Dark Cellars at the Geelong Gaol

This Halloween, the Old Geelong Gaol opens its doors for one night only. Dark Cellars is a food and wine experience like nothing else in Victoria, transforming one of the state’s most iconic heritage venues into an immersive evening of wine, food, theatre and just the right amount of trouble.

Built from local bluestone in the 1850s, the Gaol operated as a working prison for 138 years. Its three storeys of heavy iron doors, narrow corridors and original cell blocks have stood mostly untouched since it closed in 1991. On Saturday 31 October 2026, those cells belong to the Geelong wine region’s finest winemakers, brewers, distillers, cheesemakers and artisan food producers, each locked inside their own cell block and ready to pour.

Your job is simple. Roam freely. Taste everything.

On arrival, you’ll be assigned a starting cell block and handed a personalised timetable for the evening. Get your mugshot taken at the door, then begin your journey through the corridors, moving from cell to cell at your own pace across two tasting sessions running from 3pm to 9:30pm. You’ll taste wines from across the Bellarine Peninsula, Moorabool Valley and Surf Coast alongside local craft beer, spirits and artisan produce from the region’s best makers.

Throughout the night, we will be hosting free themed masterclasses that dive deeper into what makes Geelong one of Australia’s most exciting emerging wine regions. Rocky Horror soundtracks echoes through the bluestone, and a temporary tattoo station lets you wear the night on your skin.

When your allocated meal time arrives, take a seat in the dining hall for a gourmet reimagining of the classic prison food tray. Think elevated comfort food served on trays with a wink, because no one said prison food couldn’t be delicious.

As the night wraps, collect your release photo on the way out to bookend your mugshot from earlier. You came in guilty. You leave reformed. Probably.

Dark Cellars is presented by Wine Geelong and features 20+ producers from across the Geelong wine region. A shuttle bus will run from Geelong Station, so getting there and back is sorted.

Tickets are limited. This is a one night only event in a one of a kind venue with a lineup of producers you won’t find together anywhere else. Lock in your spot before someone else takes your cell.
Tickets on sale soon

Check the event page for more info: https://winegeelong.com.au/calendar/dark-cellars/