Ten years of pours, and Broadbeach marks the milestone properly. Crafted Beer & Cider Festival returns to Kurrawa Park on Saturday 12 September 2026, gates 11 am to 8.30 pm, eighteen and over, photo ID required. It’s an afternoon built for tasting rather than drinking to get through the day – the kind of outing that suits a couple, or two, more than a crowd.
The tier worth a look
The Crafted Legends Club ticket is the one to consider – prime seating, a brewery meet-and-greet, a wooden tasting paddle and a stubby cooler to take home. For guests who’d rather taste than tour the whole park, Carafe Wine pours eight varieties on tap plus frosé and champagne, and runs the Rosé Blending Masterclass and the Sparkling vs Champagne Showdown as ticketed add-ons early in the day, both led by owner and winemaker Archie Cox – a civilised hour inside a day that otherwise runs loud. Tickets, tiers and current pricing sit on craftedfestival.com.au.
Getting there without the car
The G:link stop nearest Contessa is about fifteen minutes on foot, and the line runs south through Surfers Paradise to Broadbeach North, on Old Burleigh Road just shy of Kurrawa Surf Club, the closest stop to the park, a short walk in from there. The festival itself is cashless, so a card and photo ID cover the day, and there are no pass-outs, so the afternoon runs as one visit rather than several. Leave the car in the free basement parking; Broadbeach’s streets narrow to a crawl around the precinct by early afternoon. Non-alcoholic pours sit alongside the tap list for whoever’s happy to taste rather than drink through the afternoon, and the grounds themselves are flat and grassed, with accessible parking and Companion Cards honoured at the gate.
What’s on the tap list
Local names – Black Hops, Burleigh Brewing, Carbon 6, Fell and the Belgian-inspired Madocke – sit alongside touring breweries and a proper cider selection. ALLORA and Laurel Hill play through the afternoon, and the Crafted Smokeshow keeps a quieter table going too, slow-roasted meats and open-fire cooking for anyone after a break from the tasting paddle.
Two waters, one quiet evening
Contessa sits on the river side of Main Beach, gardens and marina on one side, the beach a block the other way. Coming home from a tasting afternoon means a walk past the water rather than a queue for a lift. There’s a choice waiting: the large outdoor pool in the gardens, or the large indoor heated pool if the day’s run long enough that the light’s already going. Either way, dinner on Tedder is a short walk once the pool’s done its work.
Reserve the weekend
Saturday 12 September 2026. Check-in runs 2 to 5 pm, check-out 8 to 10 am. Full payment is taken 48 hours before arrival rather than at booking, and a Friday-to-Sunday stay leaves a quiet morning on either side of the one loud afternoon in the middle.
Reserve your apartment for the weekend, or read more about the residence and its facilities, including the gardens and the two-acre grounds between the river and the road.
The masterclass calendar, confirmed pours and ticket availability firm up on craftedfestival.com.au as the date nears.