General News
8 October, 2025
Savannah set to roar
AMERICAN sensations, the Zac Brown Band and Jackson Dean, are expected to draw a massive crowd of 12,000 fans to this weekend’s Savannah in the Round.
The festival continues to grow each year, establishing its reputation as a major attraction, not only for music festival fans, but for big-name artists.
In addition to the US headliners, Aussie legends such as James Reyne, Kasey Chambers, Darryl Braithwaite, The Black Sorrows, James Johnston, and Casey Barnes, will deliver an unforgettable weekend of music and memories at Mareeba’s Kerribee Park.
Festival director James Dein said ticket sales were up 30% year-on-year, and he is expecting around 12,000 festivalgoers to enjoy this year’s event.
“We’re all buzzing with excitement. It’s going to be a good one this year – we say that every year but this one’s next level,” he said.
“We’ve got a wonderful lineup of artists and the Americans are really looking forward to playing, so are all the Aussie stars.
“When we look at our patrons, over half of them have never been to the festival before – we’ve got so many newbies this year. We’ll go very close to selling out and maxing out the arena this year.
“The festival is really growing, our Big Top Music Hall is much bigger. We’ve got a lot more shade structures in place for people to rest and have a little break.
“There’s a lot more seating too. We’ve been really mindful about trying to improve the patron experience.”
Mr Dein said preparations for the festival had been smooth sailing and just about every campsite had been booked out.
“All the new campgrounds we’ve opened up are almost sold out, there’s only a handful of sites left. So that’ll take us to absolute maxed-out capacity out on the grounds,” he said.
“We’ve been able to formalise our arrangement with the Mareeba International Club who have been wonderful.
“We’ll have a whole bunch of large, medium, and small sites out the back of the club. So we can accommodate a lot of people out there, which is a great relief for us to have that overflow camping.
“We’ve got an amazing array of food and some interesting market stalls and local manufacturers. We try to look after the locals first – we have a ‘locals first’ policy right across the event.
“We’re really excited also, to announce that we’ve been able to support over 50 community and charity groups throughout north Queensland this year.
“We have more community groups in paid positions on site. It really is a wide-reaching event now and we feel very much a part of the community.”
Last year, the festival generated just shy of $11 million in overnight visitor expenditure in the region and had a direct economic impact of about $6 million for Mareeba alone.
“We’re very proud of it. It’s a great thing for Mareeba, it’s a great thing for tourism, and it’s a great thing for local business and commerce,” Mr Dein said.
“We’re just extremely proud and we have a lot of gratitude for the suppliers and the business people, and the farmers and the growers, and all the people that we have something to do with, who are in our corner and supporting us.”
Mareeba Mayor Angela Toppin said she was always thrilled when it was time for Savannah in the Round to come to town.
“One of Queensland’s biggest country music festivals is back in Mareeba for the sixth year in 2025,” she said.
“Savannah in the Round has become one of Mareeba’s most iconic events, bringing in thousands of visitors to our region and generating millions of dollars for our local economy.
“The entertainment industry has been hit hard in recent years, so we are proud to welcome Savannah in the Round to Mareeba which provides opportunities for emerging artists as well as the industry in general.”
Mr Dein encouraged festivalgoers to enjoy the artists on all the stages and really soak up everything the festival has to offer.
“Go around and enjoy all the different stages, curate your own experience, support the food traders and the market traders, and make some new friends and have lots of fun.
“There’s people from all over Australia at this festival,” he said.
All the info on app
Festivalgoers can plan their days and check when and where their favourite artists are playing through the official Savannah in the Round app.
The free app puts the entire festival program in the palm of your hand, with daily schedules, artist information, maps, ticketing, push notifications and a custom planner to make sure no moment is missed.
The app also includes venue maps, festival FAQs, and direct links to transport and camping information to make it easier for visitors to plan their weekend. Search ‘Savannah in the Round’ on the App Store or Google Play to download the free app.
The festival also has a shuttle bus service that transports patrons from Mareeba, Malanda, Cairns, and Port Douglas to and from the festival. For more information on this, visit www.savannahintheround.com.au/accommodation-bus/
