HOTA is sending 2020 a live-entertainment lifeline with a cracking line-up of music, ballet, movies, art and more as part of the UPSPRING program. Welcome in the new season and farewell the winter blues with talented local performers and artists. more
Friends, we made it! Another work week done and dusted and in the immortal words of a singer who we won't mention for obvious reasons, it's the freakin' weekend baby, let's go have us some fun. Footy fans are undoubtedly in for a big one with the AFL grand final kicking off on Saturday and the NRL grand final on Sunday. Sport not your bag? No worries, there's still plenty of things to see and do across the Gold Coast to get you out of the house and into the sunshine. From fashion markets to boozy art classes and sake degustations, here's a handy guide of what's on this weekend (October 23–25). more
BLEACH* is set to make a triumphant return to the Gold Coast – hurrah! Kicking off on Thursday November 12, the annual arts and cultural event will run for 11 action-packed days, with audiences invited to experience the best of the city through one-of-a-kind contemporary art, live music, cabaret, theatre, dance and storytelling, with the magic to unfold across three key precincts – Burleigh Heads, Chevron Island and the Botanic Gardens in Benowa. While the entire festival program is well and truly worthy of the spotlight, we’ve cherry-picked our top five events for your viewing pleasure. From parties at an abandoned block of houses to acrobatic archers – go ahead and clear your calendar because you definitely won't want to miss these. more
Get set to treat your ears, eyes and mind with powerful live music, sensory art, dance, soundscapes, circus and film at HOTA this October – the city's arts precinct has just announced a massive 11-day program of free and ticketed events, aptly named WONDER, which will run from October 1–11. more
Spring has sprung and so has our wanderlust. If you're in need of a weekend getaway and some cultural goodness, take a roadtrip north for Noosa Open Studios, an annual art trail where gifted local artists open the doors to their studios so you can get a behind-the-scenes look into their work. more
If you're an up-and-coming writer, an avid bookworm or you've been in the field for years, the Independent Australian Authors Symposium is the perfect chance to mingle with some of the best and brightest in Australia's writing community. Rolling into Brisbane on Saturday November 14, the event will give you the chance to hear from expert speakers who will be discussing everything from their experiences in the writing and publishing world to what the future holds for the industry. With delectable eats, book signings, jam-packed goodie bags and lucky door prizes also on the cards, this literary event is not to be missed! more
Summer is right around the corner and we're going to safely assume that all of you are very ready for sun-kissed days, salty swims, long lunches and balmy nights with a spritz in hand – but, is your wardrobe ready? While the early part of 2020 didn't exactly warrant a clothing overhaul (apart from cute tracksuits and loungewear), it's time to embrace the sun-soaked months ahead and inject some new-season goodness into your wardrobe. You can thank the fashion gods because, as fate would have it, Pacific Fair's annual Summer Fashion Weekend is returning to help you do just that! more
The longest-running floral event of its kind in Australia and the premiere celebration of all things spring – Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers continues to bloom in its 71st year. Picture-perfect flora, plenty of family-friendly fun and local foodie adventures are all on offer over the course of the entertainment-filled festival from September 18–27. So you know what events to make the roadtrip for (there are more than 30 of them!), we have curated our top five picks of (horti)cultural adventures to get around – from dog-friendly activities and street-art walking tours to grand floral parades and Ferris-wheel rides. Read on to discover what to add to your calendar ... more
Lots of wine, the chance of snow and picturesque landscapes – the Granite Belt region is the perfect winter weekend getaway. Well, eager travellers, we've discovered another reason to venture to the breathtaking country haven, and it's one that will have you getting a little lost (in a good way). Say hello to the Granite Belt Maze. more
Astronomy-lovers will wake up to a celestial treat in the early hours of tomorrow – Friday July 17 – when the sky puts on a spectacular light show featuring the Moon and five planets all visible to the naked eye at one time. If you're okay with getting up super-duper early (trust us, it'll be worth it) then read on to find out how to spot all five bright planets in the sky at one time ... more
