You can hear the guitars from three blocks away, and it’s not coming from a venue. It’s pouring out across Broadbeach from a dozen outdoor stages as 70+ artists dig into blues, Americana, and roots across 16+ stages set up along the beachfront and the main streets. Blues on Broadbeach runs 14-17 May 2026, and it’s the 25th anniversary of what started as one local musician’s crack at putting live music where people actually gather. The thing about a four-day festival with zero door charge for outdoor stages is that anything can happen — and it usually does.
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image credit: https://bluesonbroadbeach.com
Event Details
Dates: 14-17 May 2026 (25th anniversary)
Location: Broadbeach — multiple outdoor stages and indoor venues across Surf Parade, Old Burleigh Road, Victoria Avenue and Oracle Boulevard
Entry: Free to all outdoor stages; some indoor shows ticketed
Official website: bluesonbroadbeach.com
Dates and details are subject to change — always confirm at the official website before you visit.
Getting There
The Broadbeach South G:link station puts you right in the heart of the festival precinct. If driving, Pacific Fair shopping centre offers secure parking, and street parking is available throughout Broadbeach. The festival sprawls across the beachfront, Surf Parade and surrounding streets, all within easy walking distance of each other.
What’s Nearby
You’re in the heart of Broadbeach’s entertainment hub. Kurrawa Beach is perfect for a swim between sets, and Surf Parade and Oracle Boulevard are lined with restaurants, cafes and bars. The Star Gold Coast offers indoor entertainment if you need a break from the stages, and Pacific Fair is on your doorstep for shopping or dining.
Event Background
Charlie Stafford is a local guitarist who in 2013 decided the Gold Coast needed a blues festival. He didn’t start big. One day, one stage, minimal budget. But the idea landed. Within four years, the single-day event had grown enough to justify splitting across two days, and the beaches and streets of Broadbeach went from ordinary weekend traffic to vibrant, saturated outdoor venues.
By 2023, attendance had crystallised at around 27,500 per day, and the festival had attracted headliners of genuine stature — Tommy Emmanuel that year, and the kind of international acts who book their schedules a year out. The festival’s underground reputation inside the blues and Americana world has turned it into a destination gig, not just a regional event.
What’s stayed consistent across 25 years is the core idea: live music, outdoors, no barriers between artist and audience. It’s the kind of festival where you can wander from one stage to another and catch four different acts in an afternoon without overthinking it.
2026 Lineup: The festival’s 25th anniversary features The Teskey Brothers making their Gold Coast debut, alongside Charlie Musselwhite, Ruthie Foster, Robert Finley, The Lachy Doley Trio, Kevin Borich Express, Ash Grunwald, Judith Hill, Daddy Long Legs, WILSN and Blue Shaddy. More artists to be announced — check the official website for the full lineup.
Nearby Accommodation
Broadbeach is packed with accommodation right in the action, from beachfront resorts to serviced apartments. For the 25th anniversary celebration, you’ll want to stay close to the stages. Browse Broadbeach accommodation options to find somewhere you can rest between sets and walk straight back to the festival.