Beer & BBQ Festival Rises for 2021

By Tony Polese · On May 11, 2021

Beer and BBQ Festival rises from the ashes of 2020 in all its glory for the 2021 edition at the Adelaide Showground from Friday 23rd July until Sunday 25th July.

Returning with a monumental music line-up, over 100 local and national brewers, cider makers, distillers & winemakers, the biggest BBQ and chef line-up ever hosted at the event, and all MC’d by Australia’s infamous outlaw country-rocker, musician, radio & TV personality, Henry Wagons.

The Smith Street Band lead the charge on the 2021 Beer and BBQ Fest music line-up for their first South Australian show in over two years. Festival-goers will also have the chance to be the first to catch tracks from their 2020 studio release, Don’t Waste Your Anger played live.

Sharing the stage with The Smith Street Band are Australian punk-rock legends Bodyjar and 28 days, outlaw country-rock outfit Wagons, Melbourne’s indie-pop darling Jess Locke, straight out of Newtown, SCABZ and long time Cherry Bar resident vinyl slinger DJ Mermaid, with heaps more to be announced in the second lineup announcement.

2021 will also see the fattest, juiciest BBQ lineup ever assembled in SA with some of the best proponents of BBQ from around the country, including low and slow via Mornington Peninsula’s Red Gum BBQ and Sydney’s Black Iron Smokers. Food truck legend Raph Rashid, arguably the man that created Aussie food truck culture with the original burger truck Beatbox Kitchen, will be passing the Big Koala on his way from Melbourne, as will Argentinian charcoal masters Señor BBQ. The travelling Filipino coal BBQ party of Hoy Pinoy, round out the interstate guests.

South Australian BBQ talent will be plentiful with BBF favourites Boston Bay Smallgoods x Smokin Grillers, Ragi’s Indian BBQ, Izakaya Kevin and heaps more to be announced.

We can’t tell you the brewer lineup just yet, but there are heaps of heavy hitters that have been itching to get to SA over the past year and will be making their BBF debut. Plus the Gilbert Street’s International Dark Bar and Shit Can Tavern, along with distillers, cider makers and the inaugural outing for Wine Country.

Director of the Beer and BBQ Festival Aaron Sandow is excited to announce the 2021 Beer and BBQ Festival. “We can’t wait to light the fire barrels again, it’s been a very long time coming”

“It’s no secret last year was a tough year for the events industry but it’s allowed us to go away and rethink the festival, add some really cool elements that nobody has seen before and spend a lot of time on producing our biggest festival to date, we are pretty stoked with what’s in store.”

“We know what amazing SA talent we have, but we are also really excited to welcome back brewers, bands and chefs from all over the country that we have always wanted to see at BBF.”

On top of the music, beer and BBQ there will be much happening across the weekend including the return of the Royal Adelaide Beer & Cider Awards to kick off proceedings, the inaugural FireSide BBQ Comp, the ubiquitous Beer Bod Wet T-Shirt Comp, wrestling from Riot City Wrestling, tattoo studio, BBQ masterclasses, panel discussions and a family and pet-friendly Sunday session, plus some pretty sneaky surprises.