24 March 2026
When the NRL heads to Brisbane for its annual Magic Round in mid-May, North Sydney Oval will be the centre of the rugby league world in NSW for a huge weekend featuring six games across two days on May 16 and 17. Not only that, across the same weekend, The Beer Footy & Food Festival will be running at Bear Park for the third year in a row.
The festival is set to be bigger than ever, hosting over fifteen of the best local brewers and distillers from around the state. This will include local brewery and producer of Bears’ Beer, Depot Brewery.
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This year will also see the introduction of an expanded food and festival hub. The Billy ‘Eats’ Moore food precinct will be set up in St Leonards Park, offering a variety of cuisines and food truck offerings. Moore is a Norths legend who played 211 first-grade games for the club and has been heavily involved as an ambassador for the Bears since hanging up the boots.
The Beer Mile will also return, with organisers hoping to break a world record attempt. Last year, 5,500 fans watched, which is believed to be the second-largest crowd to ever watch a Beer Mile Race. This year, they hope to break that record with their beer relay-style event.
A new initiative is coming this year: The Reggies, a dedicated fan section inspired by legendary rugby league character Reg Regan. This will be similar to The Ritchies at Australian cricket matches. Reg Regan was a character created by former rugby league player and media personality Matt Johns on Channel 9’s The Footy Show.
Fans can purchase a special Reggies Ticket, which includes the obligatory black mullet wig, fake moustache, and “Bring Back the Biff” t-shirt. All profits from Reggies tickets will be donated to a local charity.
Amongst all the beer, food, and festivities, there will also be two full days of top-flight rugby league, with six NSW Cup match-ups over the two days, headlined by Norths v Sydney on the Saturday evening.
Saturday – May 16
Game 1 – Penrith Panthers v Western Suburbs Magpies
Game 2 – Newcastle Knights v Newtown Jets
Main Game – North Sydney Bears v Sydney Roosters
Sunday – May 17
Game 1 – South Sydney Rabbitohs v Manly Sea Eagles
Game 2 – New Zealand Warriors v Melbourne Storm
Game 3 – St George Illawarra Dragons v Parramatta Eels