Mullets, thong toss and backyard games are taking over Coogee Bay Hotel as Ockerfest returns for Round Three. The month-long event gives Oktoberfest an unmistakably Australian makeover, with barbecues, music, competitions and a Halloween finale.
Ockerfest will run from 1 October to 1 November 2026 at The Garden, 253 Coogee Bay Road, with activities from Thursday to Sunday each week, and it’s free entry!
Barbecues, tinnies and mullets
Instead of trying to recreate a Bavarian beer hall, Ockerfest swaps much of the traditional Oktoberfest imagery for barbecues, tinnies, mullets, casual dress and backyard games.
Food and games form much of the daytime program. A backyard barbecue will operate from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Thursday to Sunday, while the “Show Us Your Tinnies” promotion runs from noon until 8:00 p.m.
Weekends bring the backyard competition into the mix. Games are scheduled from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with organisers listing thong toss, Connect 4 and Jenga among the activities planned during the month.
Hair will become competitive territory as well. Best Mullet competitions will run during Ockerfest, with entrants putting their business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back cuts up for judging. Prizes listed by organisers include Bundaberg Rum merchandise and Budgy Smugglers.
A separate competition will reward Ockerfest-related content shared on social media, while weekly best-dressed prizes will build towards the event’s Halloween weekend.
Music across October
Live entertainment will run alongside the food, games and competitions, drawing on The Garden’s existing weekend music program. The outdoor area regularly hosts solo performers, duos, bands and DJs.
Coogee Bay Hotel’s October schedule has performers booked throughout the Ockerfest run. Timothy Love and Mina X are scheduled for 2 October, Matty Loco and Basser Boys for 3 October, with the program continuing through the month to Ben Howes and Mina X on 31 October.
Ocker-Ween closes out October
Halloween will get the Ockerfest treatment on 31 October when Ocker-Ween brings fancy dress into the month’s program. The major prize package includes a 15-litre Victoria Bitter cooler, Coogee Bay Hotel bar vouchers, Bundaberg Rum Budgy Smugglers and other Bundaberg Rum merchandise. Weekly best-dressed competitions held during Ockerfest lead into the Halloween event.
Third round in Coogee
Ockerfest is still a relatively young addition to Coogee’s events calendar. The 2026 edition is its third at Coogee Bay Hotel, following what the venue described as its second annual Ockerfest in 2025.
Last year’s event also centred on an Australian interpretation of Oktoberfest in The Garden, establishing the backyard theme that returns in 2026.
Published 29-Sept-2026
