ARIA Award-winner Casey Barnes, US alt-country artist Nikki Lane and homegrown pop-turned-country star Amy Sheppard are added to the lineup for the 2025 Groundwater Country Music Festival.
Barnes, Lane and Sheppard join a bill that includes previously announced spots for Brad Cox, Jackson Dean, Troy Cassar-Daley, and about 40 others.
The 12th annual event will be presented October 17th-19th on the Gold Coast.
The 2022 ARIA Award winner for best country album, Barnes will deliver not one but two performances at Groundwater — with a full-band set and, separately, as a solo appearance.
The fest “will always hold a special place in my heart for so many reasons,” he says in a statement.
“It was one of the first festivals to give the band and me a go when it all began, it’s right here in my own backyard on the Gold Coast and some of my all-time favourite memories on stage have happened at Groundwater.”
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
Meanwhile, Lane’s spot at Groundwater will mark her return to Australia for the first time in 11 years, while Cox will perform in support of his fourth studio album, Endemic Intelligence in Multiple Dimensions, out September 26th via Warner Music Australia.
Also confirmed in the second lineup, announced today, August 12th, are The Pleasures (Catherine Britt and Lachlan Bryan) rising Central Coast talent Ruby Shay, Texas troubadour Vincent Neil Emerson, The Voice Australia alum Duncan Toombs, and independent artist Abbie Ferris.
The country-focused fest is produced by Experience Gold Coast and supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
“Groundwater is more than just music, it’s about creating space where country can thrive, from traditional roots to bold new directions,” comments festival director Mark Duckworth.
“We’re building a home for country on the Gold Coast that celebrates Aussie talent and welcomes the world.”
More performers will be announced in due course. Visit groundwatercmf.com for more.
