Australia’s premier craft beer festival, GABS, has announced it is relocating the Melbourne leg of its three-city tour from its ‘spiritual home’ at the Royal Exhibition Building to the Melbourne Showgrounds.
Attracting as many as 40,000 visitors and held annually in iconic landmark buildings such as Sydney's International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour and Brisbane’s Convention and Entertainment Centre, GABS was started in a small craft bar in Melbourne in 2011 and made its big venue debut in the beautiful Royal Exhibition Building (REB) in Carlton Gardens in 2012.
Whilst the REB has gone on to be known as the ‘spiritual home’ of GABS, the festival organisers have had to initiate a change in venue and date for GABS Melbourne, due to new restrictions on the heritage listed REB. The current state of the REB requires an estimated $50 million in repairs. Further, the organisers were informed that Heritage Victoria had imposed new regulations and restrictions on usage of Royal Exhibition Building, which ultimately impacted GABS’ ability to deliver the festival in its traditional indoor format.
GABS MD Mike Bray said it was a move the festival did not anticipate making in Melbourne.
“With the craft brewing industry having faced significant challenges recently with so many breweries under extreme pressure, we’re calling on all beer loving Australians to get down to a GABS Festival this year to get behind the 150 plus breweries that will have beers pouring on the tour,” said Bray.
The GABS Festival Melbourne leg at the relocated Melbourne Showgrounds location will go ahead with new dates set for 21-23 June.
