volkswurst “The Sausage for the People” Foodtruck