Zoo Atlanta’s Brew at the Zoo Returns with Long Neck Lager, Local Breweries and Memorial Day Weekend Festivities
(IN SHORT) Zoo Atlanta’s Brew at the Zoo will return on Saturday, May 23, 2026, offering an adults-only Memorial Day Weekend festival experience with beer and cider samples, live music, evening wildlife viewing, Keeper Talks, yard games and complimentary carousel rides. The event will feature samples from more than 30 Georgia breweries and cideries, with nearly 100 individual tasting options available across the Zoo. A major highlight for 2026 is the debut of Long Neck Lager, a giraffe-inspired apricot lager created by SweetWater Brewing Company, which will later be available during the summer at Zoo Atlanta’s SweetWater Beer Garden and the SweetWater Atlanta Taproom. New attractions this year include free Robot Booth photo strip sessions, a digital Brew Challenge scavenger hunt and a giraffe feeding experience available for an additional fee, subject to weather and animal care needs. The music programme will include The Geeks, DJ Dmark, The Cherry Bomb, Ben Wade Band and DJ Kate for VIP guests. General admission and VIP ticket options are available, with VIP benefits including early entry, a lounge experience, exclusive tastings, charcuterie, private facilities and event merchandise. Zoo Atlanta said advance purchases are strongly encouraged because the event has sold out in the past, and proceeds from signature events help support the Zoo’s operations and global conservation work.
(PRESS RELEASE) ATLANTA, GA, United States, 2026-May-20 — /Travel PR News/ — Zoo Atlanta is preparing to welcome guests back for Brew at the Zoo, its long-running Memorial Day Weekend festival tradition, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, with tickets still available but expected to sell quickly.
The 21-and-up event will feature beer, cider, music, wildlife experiences and special activities throughout the Zoo. Guests will be able to sample selections from more than 30 Georgia breweries and cideries, with nearly 100 individual samples offered during the evening. The event will also include live entertainment across multiple venues, evening wildlife viewing until dusk, special Keeper Talks, classic yard games and complimentary rides on the Endangered Species Carousel.
A highlight of this year’s event will be the debut of Long Neck Lager, a limited-time apricot lager created by SweetWater Brewing Company in tribute to Zoo Atlanta’s giraffes. The exclusive 2026 brew will be introduced at Brew at the Zoo before becoming available through the summer at Zoo Atlanta’s SweetWater Beer Garden and the SweetWater Atlanta Taproom.
The 2026 music lineup includes The Geeks, returning to the Grand Pavilion main stage for their third Brew at the Zoo appearance. DJ Dmark will perform in Flamingo Plaza, while The Cherry Bomb will bring covers of Joan Jett and other 1980s favorites to Zambezi Elephant Plaza. The Ben Wade Band will provide acoustic music at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Entry Plaza, and VIP guests will have access to music from DJ Kate in the Michael & Thalia Carlos Ballroom in Savanna Hall.
New additions for 2026 include two Robot Booth photo booths offering free, unlimited custom photo strip sessions inside the Zoo, as well as the Brew Challenge, a digital scavenger hunt giving participants the chance to enter for prizes.
Guests will also have the opportunity to take part in a giraffe feeding experience, which is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for general admission guests and from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for VIP ticketholders. The experience costs $4 for Zoo Atlanta Members and $5 for non-Members and will depend on weather conditions and animal care needs.
Event-exclusive merchandise will also be available, including the 2026 Brew at the Zoo T-shirt and animal-painted pint glasses sold only during the event.
General admission tickets are priced at $60 for Zoo Atlanta Members and $70 for non-Members. VIP tickets are available for $130 and include early entry beginning at 4:30 p.m., exclusive access to the VIP Lounge in the Michael & Thalia Carlos Ballroom, music from DJ Kate, a curated charcuterie box from Graze Craze, private restrooms, air conditioning, exclusive beer and wine tastings, and a swag bag with a Brew at the Zoo bag, event T-shirt, bottled water, snacks and a limited-edition pint glass.
New for VIP guests this year is the Pavilion VIP Outpost, a dedicated VIP beer station located in the Grand Pavilion.
Zoo Atlanta noted that Brew at the Zoo has sold out in previous years and encouraged guests to purchase tickets in advance, as day-of availability is not guaranteed. The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., with last entry at 7:30 p.m., at Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Avenue S.E., Atlanta, Georgia.
Signature events such as Brew at the Zoo support Zoo Atlanta operations and help fund conservation programmes and partnerships around the world.
Signature events such as Brew at the Zoo benefit Zoo Atlanta operations that support conservation programs and partnerships around the world. Learn more at zooatlanta.org/conservation.
Brew at the Zoo is open to ages 21 and up only; guests under 21 will not be admitted.
WHEN:
Saturday, May 23, 2026, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; last entry at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Zoo Atlanta
800 Cherokee Avenue, S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30315
CONTACT:
Rachel Davis, Director of Communications
404.624.2812
rdavis@zooatlanta.org
Gavin Johnson, Public Relations Manager
404.624.5980
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org
About Zoo Atlanta
A proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care and welfare, Zoo Atlanta has a mission to save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education, and engaging experiences. The Zoo is home to hundreds of animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered. Highlights include a transformed African Savanna featuring expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostrich, warthogs, meerkats, and rhinos; one of North America’s largest populations of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Recent transformations include a newly updated African lion complex, opened in April 2025, and the state-of-the-art Rollins Animal Health Center, completed in 2024. In April 2026, Zoo Atlanta announced that through a new International Cooperative Research Agreement on Giant Panda Conservation, initiated between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, two new giant pandas will be traveling to Atlanta. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.
SOURCE: Zoo Atlanta
