5 things you need to do at this year’s Gympie Music Muster

Event

By Danielle Reckless

When: 28 - 31 August 2025

Every August, the normally quiet Amamoor Creek State Forest Park, southwest of Gympie, comes alive with the sound of great music and good times for four glorious days. Like clockwork, thousands of revellers make the pilgrimage to pitch their tents, pull on their boots and celebrate the best of blues, roots and country at the Gympie Music Muster.

Spread across 50 hectares of bushland, you’ll find seven venues to watch the country’s finest musicians and plenty of one-of-a-kind bars to meet new mates. As they say, “There are no strangers at the Muster, only friends you haven’t met yet”.

The not-for-profit community event is gearing up for another cracking year, with an artist line-up to please all music lovers. The entertainment will again include the who’s who of Aussie country, blues and rock talent and some international acts - with evening headliners including Adam Harvey, Choirboys, Daryl Braithwaite, Fanny Lumsden and Kasey Chambers.

There's a reason why the Gympie Music Muster is known as one of Australia's best camping and music experiences. So, pack your swag & flanno, hook up the caravan and get ready for a unique festival that you’ll fall in love with!

Here are five things you must do at this year’s Gympie Music Muster.

1. Get amongst it

Band performs in front of huge crowd at Gympie Music Muster — Gympie Music Muster, Sunshine Coast

The iconic Gympie Muster is all about immersing yourself in the natural bushland surrounding the festival site, celebrating music, embracing community, and leaving the festival with a few new mates to catch up with elsewhere down the road.

Offering a safe and enjoyable environment for the young, the young at heart and everyone in between, the Gympie Muster will have you counting down to August every year.

2. Get your dancing boots on

Festival goers taking part in a line dancing lesson at Gympie Music Muster — Gympie Music Muster, Sunshine Coast

With hundreds of performances in seven venues, covering genres like country, bluegrass, folk, blues and rockabilly, there truly is something for everyone – and plenty of opportunity to bust a move. As Australia’s iconic and original community outdoor country music and camping festival, the Gympie Music Muster is an original part of Queensland’s ever-growing roster of festivals which are earning the state the title of Australia’s new home of country music.

3. Check out the famous Muster campsites

View of the Gympie Music Muster Festival Site among the mountains and landscape of Amamoor State Forest — Gympie Music Muster Festival Site, Sunshine Coast

The Gympie Music Muster is known as one of the most unique camping and music festivals in the country. There’s even a Muster Campsite Competition with huge prizes to win for the best decorated area. Mates get together in the lead up to the festival and plan their campsite’s theme which have to be seen to be believed. A wander around the campgrounds should be a must do on your list.

4. Immerse yourself in more than great music

Rodeo performer rides a bucking bull at Gympie Music Muster — Gympie Music Muster, Sunshine Coast

There’s a Muster-load of other entertainment on hand too. Start the day off at the Bush Poets breakfast in the Muster Club & check out the afternoon action in the Muster Arena with heart-stopping bull riding and amazing horse riding entertainers.

Join in the line dancing, clogging, rock n roll and barn dancing or try your hand playing in a ukulele workshop or singing with the Muster choir.

Gympie Mazda Kids Country is a must to keep the young ones amused during the day with lots of fun activities, workshops and entertainment. There truly is something for everyone at the Gympie Music Muster.

5. Catch Legends at Sunset & get funky on Friday

The Muster has seen many legends grace the stage since the first festival back in 1982. Don’t miss a very special performance each day on the Hill Stage at sunset, this year James Blundell, Tex Perkins and Graeme Connors will set the tunes to bring us into the evening.

Other things to do while you’re in Gympie

Mary Valley Rattler, a heritage steam train, pulls into the station surrounded by steam clouds — Mary Valley Rattler, Sunshine Coast

Tucked within the hinterland between Noosa and Rainbow Beach, Gympie could quite possibly be the most under-rated part of the Sunshine Coast region. So, be camera-ready and explore the following spots:

The townships of the Mary Valley: Amamoor, Kandanga & Imbil are on your doorstep and ready to explore while you are in the area for the Muster.
Adventure to tranquil Mothar Mountain Rockpools.
Ride the Mary Valley Rattler – named for its wonderful rattling carriages and scenic journey to the Mary Valley. The lovingly restored steam locomotive looks like something straight out of a Harry Potter film and is a firm family favourite.
Stop by Gympie Memorial Park and have a cup of tea under the roof of the iconic gazebo that sits amongst the lush lawns and shady Jacaranda trees. Or for something more energic walk the River to Rail trail which has options to suit most fitness levels.
Visit the coloured sands at Rainbow Beach and feed the dolphins in the charming fishing town of Tin Can Bay. These coastal playgrounds are also the southern gateway to K’gari, the world’s largest sand island.
West of Gympie you can experience miles and miles of deep blue sky, expansive wide-open spaces, rolling hills and vast amounts of country just about as far as the eye can see in any direction. The quiet villages of Kilkivan and Goomeri both boast their own unique charm and experiences and both with a deep love of all things horses and horsemanship.

Ready to pull out the cowboy boots? Head here for more Gympie Music Muster information.