[Blog](/experience/blog/) # Different favourites, one festival trip: Groundwater from Marriner Views > Friends can share a Groundwater holiday without agreeing on every performance. Marriner gives the music group a Fern Street address and enough space to make a longer visit of it. - Tag: Local guide --- Agreeing to go away together is often easier than agreeing on every artist. At a free festival spread across Broadbeach, that does not have to be a problem. Follow the performances you each want, choose somewhere to meet for a meal and compare discoveries afterwards. Groundwater suits that sort of trip. Its **2026 festival is finished**, having run on **16–18 October**. Country music gave friends a cheerful reason to gather on the Coast. For the return in **October 2027**, the [organiser says dates will be released early in the new year](https://groundwatercmf.com/faqs/). The lineup is still in development. ## Meet for breakfast, then see where the music takes you A group does not need to move as one all day. Some people may want an early start, others a long lunch, and someone may hear an act they would like to stay for. Free admission takes away the need to justify a particular length of visit. At Marriner Views, a dining table and a full kitchen give the group an easy starting point. You can eat together, put a few plans in place and head out with a meeting time that leaves everyone some room. The apartments are **180 m²**, with only two residences on a level, so there is space for a group to settle in over several nights. A private balcony and laundry are useful for the ordinary parts of the holiday too. Fans and the cross-breeze layout provide the cooling here; Marriner does not have air-conditioning. Choose the accommodation with that in mind, especially if people in the party have different preferences. The first-floor three-bedroom faces the pool, while the ocean-view three-bedroom is on the nineteenth floor. Other positions have differing outlooks. [Look at the apartment choices together](/accommodation/) and discuss guest numbers and preferences before you book. ![Aerial view of Gold Coast beachfront with high-rise towers and ocean](/assets/photos/location/surfers-paradise-aerial.jpg) One detail to get right is the distance to the music. Broadbeach begins about **450 metres south of Marriner**, but the suburb boundary is not the festival's front door. **Kurrawa Beach is 1.9 km away**. Use the new stage locations to judge the full journey from Fern Street, including where you want to finish the day. Florida Gardens station, **750 metres from the building**, is another starting point. Check its services and the walk at the other end if the tram suits some of the group better. A shared return plan helps when people have spent the afternoon at different venues. ## Keep a few days around the festival A longer booking lets the trip hold more than the music. Northcliffe Beach is fifty metres across the road, the outdoor saltwater pool is heated to **26°C**, and the covered BBQ area gives everyone another place to eat together. There is a large spa, sauna and steam room for a day with less walking. Give those hours a place in the conversation before the itinerary fills up. You might want a beach morning with no departure time, or an afternoon when people can stay near the apartment. The space pays off when everyone has brought a slightly different idea of a holiday. ![Covered BBQ deck with picnic tables and gardens at Marriner Views](/assets/photos/facilities/marriner-views-gardens-bbq-area-1.jpg) Groundwater's next programme will provide the artists, maps and practical visitor details needed to turn the idea into a trip. Until then, settle the people and the sort of stay you want. The individual set lists can wait. If the group returns late, remember that Marriner's quiet hours begin at 9 pm; the stories about the music can continue over breakfast. ## More from the blog. ### [Walk to Pan Pacs Central, come back to 180 square metres](/experience/blog/pan-pacific-masters-games-broadbeach-walk/) Travel tips ### [Christmas in Broadbeach, three streets from the door](/experience/blog/christmas-in-broadbeach-fern-street/) Local guide ### [Magic Millions Carnival 2027: room for the racing-week group](/experience/blog/magic-millions-2027-group-stay-surfers-paradise/) Travel tips ### [A Gold Coast futsal base where the team can spread out](/experience/blog/gold-coast-futsal-apartments-2027/) Travel tips ### [Gold Coast conferences in 2027, with room for colleagues](/experience/blog/gold-coast-conferences-2027-group-apartments/) Travel tips ### [The Gold Coast Marathon recovery base between two beaches](/experience/blog/gold-coast-marathon/) Travel tips [View all posts](/experience/blog/)