STOMPING GROUNDZ RETURNS TO DAPTO IN 2027

Country music is coming back to Dapto, with Stomping Groundz ’27 confirmed for Saturday 8 May 2027, following a successful first year that attracted strong attendance, positive feedback and a quality lineup of Australian country music artists to the Illawarra.

The 2026 Country Music Street Fair featured The Wolfe Brothers, Casey Barnes, Travis Collins, Max Jackson, Sara Berki and Liam Maihi, alongside Maddison Glover, Tamika and an impressive lineup of local artists. Multiple bars, food vendors, animal attractions and line dancing rounded out a full day of live music over two stages.

Now, the team is looking ahead to 2027, with plans to build on that momentum and create an even more connected event experience across The Groundz precinct.

Work to clear the former greyhound racing infrastructure is still underway, which created some challenges for the 2026 event. As this work continues and further improvements are made across the site, The Groundz will be able to deliver an even better experience for eventgoers in 2027.

Katrina Novak, CEO of The Groundz, said the response to the first Stomping Groundz event had highlighted the growing interest in country music in the region.

“The Groundz is a unique venue for a country music event, with our arena and grandstand, indoor and outdoor spaces and diverse hospitality offerings, from the impressive Main Bar to the rustic charm of the Tap House’s Whisky Bar, which brings a distinctive country feel to the precinct.

“We created Stomping Groundz to build upon our live music offerings, which include free live music every weekend at the Tap House, along with various ticketed music events. This felt like a natural progression now that racing has ceased and we can access the arena and grandstand in ways we haven’t been able to previously.

“The response to this year’s event was really encouraging, and we can see vast potential to build on it. Bringing a large-scale music event to the Illawarra supports our growing region and gives emerging musicians the opportunity to perform alongside established Australian artists.

“We’re already hearing from an impressive range of artists interested in being part of Stomping Groundz ’27, so selecting the lineup is going to be extremely difficult.

“Line dancing with Maddison Glover will also be back for all our boot scootin’ fans. Maddison’s growing business, the Illawarra Country Bootscooters, has also lodged a development application to relate to The Groundz, reflecting the rising popularity of line dancing in our region.”

As a charitable organisation and the freehold owner of The Groundz, the Dapto Agricultural & Horticultural Society is committed to delivering for our community and responding to the evolving needs of the rapidly growing population.

Community support through The Groundz’s hospitality offerings, weddings and functions, markets, community activities and major events is vital to the precinct’s ongoing success. This support helps the Society maintain and improve its facilities, invest in the site’s future and create opportunities to host major events such as Stomping Groundz, bringing more visitors, entertainment and experiences to the Illawarra.

Pre-release ticket registration details for Stomping Groundz ’27 will be available soon, with the artist lineup to be announced in the coming months.

STOMPING GROUNDZ ’27

Date: Saturday 8 May 2027

Location: The Groundz, Dapto

Lineup: To be announced

Pre-release ticket registration: Coming soon