Queensland Forró Festival (QFF) is bringing forró to Byron Bay for the first time with QFF Byron Bay Edition, a four-day celebration of Brazilian dance, music and culture running Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 May 2027 across Byron Bay and the Gold Coast.

The event follows the resounding success of QFF's most recent edition in Brisbane, and continues the festival's role as a pioneer for forró in Australia — the first festival in the country to bring dance instructors and a live band direct from Brazil. It's a way of bringing a piece of Brazil to Australian shores, giving the country's forrozeiro community access to the very best of Brazilian forró, without needing to travel there to dance it.

While QFF's flagship event remains in Brisbane, this new edition is designed as an intimate experience — pairing forró's essence with Byron Bay's own culture of connection to nature and community.

The program opens Thursday with Forró & Cacao: a cacao ceremony led by a facilitator, followed by a dance session with Mardio e Milena. The main festival begins Friday with a Welcome Baile, followed by workshops and nightly parties featuring Brazilian forró pé-de-serra band Coisa de Zé, direct from São Paulo. The weekend's line-up of instructors includes Léo Diniz, Mardio/ Milena and Layssa Valentina and more. The festival closes Sunday with a lighter day of workshops, before an after-party at Marketta on the Gold Coast at the end of the day.

Forró — both a music genre and a dance style originating in Brazil's northeast — has been spreading around the world, with festivals already established across Europe. Dancers often describe becoming captivated by forró, the music and the community it builds: a deep sense of belonging in which everyone feels cared for.

Organisers describe the event as an invitation to slow down, connect and belong — reflected in the festival's tagline: "Dance. Connect. Belong."

EVENT DETAILS‍‍

Thursday 6 May — Ewingsdale Hall

‍Forró & Cacao: cacao ceremony with a facilitator, followed by a dance session led by Mardio and Milena.Thursday admission is sold separately.

‍Friday 7 May — Byron Theatre

‍We recommend arriving in the morning to settle into your accommodation. The festival program starts in the afternoon, and in the evening we open with the Welcome Baile.

‍Saturday 8 May — Byron Theatre

‍Festival workshops and activities + Saturday Night Party with live music.

‍Sunday 9 May — Byron Theatre + Gold Coast

‍Festival workshops and activities at Byron Theatre, followed by the festival after-party at Marketta on the Gold Coast.

TICKETS‍

‍Festival Pass — Friday 7 to Sunday 9 May

‍Includes all QFF events at Byron Theatre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, including workshops and the Friday and Saturday night parties, plus the Sunday after-party at Marketta on the Gold Coast.

‍Friday Night Party — Friday 7 May

‍Entry to the Friday night party at Byron Theatre (no workshops).‍

Saturday Night Party — Saturday 8 May

‍Entry to the Saturday night party at Byron Theatre (no workshops).

‍Thursday Event — Thursday 6 May

‍Tickets for Forró & Cacao at Ewingsdale Hall are sold separately through the Thursday event listing.

Limited First Release tickets are available now. Prices increase with each release.

‍Important Information

‍This is an 18+ event.Strobe/lighting warning: This event features strobe and/or lighting effects which may potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy.

For more info visit www.queenslandforrofestival.com.au