Keen star gazers, rejoice! We are being treated to yet another astronomical wonder in the form of a strawberry moon, or a penumbral lunar eclipse as the professionals call it, set to make an appearance in our starry skies in the early hours of Saturday morning. If you're eager to set your eyes on this breathtaking pink-hued celestial phenomenon, read on ... more
After a pandemic-induced hiatus, the team from The Village Markets has announced the return of the beloved Gold Coast-born fashion market and creative hub. This Sunday June 7, you'll be able to wander through TVM's dreamy stalls, nibble on food-truck nosh and listen to live music in the winter sunshine. Oh, how we've missed this! more
Life in quarantine has led many of us to seek out new hobbies and learn new skills – from monkeying around with banana bread (hopefully not the burnt kind) and finding new muscles during at-home yoga classes. Alongside self-isolation baking and bootleg sweat sessions, intellectual endeavours – such as learning a new language – has also proved popular among the masses. With so many foreign tongues to choose from, one that continues to challenge new learners is the language of love aka French. Whether you're planning to visit the Eiffel Tower once travel restrictions have eased, want to add a new skill to your resume or even learn as a party trick to show off to your friends – grasping the beautiful language of France has just been made easier with Alliance Française's online classes. Perfect for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners no matter what age, these online… more
Travelling is a bit of a sore spot right now – overseas trips are currently a no-go and even interstate travel is still banned – but that won't stop us from planning our next holiday. Set to inspire some serious domestic wanderlust, Tourism Australia has curated an entire weekend – aptly named Live from Aus – of exclusive access to some of the most awe-inspiring travel experiences Australia has to offer. So tune in from Saturday May 16 to Sunday May 17 to enjoy some dead-set amazing travel content – think iconic Aussie landmarks, award-winning restaurants, cuddly koalas and workouts with Chris Hemsworth's trainers. more
While most of us are still self-isolating at home wondering what day it is and what we are going to do next, one thing is certain – this quarantine period has gifted us with an abundance of celestial treats. April dazzled us with early morning meteor showers and a (albeit anticlimactic) super moon, and now May is set to step up to the plate with another sparkly astronomical event. In the wee hours of Wednesday May 6, ancient debris from Halley’s Comet will sear across the Gold Coast’s night sky, in a meteor shower set to thrill Southern Hemisphere stargazers. more
With our usual go-to spots to grab a cold one and partake in a round of pub trivia now temporarily closed, our favourite watering holes have passed the baton onto virtual trivia – your new quiz-time obsession. A good way to test you brain, catch up with mates and really, a way to pass the time, virtual trivia is fast becoming a favourite quarantine activity for the self isolated folk (which is all of us). So gather up your quick-thinking crew and have a go at one of the below virtual trivia sessions. Buzzers at the ready! more
Who doesn't enjoy a good game of trivia? Whether your knowledge is in movies, sport, music, geography or those out-of-the-box math questions that almost no one can ever answer correctly, a mid-week round of head-scratching questions is fun for the whole gang. Unfortunately, with many venues forced into closure and everyone advised to self distance, your mid-week cogitating congregation has most likely been canned. Never ones to say no to a challenge, the crew from Man vs Bear have come up with a solution in the form of Isolation Trivia – Live Streamed from Lockdown, so you can now get your quiz on from home (for free!). All you have to do is virtually gather your quick-thinking team mates, tune in and get ready to dominate. more
While we always give you a thorough rundown of things to do on the Gold Coast each weekend, sometimes it's nice to look a little further ahead so you can round up the crew and really make a day (or night) of it. Here are five must-do events happening on the Gold Coast in March. more
If there's one thing we love as Aussies, it's a long weekend, so we're welcoming these three days of freedom with open arms! We know that there's a lot of conversation still to be had about the changing the date of our national day, but there's one thing us Aussies can all agree on – we're bloody lucky to call this place home! If you're keen to soak up the goodness of Australia Day, then here are a bunch of events happening around town that will surely make you proud as punch to be Australian. more
If you thought summer finished at the end of February, think again, because things are set to get hotter at HOTA as OUT LOUD Festival rolls out from March 6–15. The massive ten-day event combines big ideas with cutting-edge technology, family sing-a-longs and huge Brazilian beats, so go ahead and clear your calendar because you won't want to miss a minute. more
