It is the perfect way to see Queensland. Endless red dirt roads, culturally rich communities and music worth travelling for.

Welcome to Queensland Music Trails: The Outback Trail, which is back for a fifth year, May 8-22, in 2027.

The Outback Trail is self-drive, choose-your-own-adventure musical road trip spanning seven outback towns.

This year 7650 people visited the state’s far-flung regions over 16 days, boosting local economies. Connecting with friends and strangers, the thrill of live performance and unforgettable locations – what’s not to like?

From Charleville to Mount Isa, the 2027 route takes travellers through the heart of outback Queensland, inviting them to swap city skylines for big skies, endless highways, colourful communities and live Australian music.

The 2027 event will build on 2026 – when numbers on the trail jumped 95 per cent – bringing even more music, artists, communities and travellers together across the Queensland outback.

Queensland Music Festival CEO Daryl Raven said The Outback Trail was about much more than just putting on live music.

“The Outback 2026 was our biggest trail yet, with more than 7000 locals and travellers joining us across eight communities and 1400 kilometres of regional Queensland,” Raven said.

“The scale of that engagement shows the incredible appetite for shared cultural tourism experiences in outback Queensland.

“In 2027, we’re excited to take The Outback Trail experience even further, creating more opportunities for locals, travellers and artists to come together and experience the unique stories, places and communities along the way.

“We’re expecting hundreds of trail travellers to pack up their cars, caravans and RVs and travel the full 16-day itinerary with us from town to town, along with thousands of locals and weekend travellers to join along the way – embracing the journey, discovering new places and sharing the experience with the communities that make The Outback Trail so special.”

Fun in Mount Isa during Queensland Music Trails: The Outback Trail.

The 2027 Outback Trail program promises a variety of events, with each stop offering a unique experience, with new artists, shaped by the character of its host community.

Among the highlights, Charleville’s Saddle Up kicks things off with a high-energy hoedown celebrating the traditions and spirit of country gatherings.

In honour of  Australian country music legend Slim Dusty, in what would have been his 100th birthday year, Longreach will host Dusty Days, a live music experience under the wings of aviation history in the hangar at Qantas Founders Museum, headlined by another music legend Troy Cassar-Daley.

Troy Cassar-Daley will perform at the Dusty Days concert in Longreach.

The Outback Trail will again culminate in Mount Isa with Outback Sounds, the Queensland Music Festival’s signature event and the trail grand finale, headlined by some of Australia’s biggest acts and emerging local talent.

The 2026 Outback Trail delivered a significant boost to regional Queensland. It also supported the employment of 82 Queenslanders across the program, including 41 First Nations artists and arts workers, reinforcing the trail’s role in supporting local talent and strengthening regional communities through culture and tourism.

State Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek welcomed the return of the trail next May.

“Connecting regional communities and visitors through a shared love of music, QMF’s The Outback Trail is a standout event on Queensland’s cultural calendar,” he said.

State Environment and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said The Outback Trail would give visitors another compelling reason to explore regional Queensland.

“Every stop along the way brings more customers through local businesses, more visitors staying longer and more opportunities for regional communities to share in the benefits of tourism,” he said.

Raven encourages travellers and locals alike to experience Queensland Music Trails.

“The trail’s 2026 impact highlights QMF’s ongoing commitment to bringing live music, unique events and cultural tourism to regional Queensland, creating opportunities for communities to connect, participate and share their stories with visitors from across the state and beyond,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming locals and travellers back to the road for another unforgettable journey through the heart of regional Queensland in 2027.”

The Queensland Music Trails are presented by Queensland Music Festival and funded by Arts Queensland and Tourism and Events Queensland. QMF is supported by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and receives funding through Creative Australia and the Australian Cultural Fund. The Outback Trail is supported by Outback Queensland Tourism Association, Murweh Regional Council, Blackall-Tambo Regional Council, Barcaldine Regional Council, Longreach Regional Council, McKinlay Shire Council and Mount Isa City Council.

Tickets for Queensland Music Trails: The Outback Trail go on sale on October 13. Program and bookings: qldmusictrails.com/trails/the-outback

Republished from InReview