At a glance
- When
- The first and third Friday of each month, 5pm to 6pm (Geelong time, AEDT). Next dates: Friday 20 November, Friday 4 December, Friday 18 December 2026
- Where
- WYM, inside the Geelong Botanic Gardens, 200 Eastern Park Circuit, East Geelong
- Cost
- Free to attend; food and drink are bought at WYM
- Getting there
- Enter on foot by the Gardens’ main gate at Podbury Drive and Eastern Park Circuit, then follow the path for about three minutes; WYM says it is a 10-minute walk up from Eastern Beach
- Who it’s for
- Anyone after an easy Friday evening outdoors with local acoustic music
- What to do now
- WYM says you can book ahead or wander in
- Last checked
- Sunday 8 November 2026, against the City of Greater Geelong’s event page and WYM’s website
- Not yet confirmed
- The act for Friday 19 February 2027 is listed as to be confirmed, and the special event on Friday 1 January 2027 has no details yet
Garden Sessions at the Geelong Botanic Gardens are free live acoustic music sets on the first and third Friday of each month, from 5pm to 6pm, at the WYM cafe inside the Gardens. The schedule runs to February 2027. The details below come from the City of Greater Geelong’s event page and WYM’s own website, read on 8 November 2026.
Who is playing at the Garden Sessions?
The City’s page lists the acts month by month. The first session was a launch on Friday 9 October 2026 with Noah Vernon, which the organisers tied to the first Friday of daylight saving.
| Date | Act | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 6 November 2026 | Ben Dew | First Friday |
| Friday 20 November 2026 | Zac Anthony | Third Friday |
| Friday 4 December 2026 | Jake Hunniford | First Friday |
| Friday 18 December 2026 | Noah Vernon | Third Friday |
| Friday 1 January 2027 | Special event | New Year’s Day; the page says to keep an eye on WYM’s socials |
| Friday 15 January 2027 | Jake Hunniford | Third Friday |
| Friday 5 February 2027 | Zac Anthony | First Friday |
| Friday 19 February 2027 | To be confirmed | Third Friday |
Sessions on 9 October, 16 October (Garden Lane) and 6 November have already happened. The City’s page times each session from 5pm to 6pm. It does not say what happens in wet weather.
Is it free, and what do I buy?
The City lists the cost as free. The music is free to attend. WYM describes the sessions as acoustic sets, drinks and garden afternoons, and the City’s page mentions local artists, drinks and seasonal bar nibbles. WYM is a licensed cafe, so what you eat and drink is paid for there.
WYM also publishes drink deals around the sessions. Happy hour runs on Thursdays and Fridays from 4pm to 5pm, with $9 house wine, $9 house pints and $11 mocktails, and on the first and third Fridays live music follows. WYM lists an aperitivo bar from 3:30pm Thursday to Saturday and from 11:30am on Sunday. On Saturdays it lists an all-day happy hour with $9 pints and $11 mocktails. Through spring, a child gets a free kid’s juice with any purchase on Thursdays. Prices as listed by WYM on 8 November 2026.
How do I get to WYM inside the Gardens?
WYM says it is amid the ferns in the middle of the Geelong Botanic Gardens at 200 Eastern Park Circuit, East Geelong. Walk in through the Gardens’ main gate at the corner of Podbury Drive and Eastern Park Circuit and follow the path for about three minutes. WYM is on your right, across the lawn. WYM calls it a 10-minute walk up from Eastern Beach.
The City’s page lists parking as available and says the venue has toilets, first aid, seating and viewing areas, undercover areas and wheelchair access. WYM adds that the Gardens provide disability parking, a ramp at the main gate and accessible restroom facilities. Neither page gives the number of car spaces or any parking charge.
Do I need to book, and what are WYM’s hours?
WYM says you can book ahead or simply wander in, and that if it is full it will do its best to find you a spot. The City’s page has a Bookings link.
| Days | WYM hours | Services listed |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Wednesday | 9:30am to 4:00pm | Takeaway, lunch |
| Thursday to Saturday | 8:30am to 6:30pm | Takeaway, lunch, aperitivo |
| Sunday | 9:30am to 6:30pm | Takeaway, aperitivo |
Lunch is listed Monday to Saturday, 11:30am to 3:00pm. WYM’s enquiries address is gbg@whereyoumeet.com.au, which is also the contact on the City’s page.
Who runs it?
WYM is run by Where You Meet Pty Ltd, which the City’s page describes as an independently owned small business. WYM’s own site says it is independent and is not endorsed by or affiliated with the City of Greater Geelong or the Geelong Botanic Gardens, even though the sessions are listed in the City’s events calendar.
Is anything else on at the Gardens soon?
The City also lists a Geelong Botanic Gardens Plant Sale on Saturday 7 November from 8am to 2pm in the Conservatory area. Plant purchases are charged. That sale was on 7 November, the day before this page was checked; the City’s events calendar lists any later ones.
Sources
- City of Greater Geelong: Live Music: Garden Session (read 8 November 2026)
- WYM: What’s on, Geelong Botanic Gardens (read 8 November 2026)
- WYM: Geelong Botanic Gardens cafe (read 8 November 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong: Geelong Botanic Gardens Plant Sale (read 8 November 2026)
Featured image: Brachychiton trees at the front gate of the Geelong Botanic Gardens, June 2015 (photo: Casliber / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with WYM, Where You Meet Pty Ltd, the Geelong Botanic Gardens or the City of Greater Geelong. Dates and acts can change; check WYM’s website or social channels before you go.