Groundwater Country Music Festival 2026 - Broadbeach Guide

How Groundwater Works

Groundwater is a non-ticketed festival held in the open Broadbeach precinct - no gates, no wristbands, nothing to book. Headline acts play The Kurrawa Park Big Top, and smaller shows run in partner venues and public spaces through the suburb. Front-row spots for the big names are first in, best dressed, so arrive early for anyone you specifically want to see.

You can set up your own chair in the dedicated areas at the outdoor stages - the festival does not sell or hire chairs, and camp chairs are limited to designated areas at certain times of day. Groundwater itself is an unlicensed event, so you cannot BYO alcohol; drinks are only available, and must stay, within the licensed venues and areas around the precinct. Temporary toilets are set up across the festival site, with extra bathrooms at The Oasis Shopping Centre.

The standard Groundwater approach for a day: wander between stages during the afternoon, find a restaurant for dinner (book ahead - it’s the busiest week of the year in Broadbeach), then settle in at the Big Top for the evening headline act.

Who’s Playing in 2026

The 2026 lineup is headlined by Kasey Chambers - one of Australia’s most acclaimed country artists, back at Groundwater for a third time - alongside Kaylee Bell, the New Zealand-born country-pop star with over 100 million streams who broke through supporting Ed Sheeran’s world tour, and The Wolfe Brothers, Australia’s most awarded country rock duo with 15 Golden Guitars, whose 2025 album Australian Made took out five of them including Album of the Year.

They’re joined by 11-time Golden Guitar winner Beccy Cole, Australian country icon James Blundell (more than 34 years and 15 studio albums), and country-rock band Kingswood.

A second lineup announcement in late September added INXS co-founder Andrew Farriss, Melanie Dyer, Allan Caswell, Dan Davidson, Tori Forsyth and The Pigs, taking the festival past 60 acts. The full 2026 lineup: Allan Caswell, Andrew Farriss, Andrew Swift, Austin Mackay, Beau Shearer, Beth Lucas, Billy K Collective, Bo’Ness Brothers, Brewn, Broadwaters, Chloe Marks (solo and with The Mayhem), Dan Davidson, Dane Sharp, Dear Tommie, Denvah, Don Rogers Band, Greer Sullivan, Hayley Jensen, Henry Wagons, Jake Penrod, Jake Whittaker, Jane Alicia, Josh Stumpf, Josie, Lane Pittman, Lenny Boss, Melanie Dyer, Michael Honan, Midnight Chicken, Miss Devena and the Mister Meanours, Nathan Lamont, Paper Daisies, Pete Cullen and The Hurt, Pete Denahy and The Surreal McCoys, RB Brothers, Ruth Moody, Sterling Drake, Tané-Rua, Tate Cole, The Borough, The Bures Band, The Honky Tonk Swingers, The Mummas, The Pigs, Tori Forsyth, Tyla Rodrigues, Tyler Lock, Whistle Dixie and 2026 Toyota Starmaker winner Jarrad Wrigley - plus Beachside Line Dancing with Chris Watson, the Country Calling Showcase, iHeartCountry LIVE Songwriters, DJ Colonel’s Country Music Cottage and Taurean Thompson’s Outlaw Country Sessions.

Back for 2026 is the Bluegrass Breakfast at venue partner The Loose Moose, on both Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 10am - live tunes from Huxley and Friel on Saturday and Huxley and Friends on Sunday (as the program bills them) over a relaxed breakfast to ease into the festival day. Entry is free as part of the festival, but in-venue seating is limited and first come, first served; it was one of the most popular events of 2025, so arrive early.

The full set times for every main stage are in the program section below.

Groundwater 2026 Program and Set Times

The full 2026 program is out. These are the set times for the four main outdoor stages, taken from the official program, re-issued on 9 October (checked again on 16 October 2026 - the only change was Laura Frank taking Friday’s 3:15pm Broadbeach Mall slot). The schedule is subject to change before and during the festival, so check the Experience Gold Coast app or the official program and map on the day.

