Few Australian festivals can boast growth the likes of Brisbane event Beer InCider Experience.
It’s gone from a 2,000-person beer and cider tasting to a 20,000-person beer, cider, music and ping pong extravaganza in 5 years.
Such is the festival’s popularity, organisers this year have added a date in Melbourne (2 March) and indie-rock icons DMA’S and Aussie rock royalty Something For Kate have been enlisted to headline the festival's music line-up.
Beer InCider was conceived at a brewery in London in 2013. Founder Marty Keetels tells the story. “I had just quit my job and was travelling.
“I was drinking beers with a good mate at a new brewery in Greenwich when we joked about starting a beer and music festival. The idea never left me and when I got home I started working on Beer InCider right away.”
The first year was a relatively small affair. “We had about 15 breweries and a small stage with local bands playing,” Marty says. But crowd feedback was really strong. “We knew we were on to something because people didn’t want to leave.”
The reason for the festival’s popularity is the combination of good beer, cider and music.
“People hate that you can’t get a good beer at a music festival. You organise all your mates and buy tickets and then you’re left drinking warm mid-strengths made by a multinational. It’s not right. We take the view that you should know the person brewing your beer just like you know the people in your favourite band.”
How does Marty curate the event? “We keep it really simple. We invite the best breweries in the country and sign our favourite bands. Then we add some amazing restaurants, a cocktail bar specialising in espresso martinis and build an arena so you can play Berlin-style ping pong in front of a crowd.”
Beer InCider is also a progressively green festival, providing all festival goers with a reusable cup on entry. All cutlery is made from recycled products and they recycle all plastic, cans and compost organic matter.
Beer InCider is on at Melbourne Showgrounds 2 March and Brisbane Showgrounds 9 March
Beer InCider Experience 2019 Line-Up
DMA'sSomething For Kate
Alex The Astronaut
WAAX
West Thebarton
Loser
