Oktoberfest in the Gardens

Oktoberfest in the Gardens returns to The Station on Saturday 24 October, running from 1pm to 9pm. It's a one-day stop in Newcastle as part of a national tour that hits Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Canberra, with the organisers saying the circuit starts in Adelaide and finishes in Sydney.

It's built around the traditional Bavarian original, and the setup is pretty much what you'd expect: beer halls, authentic German food, and imported German beer, cider and wine. There are roving performers working the crowd, thrill rides and a sideshow alley for the fairground side of things, and silent discos running alongside live entertainment. The organisers call it Australia's biggest Oktoberfest celebration and one of the country's longest-running festivals, and the numbers back it up — more than 70,000 people attended across the country in 2025, and they're planning for the 2026 tour to be even bigger. They've described this year's return to The Station as bringing more entertainment, music, food and beer than before.

The Station is on the corner of Scott and Watt Streets, accessible via Wharf Road in Newcastle NSW 2300. Tickets are A$59.90 per person, and the whole thing runs from 1pm to 9pm on Saturday 24 October.