Bellarine Estate has thrown its hat into the festival ring with 100 Acres Festival, a one-day celebration of blues, wine and coastal hospitality set for Saturday April 18, 2026. The new event will take over the estate’s rolling vineyards and pastures from midday until 6pm, and it will be led by US blues elder statesman Eric Bibb performing with his full band.
Bibb, a three-time Grammy nominee and a singer who has spent decades at the crossroads of folk, gospel and blues, arrives with a reputation for warm, socially conscious songs and elegant guitar work. His album One Mississippi, due in January 2026, is the latest entry in a steady run of records that have kept him a constant on international stages, and his return to Australia will be his first full-band tour since early 2023. Expect storytelling songs that pair messages of peace and community with rootsy arrangements that translate perfectly to an open-air winery setting.
The Bellarine line up leans proudly local, and it reads like a who’s who of contemporary Australian blues. Lloyd Spiegel, a 14-time Australian Blues Award winner, will bring his finger-picking virtuosity and vivid storytelling to the 100 Acres stage. Spiegel has spent years moving between solo acoustic shows and electric sets, earning acclaim at home and abroad and building a catalogue of live favourites and studio recordings that have made him a mainstay of the scene.
Phil Para and his son Denzil will present a family duo set that leans into Phil’s Hendrix-inspired guitar fireworks, he has carved out a cult following for high energy shows that blur blues, rock and improvisation. Kathleen Halloran rounds out the bill, an emerging singer-songwriter and guitarist known for blistering playing and unflinching, honest lyrics, the kind of performer whose live intensity has won attention at clubs and festivals around the country.
Between sets, DJ Max Crawdaddy from 3RRR will keep the vibe moving, spinning blues and roots classics as the afternoon unfolds. Gates open at 12pm, and the music program runs until 6pm, giving punters an afternoon of hand-crafted songs and cellar-door hospitality.
Bellarine Estate sits between Drysdale and Portarlington, its 100 acres of vines and pastures benefiting from a maritime climate well suited to cool-climate varieties. The family-run operation was established in 1996 by Peter and Lizette Kenny and is now steered by second-generation brothers James and Julian Kenny, who have expanded the estate to include Thirty Acres Distillery, Texas BBQ at Bellarine Estate, and a coastal glamping venture. The setting makes for a festival that wants to be as much about place as it is about performance, pairing locally produced Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Rosé with food trucks and lawn-side listening.
James Kenny said having an artist of Eric Bibb’s calibre headline the inaugural event was an honour, and that the festival aims to become an annual celebration of artistry and community while showcasing the Bellarine’s hospitality. The one-day format, intimate site and carefully curated line up suggest organisers are aiming for quality over quantity, a relaxed but musically serious alternative to big commercial festivals.
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