Join Australia’s wildest music adventure: Queensland Music Trails 2025

• What is Queensland Music Trails?
• The Outback Trail: 20 April - 3 May 2025
• The Reef Trail: 5 - 15 June 2025

If you want to explore Queensland’s big, beautiful backyard, this is it. Queensland Music Trails brings the best home-grown music to the stage – including Aussie treasures like Ball Park Music, Paul Dempsey, Troy Cassar-Daley and more – while allowing music lovers to travel through the Outback, countryside and the tropics, too.

Where will the music lead you this year? Read on; trailblazing has never sounded so good. 

What is Queensland Music Trails?

Queensland Music Trails really is a first-of-its-kind music tourism experience, blending the best live music with the opportunity to embark on a road trip, with events popping up in unexpected locations and small towns across the state.

Each regional trail ranges from bespoke one-day programs to multi-week adventures, and there’s something to suit every taste, no matter what genre leads your Spotify Wrapped.

Here’s what's coming up:

Tickets: On sale now

If you’ve wanted to wander out west and get a taste of Outback Queensland, Queensland Music Trail’s Outback edition is your perfect excuse to turn live music into an epic road trip and see a totally new side of the Sunshine State. In between sets, you’ll have time to stargaze, check out quirky attractions, discover some of the country’s earliest history, and embrace local hospitality. Pack your swag and head west – it’s anything but ordinary. 

Across fourteen days, The Outback Trail will connect iconic outback venues including Thallon’s Nindigully Pub, Charlotte Plains Station, Eromanga Natural History Museum, Bollon Civic Centre, and Charleville’s Showgrounds for the headline event, Outback Sounds. With tunes spanning country, folk and First Nations music, settle in for intimate performances under big skies or boot-stomping headline shows, featuring artists like Troy Cassar-Daley, James Johnston, Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham (The Waifs), Bronson Diamond & Greta Stanley, plus Wade Forster, Taylor Moss and many more.

The Outback Trail kicks off with 'Outback Music Under the Stars' at Roma's Easter in the Country, and winds its musical way through to the final hurrah at Charleville. Venture out for one event or join for the whole ride; taking the road less travelled is well worth the memories.

Where to from here? Wherever the road takes you – perhaps one of these unforgettable outback adventures.  

The Reef Trail: 5 – 15 June 2025

Tickets: On sale now

Want to hit the road to paradise? The Reef Trail is your opportunity to explore the spectacular coastline and Great Barrier Reef sights from Townsville through to Airlie Beach and Mackay – all the while enjoying unique music experiences, world-class talent, rich First Nations culture and local hospitality.

Turn your island adventures up a notch and kick back with a refreshing bevvy and live music from Amber Farnan and Tom Busby by the beach at Magnetic Island LIVE (7 June). Venture to Lake Proserpine on Gia Country for an afternoon of folk music and community connection at Reef Sundowner (12 June). Then, keep travelling south for the flagship event of the Reef Trail, known as Between the Tides (13 + 14 June). This award-winning, world-first concert series set on the shores of Cape Hillsborough National Park merges music and nature, held between two tidal movements. This year, Xavier Rudd and Kee’ahn will take the stage.

With more events to be announced along the trail, this is your chance to chart a course through Queensland’s more untouched Reef destinations, iconic landmarks and hidden gems. Grab your tickets quickly and plan your trip.

New program details coming soon.

Here's what happened in 2024: Ready to soak up some country charm? Queensland Music Trail's Southern Trail blends country hospitality with the finer things in life during an enchanting weekend of opera at historic Jimbour House – a heritage-listed sandstone estate built in 1876 on the site of the former Jimbour Station. 

The event welcomes internationally renowned musicians from Opera Queensland, Ensemble Q, and an orchestra from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. Dress up for Friday’s Garden Soiree, take a seat in the Amphitheatre for an unforgettable performance, or witness pop-up events around the property including chamber music in a plane hangar and intimate recitals in the Drawing Room. Throughout the weekend, join a tour of the property or shop and taste your way through market stalls.

