Groundwater Country Music Festival

Groundwater Country Music Festival (formerly the Broadbeach Country Music Festival) has cemented its reputation of bringing together high-calibre international and Australian artists to Broadbeach on the Gold Coast for three days and nights of free entertainment.

Groundwater reflects Australia’s unique culture, drawing from the Aboriginal people’s close spiritual connection with the groundwater and the farming community’s reliance on it for survival. It also reflects the innate culture of the Australian people, who use the rivers, lakes, streams, and oceans as a central part of life.

After a massive 10-year celebration in 2023 that featured close to 60 homegrown and international artists, 1300 songs and 135 live shows, it was three incredible days of jam-packed country music that will forever be in the history books!

Set only steps away from the iconic golden beaches of Broadbeach, there’s no other country music festival quite like it.

Groundwater Country Music Festival (CMF) will return to the Gold Coast from 18-20 October. The team is busy with the final preparations, but now it’s your turn to start planning your perfect country music festival experience.

The Groundwater CMF 2024 program and app have just been released. They include artist performance times, stages, venues, and other exciting festival inclusions in one place.

The 2024 artist lineup included country favourites like Kasey Chambers, Adam Brand, Tim Hicks, Shannon Noll, Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham, Jim Lauderdale, Gord Bamford, plus many more.

With more than 50 artists on this year’s lineup, it will be three incredible days of country music you won’t want to miss. Check out some of the daily highlights in store for you below!

Friday 18 October

Day one is here! To ensure we get the most out of each day, we’ve got music starting at 10am, with Open Season Band opening up The Kurrawa Big Top.

The friendly team will also be there bright and early from 9am at Info & Festival Merch, so grab your festival merchandise early before it sells out! There are also plenty of cafes around Broadbeach that will help keep you caffeinated and ready to take on the day.

As we enter the night, they will have an incredible lineup with Jayne Denham, Adam Brand, Shannon Noll, and more to wrap up on Friday before a massive weekend!

Saturday 19 October

It’s Saturday! The country celebrations are in full force from early morning until late into the night – because we know how our country fans like to party.

Starting bright and early from 9am, head straight to the Beach Deck for Beachside Line Dancing with Chris Watson. With the gorgeous Gold Coast beach as your backdrop – how does it get better? Learn some steps early, then show off your skills later with multiple line dancing sessions in the store.

As for the music, there definitely won’t be a shortage of tunes with live entertainment across all the outdoor stages and Festival Venues. From Jess Moskaluke to Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham, Josh Setterfield, plus the unmissable Tim Hicks and The Linda Ronstadt Show featuring Ella Hooper, we’re already buzzing with excitement!

Sunday 20 October

How is it the last day already? Well, at least we’ll end it with a bang! The Queen of Country, Kasey Chambers, will headline the night, along with Grammy-nominated artist Gord Bamford, country favourite Max Jackson and many more performing throughout the day.

We’re also stoked to return to the KIX Live at Groundwater Songwriters session at The Kurrawa Big Top on Sunday morning. And don’t miss your last chance to walk around the Country Markets and Country Fair for a few rounds of cornhole and shop for some goodies.

Like the Gold Coast, country music is about life, passion and realism. The Groundwater Country Music Festival invites you to come and rock out in the stunning Broadbeach precinct and feel the spirit of what this amazing festival represents: The perfect mix of board shorts and banjos, surfboards and steel guitars, as country music’s finest assemble for three days and nights of classic entertainment.

Getting There For Locals

Groundwater CMF is located throughout the streets, parks, and venues in Broadbeach, on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. If you want to stay within walking distance of the festival, it is recommended that you stay anywhere from Queensland Avenue to Elizabeth Avenue in Broadbeach.

Active Travel
The City of Gold Coast encourages all residents and visitors to leave their cars at home and make active travel part of their daily routine. The program promotes and encourages active and healthy forms of transport, including walking, cycling, carpooling, and public transport. Walking, catching public transport, and carpooling are great ways to travel actively in our city.

Light Rail
The G:link Light Rail is now operating throughout the Gold Coast, connecting Broadbeach to Helensvale with 19 station stops.

There are two stations in Broadbeach: Broadbeach South, located out in front of the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, and Broadbeach North, located in front of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on the Gold Coast Highway. Broadbeach North is within walking distance of the centre of Broadbeach, including the Broadbeach Mall, Surf Parade, the Oasis Shopping Centre, and Kurrawa Beach.

Local Bus
There are multiple bus routes that can be used to travel to Broadbeach from all directions.

Taxi & Ride Share
13cabs: 13 2227
UBER

Car
Plan the easiest route to Broadbeach from your current location using Google Maps.

Please be aware that certain road closures will be in place around Broadbeach to ensure patron safety during the festival. You can see all affected roads here.

Getting There From Interstate

Gold Coast Airport
The Gold Coast Airport is located just 18 kilometres south of Broadbeach. A range of international and domestic carriers, including Jetstar, Virgin Australia, REX Airlines, Air New Zealand, Air Asia, and Qantas, fly directly into the airport.

Car Hire
A range of reputable car hire companies conveniently operate from the Gold Coast Airport. Pre-book to save time, or shop around once on the ground to secure the best deal.

Look for any road closure information released closer to the festival.

Interstate Coach Services
Greyhound and Murray’s coaches operate from the travel to an extensive network of destinations throughout Australia.

Car Parking Options

Day Parking
There are plenty of free and paid parking options in Broadbeach for those who plan to drive to the festival.

• Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (entrance via the Gold Coast Highway)
• Oasis Shopping Centre Car Park (entrance via Charles Ave)
• Oracle Boulevard Car Park (Entry via Elizabeth Avenue)
• Phoenician Car Park (entrance via Main Place Laneway)

Alternatively, street parking is available in and around the Broadbeach area, including Charles Avenue, Elizabeth Avenue, and Old Burleigh Road.

Please be aware that certain road closures will also be in place. All affected roads can be seen below.

Accessible Parking
Multiple accessible parking options are available on the streets surrounding Broadbeach, including Old Burleigh Road, Queensland Avenue, Charles Avenue, and Gold Coast Service Road.

So come down to the beautiful Broadbeach area and enjoy this massive free musical event!