Dr Jerry Schwartz has announced that his fully owned GABS organisation will take over the Newcastle Beer Fest following its 2026 event in King Edward Park.
The acquisition marks the first major move for GABS since the Schwartz Family Company assumed full ownership of the festival brand in 2025.
Dr Schwartz confirmed that the 2027 Newcastle Beer Fest will retain a similar structure to previous years, honouring a decade-long tradition that has cemented the event as one of the city’s most popular celebrations of independent craft beer.
Founded by local hospitality operators Luke Tilse and Taiyo Namba, the Newcastle Beer Fest first launched as the Boardwalk Beer Festival in the Honeysuckle precinct before growing into a major annual attraction.
With the 2026 edition marking its 10th staging, the event has long been a platform for showcasing independent brewers and celebrating Newcastle’s contribution to Australia’s craft beer movement.
Dr Schwartz said the opportunity to acquire the festival emerged several years ago, but the timing only became right after GABS underwent a major revitalisation.
With GABS temporarily pausing its Melbourne and Sydney events to rework the format, the organisation continued to run its regional festivals and saw Newcastle as the ideal next step in rebuilding momentum.
The festival’s future under GABS is set to lean into Newcastle’s distinct food and beverage identity, with plans to expand its reach while maintaining the community feel that has defined the event since its inception.
With longstanding regional events, such as the GABS-backed festival in Canberra, already thriving, the organisation expects Newcastle’s addition to deliver benefits for tourism, hospitality and the broader craft beer industry during a challenging period.
The next major event on the Schwartz-owned calendar is the Hunter Valley Wine & Beer Festival, returning for its 14th year on Saturday, 11 July. Dates for the 2027 Newcastle Beer Fest will be announced soon.
