Most of the events on this stretch of coast are built for families. This one isn’t. The Crafted Beer & Cider Festival turns ten in 2026, and its tenth birthday lands at Kurrawa Park, on Old Burleigh Road, just north of Kurrawa Surf Club, on Saturday 12 September, gates 11 am to 8.30 pm, eighteen-plus only, photo ID at the door. For a guest at The Crest who wants a full day away from the kids’ menu, it’s one of the few dates on the Gold Coast calendar built entirely for adults.
A decade of local and interstate brewers
Ten years in, the lineup leans heavily local: Black Hops Brewing, Burleigh Brewing, Carbon 6 Brewing and Balter anchor the tap list, poured alongside touring names like Brouhaa and a solid cider selection. The Crafted Smokeshow runs live low-and-slow BBQ through the day, slow-roasted meats and open-fire brisket among it, with an eating competition for anyone keen to test themselves. Food vendors fill in the rest, Wagyu Blacks for something more than a snack and G-Free Donuts covering the gluten-free end, and a Ping Pong Competition runs on the side for anyone after a break from standing at the bar. The full 2026 lineup and set times go up closer to the date on the festival’s own site.
Tram south, no parking to think about
It’s a cashless festival on a one-day site, so the only things worth carrying are ID and a card. The Main Beach G:link station is 300 metres from The Crest’s door, and the line runs south through Surfers Paradise to Broadbeach North, a short run down the coast, the nearest stop to the park and a short walk in from there. Coming home after dark on the same tram beats hunting for a car in a precinct with none to spare; complimentary undercover parking is included at the apartment either way, so nothing is lost by leaving the car in the basement for the day. There are no pass-outs, so once you’re through the gate it’s a one-way trip for the day, worth pacing accordingly.
What a ticket gets you
Tickets are released in tiers: 1st Release general entry from $55, and a Crafted Legends Club upgrade at $105 that adds prime seating, a brewery meet-and-greet, a lanyard, a wooden tasting paddle and a stubby cooler. Gate entry on the day runs $70, so locking in early is the better deal either way. General entry doesn’t have to mean full pours all afternoon: a $10 tasting paddle buys a sampling set, with individual pours from $3, a cheap way to work through the tap list without committing to a pint each time. The park is one level on grass, with two accessible parking bays and Companion Cards accepted at the gate, and non-alcoholic options sit alongside the tap list for anyone pacing themselves through the day.
Quiet by the time you’re home
Broadbeach North to Main Beach is the same line in reverse, and Tedder Avenue is still going if a late dinner is the plan. Back at The Crest, quiet hours run from 10 pm, and the property carries two heated pools, indoor and outdoor, the outdoor one at 28°C, open year-round. A soak in the spa or a stint in the sauna the next morning does more for a festival day’s legs than another coffee, and both sit a lift ride from the apartment door.
Book for the weekend
Saturday 12 September 2026. Check-in runs 2 to 5 pm and check-out 9 to 10 am; a Friday-to-Sunday stay gives a settled arrival before the festival and a slow morning after it.
Check availability and lock in your apartment, or read more about the one-bedroom, the two-bedroom premium, and the two-bedroom standard.
Check craftedfestival.com.au nearer the date for the confirmed lineup and any late ticket-tier changes.
