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
After a wet and wild week of weather, it seems that it's set to continue into the weekend with a strong chance of a zombie apocalypse. That's right guys and ghouls, it's Halloween, which is essentially an excuse to day-drink in costume – hooray! There are plenty of haunted happenings this weekend as well as gigs and fine foodie feasts, here's a handy guide of what's on around the coast from Thursday October 29 to Sunday November 1. 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
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
From Grammy Award-winning rappers to indie-pop icons and Australian rock royalty, the 20th annual Splendour in the Grass line-up is nothing short of stellar. more
Friends, prepare thy stomachs – the annual Chinderah Chilli Festival is back! Mark Saturday March 7 in your diary and prepare for some spicy, sweaty and totally delicious fun south of the border. more
Listen up, music lovers! The coast's favourite free music festival Surfers Paradise LIVE is back in 2020 and bringing with it a line-up littered with Aussie rock royalty including Spiderbait, British India, Jon Stevens and The Angels so go ahead and clear your calendar from April 30 to May 3 because you won't want to miss a minute. more
In case you missed it, last week we announced that we were joining forces with the team behind iconic Newstead live-music institution The Triffid to support From Brissy, With Love – A Fire Relief Benefit. While the concert component of the event sold out in record time, there are plenty of reasons to come along in the early afternoon. There's live music, mouthwatering bites and more, plus we've assembled a collection of seriously phenomenal prizes for the event's charity raffle – we're talking the kind of haul that'll have you digging deep for a good cause. 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
Festival of Small Halls, a travelling music festival dedicated to voyaging only to small regional towns, has announced its summer program. The festival will kick off at the Mullum Music Festival on November 17, before embarking on a journey across 20 town halls throughout regional Queensland, venturing as far north as Cairns, before coming back down to wrap up at the Woodford Folk Festival from December 27 to January 1. more
The 13th annual Byron Bay International Film Festival (BBFF) is back this October, bringing with it a mammoth showcase of 125 films, shorts and documentaries. The popular ten-day festival, which runs from October 18–27, will roll out a spectacular program of film-centric events across various venues in Byron Shire and the Tweed. more
When summer rolls around, an air of excitement always hits. There's a little extra spring in your step and the cheer stretches from ear to ear – and it's all in anticipation of the year's end and being able to spend time with family and friends. From December 1–15, HOTA is capturing the thrill of spending summer 'at home' on the Gold Coast by hosting one of the biggest event series' the arts and culture precinct has ever seen. Staying put this summer? You'll be glad you did. more
Some of the world's biggest music makers are set to descend on the coast this October for a massive two-night concert series as part of the Vodafone Gold Coast 600. While the iconic annual motorsport festival is very much about nail-biting racing, burning rubber and fast, loud Supercars, you'll certainly want to ditch the protective ear muffs after sundown when names like British DJ Carl Cox and festival superstars Hot Dub Time Machine hit the trackside stage to send their beats far and wide. more
Listen up, music lovers, this summer is set to be a scorcher with a hot-as-hell new festival to add to the already stellar list of must-see events. New Zealand's One Love Festival is making its way across the ditch for the very first time and landing on our sunny shores in February! more
