Blues On Broadbeach Unveils First Artist Announcement For 2026

Blues On Broadbeach festival will celebrate its 25th year as one of Queensland’s most beloved festivals in 2026. And today, it’s unveiled the stacked first artist announcement, with a world-class program of local and international favourites.

Fresh off winning Gold in the Major Festivals and Events category at the Queensland Tourism Awards, the rhythm and blues festival is gearing up for its biggest year to date.

In 2026, The Teskey Brothers will make their long-awaited Blues On Broadbeach debut, where they’ll perform an exclusive one-off show at the Sunday Ticket event.

They’ll be joined by the likes of powerhouse vocalist Judith Hill and Australian blues favourite Ash Grunwald, while the four-day free festival program will be headlined by Grammy Award-winning harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite, also making his Blues On Broadbeach debut.

Other performers at the 2026 festival include American Grammy winner Ruthie Foster, The Lachy Doley Trio, Kevin Borich Express, Karen Lee Andrews, WILSN, and more. You can check out the first artist announcement below.

Blues On Broadbeach 2026 will take place on the Gold Coast from Thursday, 14 May, to Sunday, 17 May.

In addition to announcing the first artists’ reveal, next year’s festival will welcome the return of the Twelve Bar Society, which will offer punters the opportunity to connect with the artists on the bill on a deeper level.

Punters will hear from Charlie Musselwhite and Ruthie Foster as part of the club’s In Conversation sessions, and have access to the exclusive Secret Show on Thursday, exclusive VIP bar access, and up-close stage viewing gardens.

Sunday Ticket and Twelve Bar Society tickets are expected to sell out quickly. Sunday Ticket pre-sale tickets will be available from 10 am AEST on Tuesday, 25 November, followed by general admission tickets at 10 am AEST on Wednesday, 26 November—Twelve Bar Society tickets will also be available next Wednesday.

You can find more ticketing information and more details about the four-day free festival on the Blues On Broadbeach website.

“What a phenomenon… 25 years of celebrating fantastic blues music, millions of smiling faces over the years and now 17 prestigious awards,” commented Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

Tate continued, “This festival epitomises everything about our great city: its largely free program, it’s for families, and it brings together people from all walks of life to dance, sing and groove their way through four days of entertainment with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop and the magical vibe of Broadbeach there for everyone to enjoy. Bring on 2026.’’

Experience Gold Coast Festival Director Mark Duckworth said, “We’re bringing together an incredible lineup of more than 25 artists for our 25th anniversary first announcement, including four Grammy Award-winning performers.

“Blues on Broadbeach has evolved into one of the country’s best celebrations of rhythm and blues, and we can’t wait to welcome music lovers back to the streets and parks of Broadbeach for another four big days of unforgettable performances.”

Gold Coast musician Mason Rack, who has performed at 17 of the festival’s 25 editions, added, “I have witnessed Blues on Broadbeach grow for 25 years.

“Very few festivals I’ve played around the world come close to my hometown crowd at Blues on Broadbeach, which is always my biggest audience and holds my best memories.

“I’m incredibly proud of the organisers and all those behind the scenes who bring this festival to the masses the way they do. Bring on 2026!”

BLUES ON BROADBEACH 2026

FIRST ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT

THE TESKEY BROTHERS

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

JUDITH HILL | ASH GRUNWALD

JOINING:

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE

RUTHIE FOSTER | ROBERT FINLEY

THE LACHY DOLEY TRIO | KEVIN BORICH EXPRESS

DADDY LONG LEGS | WILSN

BLUE SHADDY | KAREN LEE ANDREWS

MASON RACK BAND | HORNS OF LEROY FT. THNDO

STEFAN HAUK | GEORGE & NORIKO | KARL S. WILLIAMS

ANGELA FABIAN | BB FACTORY | WAZEE WA KIJIJI

SWEET FELICIA & THE HONEYTONES| THE MOJO CORNER

OZ LATIN BROTHERS | AND MANY MORE