The headline slots at a glance: Friday closes with James Blundell (6pm), Beccy Cole (8:15pm, Surf Parade) and Lane Pittman (9pm, Big Top). Saturday night is Kaylee Bell (8pm, Surf Parade) against The Pigs then The Wolfe Brothers (8:45pm, Big Top). Sunday finishes with Kasey Chambers’ extended set on Surf Parade from 6:45pm to 8pm, while Kingswood play the last Big Top show of the festival from 7:45pm to 9pm - the two overlap by 15 minutes, so choose your ending.

Line Dancing, Bluegrass Breakfast and Venue Gigs

Bluegrass Breakfast: Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 10am at The Loose Moose - Huxley and Friel on Saturday, Huxley and Friends on Sunday. Free, but in-venue seating is limited and first come, first served.

Beachside line dancing with Chris Watson on the Beach Deck: Friday 4pm and 5:30pm (beginners) and 7pm (experienced); Saturday 9am and 5pm (beginners), 10am and 6:45pm (experienced); Sunday 9am and 4:15pm (beginners), 9:45am, 5:45pm and 7:15pm (experienced). Each session runs 30 to 60 minutes. DJ Colonel’s Country Music Cottage runs short sets through each afternoon.

Country Markets in Kurrawa Park run 10:30am to 9pm Friday and Saturday and 10:30am to 7:15pm Sunday. The festival info and merch hub opens 9am daily (to 9pm Friday and Saturday, 7:30pm Sunday) - official merch sells out fast, so go early.

Partner venues carry free gigs all weekend, including Den Devine (Broadbeach Mall), Pig ‘N’ Whistle (the former Lucky Squire on Oracle Boulevard), The Beach Hotel, TC’s Bar and Room81 at the Sofitel, SoHo Bar and The Oasis (roving sets 11am to 1pm daily). At The Star Gold Coast, Beau Shearer plays The Lawn on Saturday at 5:30pm and INXS co-founder Andrew Farriss plays there on Sunday from 4pm to 5pm. The late shows are at The Broadbeach at The Oasis: Taurean Thompson’s Outlaw Country Sessions on Friday (10:30pm to 12:30am), a Chris Stapleton tribute on Saturday (10:30pm to 12:30am) and the official wrap party on Sunday (8:30pm to 10:30pm).

Groundwater Tips for First-Timers

Getting There, Parking and Road Closures

The easiest way in is the G:link tram. Broadbeach North station (in front of the Convention Centre on the Gold Coast Highway) is the closest stop to the festival centre - a short walk to Broadbeach Mall, Surf Parade, The Oasis and Kurrawa Park - while Broadbeach South sits in front of Pacific Fair. All TransLink fares, tram included, are a flat 50 cents, so public transport is by far the cheapest and least stressful option. See our G:link tram guide for stops and tips.

If you do drive, the main car parks are the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (enter via the Gold Coast Highway), The Oasis Shopping Centre (via Charles Avenue), Oracle Boulevard (via Elizabeth Avenue) and the Phoenician (via Main Place Laneway), plus street parking around Charles Avenue, Elizabeth Avenue and Old Burleigh Road. Accessible parking is available on the streets surrounding Broadbeach, including Old Burleigh Road, Queensland Avenue, Charles Avenue and the Gold Coast Service Road. More detail in our Broadbeach parking guide.

Sunday night trams: from 7:30pm on Sunday 18 October to the end of service, buses replace trams between Helensvale and Gold Coast University Hospital for construction works. Trams keep running from the hospital south through Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads, so both Broadbeach stations are unaffected - but if you are heading north to the Helensvale train after the Sunday headliners, allow extra time for the replacement bus.

Festival road closures are in place from 6:30am Thursday 15 October to 1pm Monday 19 October 2026, centred on the stage streets around Surf Parade and Oracle Boulevard. Check the official road closures page before driving in. Honestly, though: the festival’s own advice is to stay local and skip the car. Book accommodation between Queensland Avenue and Elizabeth Avenue and you can walk to every stage.