Belgian Beer Café to host Melbourne’s only Zwanze Day 2026 event

Southbank’s Belgian Beer Café will once again become a little corner of Brussels later this month when it hosts Melbourne’s only official Zwanze Day 2026 celebration.

Set for Saturday, April 25, the annual event is a rare chance for local beer lovers to sample the latest limited release from legendary Brussels lambic brewery Brasserie Cantillon, one of the world’s most revered traditional beer makers.

This year’s Zwanze release features two vermouth-blended lambics, Zwanze Day 2026 Red (Artemis La Rouge) and Zwanze Day 2026 White (Sullivan), created by Cantillon brewmaster Jean Van Roy.

Guests attending the ticketed session from 12pm to 5pm will receive 150ml pours of both special releases, a commemorative Riedel glass to take home, and access to five additional Cantillon beers on tap throughout the afternoon. Limited 750ml bottles of six more Cantillon classics will also be available for purchase on the day.

“Zwanze is Brussels humour in liquid form,” Mr Van Roy said.

“It’s never just about the beer; it’s about gathering friends, sharing a laugh, and reminding ourselves that great brewing is equal parts science, poetry, and playful rebellion.”

Since beginning in 2008, Zwanze Day has grown from a niche bottle release into a global event for lambic enthusiasts. Belgian Beer Café Melbourne says it hosted the first Zwanze Day in Australia back in 2014 and has remained the country’s main home for Cantillon’s beers ever since.

The event adds another point of interest to Southbank’s hospitality calendar, with the café continuing to draw devotees of Belgian beer culture from across Melbourne and beyond.

For more than 20 years, Belgian Beer Café Melbourne has specialised in lambics, gueuzes and Trappist ales, and recently won the award for Best Bar Presentation and Service at the AHA Awards for Excellence in Hospitality.

Tickets are $59 per person and are strictly limited, with bookings available through TryBooking. Organisers say early purchase is recommended given past events have sold out quickly.