Where to stay: Those with self-contained motorhomes are welcome to camp on the grounds of Jimbour House. Nearby, Dalby and Toowoomba boast a range of accommodation to suit all budgets.

What to do:

• Savour local produce and browse local artisan goods at the Jimbour markets.
• Explore the hiking trails of Bunya Mountains National Park
• Venture to ‘The Garden City’, Toowoomba, to hop between heritage trails, cafes and botanic gardens.  

The Brisbane Trail: TBC September 2025

New program details coming soon.

Here's what happened in 2024: Our capital city never fails to bring its A-game with beloved live music venues across the city, but it shines brightest during September when the Brisbane Trail pulls out all the stops.

Three weeks of incredible music, art, dance and theatre, Brisbane Festival returns and this year’s program features over 1,000 performances. From free concerts across the city to new operas, debut musicals and a one-night-only collaboration between The Cat Empire and Queensland Symphony Orchestra, there’s something for every music lover. Check out the guide here.

The Tropics Trail: TBC September/October 2025

New program details coming soon.

Here's what happened in 2024: The Tropics Trail is your ticket to World Heritage beauty, endless sunshine and soulful music in Queensland’s enchanting tropical north.

A brand new festival, Dream Aloud, bursts onto the music scene on 5 October. Held in Cairns’ Munro Martin Parklands, it’s a celebration of First Nations music that will showcase acts including Baker Boy, King Stingray, Bumpy, Kee-Ahn, as well as platform hot new talent and up-and-coming local bands. Come to join the party, dance, shop from local artisans and feel the energy.  

Be sure to wander through sparkling public light art installations during another Tropics Trail event: Shine On Gimuy (3 – 7 Oct). It’s become a community favourite, which shines on First Nations culture, and there’s loads to explore along the Cairns waterfront and festival hub, Salt House thanks to markets, music and workshops.

Then, journey into the Atherton Tablelands for Savannah in The Round (11 – 13 Oct) where music lovers can camp out and listen to over 40 acts in country, roots, rock and pop across three epic days. This year’s lineup includes impressive international artists like Kip Moore and Tyler Hubbard, along with beloved Aussie musos including Lee Kernaghan, Hoodoo Gurus, The Living End, Jon Stevens, Sheppard and so many more.

There’s never been a better time to go north.

The Scenic Rim Trail: TBC November 2025

New program details coming soon.

Here's what happened in 2024: Country vistas, World Heritage-listed rainforest and a thriving food bowl meet in Brisbane's Scenic Rim. And Queensland Music Trails offers a taste of it all.  

In 2024, Queensland Music Trails encourages festival lovers to escape the noise and embrace the music with the return of The Long Sunset (1 - 3 Nov). Set in the rolling hills of Canungra’s Elysian Fields, this year's festival is headlined by beloved Aussie artists Matt Corby and Angie McMahon - which means early bird tickets have already sold out. They're joined by New Zealand’s soul-electronic collective LEISURE, indie rock outfit Eliza & the Delusionals, award-winning singer-songwriter Emma Donovan, rising indie star Lyric, future-soul superstar Ngaiire, and indie folk icons Sons of the East. Come for a day or stay the weekend to camp under the stars, join yoga classes and storytelling workshops, and immerse yourself in culture.

The chance to soak up country air and country tunes continues over at The Overflow Estate 1895. Queensland Music Trails' Taste of Country brings a relaxed Sunday Sessions overlooking the vines to close out the weekend (3 Nov). Spread out your picnic blanket to enjoy music on the lawn, featuring singer-songwriter Sara Berki, genre-bending indie pop upcomer Stelle and pop soul maven Sunny Luwe. You can even upgrade your ticket to a 'Total Taste Experience' a gourmet dining experience curated by French chef Olivier Boudon in collaboration with Mununjali Traditional Owners, with the option of paired wines.