From jaw-dropping sculpture installations to sexy salsa nights, we've rounded up the top things to do on the Gold Coast this weekend. Here's a snapshot of what's on from Thursday September 16 to Sunday September 19. more
The organisers of BLEACH* Festival have today made the sad announcement that the much-loved arts and culture festival has been cancelled for 2021 due to the ongoing public health crisis. more
Ready your glad rags – BLEACH* Festival is back and she's ready to party! This year, the city's pre-eminent multi-day arts and cultural event is celebrating its impressive ten-year milestone with a jam-packed program of art, live music, cabaret, theatre, dance and stories across three main hubs including Burleigh Heads, Southport and Mudgeeraba. As an extra-special treat, there will also be performances in the cultural corridors of HOTA and Dust Temple in Currumbin. This year's festival runs from August 12–22 and whilst we firmly believe the entire festival program is well and truly worthy of the spotlight (you can check that out here), we’ve cherry-picked some of our must-see events for your viewing pleasure. more
If you can believe it, in two short months it will be September. Although this year seems like it is passing by quicker than you can sing Earth, Wind & Fire’s catchy song, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as the arrival of September means the return of our favourite city-wide fiesta – Brisbane Festival! The beloved celebration will set our city alight from September 3–25 with a thrilling three-week program that is shaping up to be the brightest party yet. From an art-filled boat cruising down Brisbane River and dance performances inside a bubble to much-anticipated stage shows and enchanting gardens full of larger-than-life florals, it doesn't get more weird and wonderful than this. more
Folks, one of the most exciting events on the Gold Coast’s cultural calendar is almost upon us – BLEACH* Festival is back, baby! This year also happens to be quite a significant one for the beloved arts extravaganza, as it heralds a whole decade of BLEACH* bringing its uniquely coastal-tinted entertainment to our city’s esplanades, vacant blocks, Botanic Gardens and hinterland hideaways. From thought-provoking discussions and literal cliffhanger concerts through to Australian music heavyweights and eye-popping art, this year’s program really isn’t holding back. more
This year is a big one for much-loved live-music locale Miami Marketta, which is celebrating a massive decade of arts and culture! To commemorate the occasion the venue is hosting SURFACE Festival, an eight-day extravaganza of street-art installations. more
Unless you’re new to the coast or you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably well familiar with BLEACH* Festival. For those who aren’t, well, allow us – BLEACH* Festival is our premier arts and cultural festival that is proudly and passionately Gold Coast. In 2021, BLEACH* Festival will not only celebrate its ten-year milestone but will once again transform the city's esplanades, vacant blocks and hinterland hideaways into backdrops for awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, and exhilarating experiences from August 12–22. Intrigued? You should be! Here's what BLEACH* Festival 2021 has in store ... more
Get set for lion dancers, red lanterns and Peking duck – Lunar New Year is upon us! The vibrant festivities celebrate the turn of the lunar calendar, and this time around it's the Year of the Ox. There are plenty of events happening across the Gold Coast throughout the month of February, so if you're keen to get in on the Lunar New Year action, here are a few top picks. more
We've been known to travel far and wide for a great feed, whether it be roadtrips to restaurants afar or country-hopping in search of culinary delights (back in the good ol' days, that is). One destination worth trekking to for mouth-watering bites and fresh local produce is Maleny, a quaint town located in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Provision pilgrims in need of an excuse to clock up some kilometres are in luck as The Sunshine Coast Asian Food Festival is returning to the postcard-perfect hinterland town on Sunday February 28. We think it's high-time to let the waistband loose. more
We won’t go on about 2020, except to say that we are expecting this year to be an absolute cracker (even if only by comparison). Luckily for us, there’s a next-level line-up of events hitting our shores in 2021, including both rescheduled shows and brand-new creations from some of the nation’s best event producers. Live events look like they're back and better than ever! more
This year may have robbed us of many of our favourite pastimes, but live music, foodie festivals and exhibitions are coming back in 2021 with a vengeance and we couldn't be happier. Never again will we take life's simple pleasures like catching a live gig or meeting with mates for a beer for granted. With that in mind, here are five unmissable events to add to your calendar immediately. more
One thing our social calendars didn't get enough of in 2020 was the good old-fashioned festival. Thankfully, for the music and action-sport lovers among us, Inverted Festival is answering our calls for some live music with a brand-new all-ages extravaganza. more
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
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
In probably some of the most exciting news to be announced this year, a massive music event – Factory Summer Festival – has revealed it's heading to Brisbane with a jam-packed line-up of Australian musical talent. If everything goes to plan (we are crossing our fingers and toes), then this series of gigs will be here come December. Start planning your outfit pronto. 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
Australia's pre-eminent music and arts festival has announced that it will push its 2020 event to next year, confirming new dates for July 23–25, 2021. more
Lockdown might be over, but quarantinis are thankfully here to stay. If you consider yourself somewhat of a gin enthusiast, then mark World Gin Day (Saturday June 13) in your calendar for the ultimate virtual tipple-tasting event where you become the bartender – The Fever-Tree Online Gin & Tonic Festival. more
While HOTA – the Gold Coast's own Home of the Arts – may be temporarily closed, the team is still working tirelessly to help the city's arts industry and creative communities navigate their way through these challenging times. This week, HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke announced Rage Against The V(irus) Artist Fund – an initiative designed to turn downtime into a spark for innovation, using digital technology as the medium. more
Those of us who aren't involved in the hands-on aspect of craft making probably rarely consider the human relationship between the maker and materials – more often than not, it's simply a process of identifying an appealing aesthetic, then making a purchase. Though, if you're interested in digging deeper into wonderful world of crafts and making, don't miss Murwillumbah's Real to Reel: The Craft Film Festival on Saturday March 21. more
