This has now finished. The details below applied up to Monday 19 October 2026 and are kept as a record. For current information, see our Gold Coast parking guide.
At a glance
- When
- Roads closed from 6:30am Thursday 15 October to 1pm Monday 19 October; festival Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October
- Where
- Surf Parade, Albert Avenue and Queensland Avenue, Broadbeach
- What's affected
- Surf Parade fully closed with no access between Victoria Avenue and Queensland Avenue; Albert Avenue and Queensland Avenue local access only
- Alternative
- G:link tram to Broadbeach North
- Official notice
- City of Gold Coast City alerts and the organisers’ road closure map
Surf Parade in Broadbeach closes to traffic from 6:30am Thursday 15 October until 1pm Monday 19 October for the free Groundwater Country Music Festival, which runs from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October. The easiest way in is the G:link tram to Broadbeach North, but if you come by train from Brisbane that weekend, note that Gold Coast line trains are replaced by buses.
Groundwater is a free, non-ticketed festival spread across the streets, parks and venues of Broadbeach, so you can come and go as you please. The organisers list these festival hours:
| Day | Festival hours |
|---|---|
| Friday 16 October | 10am – 12.30am |
| Saturday 17 October | 8am – 12.30am |
| Sunday 18 October | 8am – 10.30pm |
Which roads are closed?
According to the City of Gold Coast, roads are closed continuously from Thursday 15 October at 6:30am until Monday 19 October at 1pm. The affected streets are:
- Surf Parade: full road closure, with no access between Victoria Avenue and Queensland Avenue.
- Albert Avenue and Queensland Avenue: local access only.
The organisers’ 2026 road closure map also marks Oracle Boulevard as a full road closure. Neither the map nor the council notice gives separate times for it, so check the map before you drive in.
Businesses on the closed streets are asked to tell their suppliers. Once the closures start, delivery vehicles need to use other drop-off points, such as the Gold Coast Highway Service Road and Main Place, according to the organisers.
Where can I park?
The festival’s getting here page lists four car parks for day visitors:
| Car park | Entrance |
|---|---|
| Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre | Via the Gold Coast Highway |
| Oasis Shopping Centre car park | Via Charles Avenue |
| Oracle Boulevard car park | Via Elizabeth Avenue |
| Phoenician car park | Via the Main Place laneway |
There is also street parking around Broadbeach, including Charles Avenue, Elizabeth Avenue and Old Burleigh Road. The organisers’ festival guide describes street parking as limited and calls Oasis and Oracle Boulevard paid car parks. Fees are not listed on the festival site.
For accessible parking, the organisers point to Old Burleigh Road, Queensland Avenue, Charles Avenue and the Gold Coast Service Road. For the Kurrawa Big Top stage, the closest accessible parking listed is the Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club car park.
Getting there by tram, bus or taxi
The organisers recommend the G:link tram, which they say runs every 10 minutes between Burleigh Heads and Helensvale. Broadbeach has two stations. Broadbeach North, in front of the Convention and Exhibition Centre on the Gold Coast Highway, is the closer one and within easy walking distance of the festival. Broadbeach South is outside Pacific Fair.
Several bus routes also run to Broadbeach. For a taxi, the organisers list 13cabs on 13 2227. Ride share drop-offs are another option, but plan around the closed streets above.
Coming from Brisbane by train? Plan for railbuses
One detail is easy to miss. On Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, there are no Gold Coast line trains between Beenleigh and Varsity Lakes. Translink is running railbuses between those stations for European Train Control System works, and trains return with the first service on Monday 19 October. Our article on the Gold Coast line weekend track closure has the full list of stations.
On Sunday night there is a second change. From 7:30pm until the last service, buses replace G:link trams between Helensvale and Gold Coast University Hospital stations. If you are heading back to Helensvale after the Sunday evening shows, that part of the trip will be on a bus. See our article on the G:link evening tram closures for the replacement stops.
What to know before you go
- No tickets: entry is free, but the best spots in front of headline acts are first in, best dressed.
- Alcohol: Groundwater is an unlicensed event, so you cannot bring your own. Alcohol can only be bought and drunk inside licensed areas and venues.
- Chairs: you can set up your own chairs in dedicated areas at the outdoor stages, but at the Kurrawa Big Top and Surf Parade stages they must be moved by 4pm each day. The festival does not sell or hire chairs.
- Toilets: temporary toilets are set up around the festival site, with more at The Oasis Shopping Centre and participating venues.
- Pets: local laws apply, but because of the crowds and loud music, the organisers recommend leaving pets at home.
- Rain: any wet weather changes will be posted on the festival website, the Experience Gold Coast app and the festival’s social media.
The festival program, set times and maps are in the Experience Gold Coast app. For questions about road closures, the council notice lists Experience Gold Coast on 1300 035 189.
More guides: Gold Coast parking guide
Sources
- City of Gold Coast — City alerts, road closures (Broadbeach, Groundwater Music Festival 2026) (checked 12 October 2026)
- Groundwater CMF — Road closure information and 2026 road closure map
- Groundwater CMF — Getting here and parking options
- Groundwater CMF — Your complete guide (festival hours)
- Groundwater CMF — FAQs
- Groundwater CMF — Accessibility
- Translink — Weekend track closure, Gold Coast line
- Translink — October evening tram closures, Helensvale to Gold Coast University Hospital
Featured image: Surf Parade at Albert Avenue, Broadbeach (photo: Philip Mallis / CC BY-SA 2.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Groundwater Country Music Festival, Experience Gold Coast, the City of Gold Coast or Translink. Check the official pages above before you travel.