Blues on Broadbeach 2025 was a four-day deep dive into soul, sweat and rock ’n’ roll communion.
From May 15th to 18th, the Gold Coast became a full-blown blues haven, as more than 70 artists took over 17 stages across Broadbeach’s laneways, parks and bars. Now in its 24th year, the beloved free festival once again delivered the goods—and then some. It was part beach holiday, part spiritual revival, part beer-soaked love letter to live music, capped off with a soaring, shout-it-from-your-diaphragm performance from Jimmy Barnes.
Even Friday night’s rain couldn’t kill the vibe – if anything, it made things feel wilder. Ponchos came out, hair was sacrificed to the humidity gods, and nobody gave a damn. Peaches & the AlphaSonics powered through their set with unbothered bravado. Inside Broadbeach’s many late-night haunts—like Den Devine, TC’s Bar, and The Broadbeach—it was shoulder-to-shoulder with blistering sets from the likes of Frank Sultana.
Over at The Loose Moose, the now-legendary Blues for Breakfast tradition returned each morning with The James Street Preachers playing to a buzzing, bleary-eyed crowd fuelled by bacon and coffee. Oracle Boulevard and Surf Parade hosted Dine & Watch sessions where punters tucked into mezze and espresso martinis while bands lit up nearby stages—a rare kind of luxury that somehow didn’t feel exclusive, just easy.
The following night, The Cruel Sea’s headline set was magnetic, cinematic, and slightly dangerous in all the right ways. Vika & Linda closed their night with harmonies that could part the sea, while Eric Gales lit up the stage just before The Cruel Sea took over, bending physics with every note.
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Queenie’s Saturday performance felt like a star-making moment—equal parts theatre, thunder and attitude. Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers made the stage smoke during their afternoon set with gritty, swamp-blues mastery.
But Sunday was the peak—and for many, the entire reason they came.
Kurrawa Park sparkled under a perfect Queensland sky for the festival’s only ticketed event: a one-off, exclusive performance of Soul Deep by Jimmy Barnes. This wasn’t part of a tour. It wasn’t being repeated anywhere else. It was Barnesy, in full force, backed by a blazing soul band, performing the 10x platinum album that redefined his legacy. A festival-closing moment crafted for the history books.
Barnes hit the stage with a red-hot horn section behind him and a fire in his eyes, opening with Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’”—a song made for a roaring entrance. What followed was a masterclass in soulful stamina.
He launched into Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher”, channelling its ecstatic energy like a man possessed. “Money (That’s What I Want)”, first made famous by Barrett Strong, came thundering in next—sharp, punchy, urgent. Then came a sizzling take on Eddie Floyd’s “634-5789”, transforming the park into a makeshift gospel choir.
Barnes wasn’t just paying tribute—he was channelling these songs. “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” had couples holding each other close; “To Love Somebody” shimmered with Bee Gees heartbreak; “I Gotcha” was pure mischief, while Joe Tex’s “Show Me” brought unfiltered swagger. Before launching into “I Put a Spell on You”, Barnes warned the crowd, “This one’s a serious stalker song”—then growled through it like a man possessed.
He pushed even further into “Hound Dog”, channelling Big Mama Thornton’s snarl, through “Mustang Sally” and “Chain of Fools”, and finally into a titanic “River Deep – Mountain High” that nearly blew the roof off the beachfront stage. Then came “In the Midnight Hour”, and the crowd roared every word back like it was gospel.
It was Soul Deep, yes—but with every corner torn open and reborn live. A full-bodied tribute to the greats. A throwback without a hint of going-through-the-motions. It was Jimmy Barnes, still as volcanic and visceral as ever, pouring everything into songs that helped build soul music’s foundation, and into the crowd that showed up to worship them.
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Earlier in the day, The Badloves laid the groundwork with their Aussie soul-rock swagger, and Pokey LaFarge charmed with genre-defying Americana brilliance. Across the precinct, Fiona Boyes returned for a second round with another blistering set. 8 Ball Aitken’s All Star Jam erupted in joyful chaos, while Mitch King, Angela Fabian, Jackson Dunn, Lecia Louise, and Peaches & the AlphaSonics pulled massive crowds and made sure every corner of Broadbeach was humming.
From rooftop sets at Oasis Level 1 to intimate corners of Soho Bar and late-night ragers at The Roosevelt Lounge, there wasn’t a moment the precinct wasn’t pulsing with rhythm. Everywhere you turned, music spilled out—sometimes from the stage, sometimes from a crowd singing louder than the band.
Blues on Broadbeach 2025 wasn’t just a festival – it was a love letter to live music and legacy. From sweaty dive bars to beachfront stages, it celebrated artists who honour the roots and push the sound forward. But it was Barnesy, standing under the sky and howling soul into the night, who gave the crowd the release they didn’t know they needed.
Because the blues isn’t just a sound – it’s a feeling. And for four days in Broadbeach, you could feel it everywhere.
