Ten years of pours, and Broadbeach marked the milestone at Kurrawa Park on Saturday 12 September 2026. The Gold Coast edition of Crafted Beer & Cider Festival has ended. Its 2026 gates ran 11 am to 8.30 pm, for adults eighteen and over. From Contessa, the festival offered an afternoon in Broadbeach and a quieter Main Beach address to return to.
What the 2026 tickets offered
The 2026 Crafted Legends Club ticket included prime seating, a brewery meet-and-greet, a wooden tasting paddle and a stubby cooler. Carafe Wine poured eight varieties on tap plus frosé and champagne, with the Rosé Blending Masterclass and Sparkling vs Champagne Showdown offered as ticketed add-ons. Both were led by owner and winemaker Archie Cox. Those were details of the finished edition, not a programme for a future festival.
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, a short walk from Kurrawa Park. In 2026, the festival was cashless, with no pass-outs, so visitors needed a card and photo ID for one continuous visit. Non-alcoholic pours sat alongside the tap list, and the flat, grassed grounds had accessible parking and honoured Companion Cards. Those entry arrangements applied to the 2026 event.
What’s on the tap list
Local names – Black Hops, Burleigh Brewing, Carbon 6, Fell and the Belgian-inspired Madocke – sat alongside touring breweries and a cider selection in 2026. ALLORA and Laurel Hill played through the afternoon, and the Crafted Smokeshow kept slow-roasted meats and open-fire cooking going beside the tasting paddles.
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. Returning from a Broadbeach afternoon means a walk past the water. There is a choice waiting: the large outdoor pool in the gardens, or the large indoor heated pool when the light is going. Either way, dinner on Tedder is a short walk once the pool has done its work.
After the tenth anniversary
The 12 September 2026 festival is over. Check the organiser’s site for any future Gold Coast announcement; no next edition is confirmed in this article. Contessa’s check-in remains 2 to 5 pm, check-out 8 to 10 am, with full payment taken 48 hours before arrival rather than at booking.
Explore the apartments and residence facilities, including the gardens and the two-acre grounds between the river and the road.