From Squeaky Clean to grungy fun, get ready for a counterculture laneway festival!

Posted on 11 November, 2026

Forget Canberra’s clean-cut image, Squeak Out Laneway Festival is coming and for one special night – Saturday 21 November, Verity lane will be awash with counter-culture grunge.

In its third year, the festival is operated by nationally-acclaimed dive bar Squeaky Clean. The event will convert Sydney Building’s Laneway into a giant beer garden celebrating the city’s counter-culture communities. Local and interstate live music, visual art, skate, and tattoo will come together with great food and drinks for an all-day party.

With 2,000 people expected to attend, the event brings much needed energy and patronage to the city centre.

“This event is about celebrating Canberra’s counter cultures and giving back to the whole city,” says Squeaky Clean owner and Festival Director Jono Murphy. “We keep it free so everyone can get amongst it, this is a party for everyone.”

“It’s really important to celebrate artists and creatives in the place that you live, that’s what gives a city its soul and we believe that creative expression is one of the most fundamental parts of being a human.”

The live music lineup includes interstate Radium Dolls, RAGEFLOWER and Screamfeeder playing alongside local musicians Killcare, Zambezi Sounds, Berra Bars, Stella Eve, and Box Dye.

“We’ve mainly focused on local bands in recent years, and now that the event has grown, we have an opportunity to inject more nationally acclaimed bands into the grass roots ecosystem of Canberra’s music scene.”

A live art battle will see Sancho’s Dirty Laundry and Red Ink Magazine go head-to-head painting on canvas panels in the laneway throughout the day, with the artwork being auctioned off at the festival, and all proceeds being donated to Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation & Advocacy (CARHMA).

Freestyle Tattoo Studio will be hosting a flash day in their studio, with exclusive tattoo designs created for Squeak Out.

Canberra Skate Association will be exhibiting the best of their skate students along with the old guard of Canberra’s skate community, best known for bringing you Belco Bowl Jam.

Food trucks including Harmonie German Club will be parked up to serve hearty grub all day.

Ice cold beverages will be brought to you by the Squeaky Clean and wider Canberra hospitality community in collaboration with major sponsors Jagermeister and Capital Brewing.

“We’ve partnered with the brands who continuously show up for Canberra and back our live music, hospitality, and counter-culture scenes,” says Jono.

Matt Lambert from Jagermeister Australia loved last year’s event. “It brought out the true nature of Canberrans. Every single person was having fun and that’s the sole purpose of what we set out to do together.”

“Last year was charged with the energy and fun that we’ve missed since Covid.”

Jono reckon says this year is double clutching and cranking the boost.

“The first year of Squeak Out in 2023 was super grass roots, and since then some seriously experienced event operators have knocked on our door wanting to contribute.”

“The team this year has really taken things to the next level, turning Squeak Out into a heavyweight event that I think is gonna blow some socks off.”

Photos by Darcy Oliver – Umami Creations