We’ll try to play it cool, but we do get excited when big stars come to town. HOTA is rolling out the red carpet for the city’s very own film festival this weekend, but as well as that there’s so much to see and do from Thursday April 18 to Sunday April 21. From a furry friend market and country road trips to a burger pop-up and a Cherry Blossom Festival, you can be the star of your own life this weekend. more
Who knows what bounty spring will bring? Well, if you head into Toowoomba it’s near guaranteed to bring a cornucopia of enchanting flora, enlivening family fun and an enriching run of local food and drink. That’s right – the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is returning this September for another year of fabulous floriferous festivities. Celebrating 75 years, the festival has packed more than 77 efflorescent events into four petal-filled weeks from September 13 to October 7. Read on to uncover this year’s program … more
From May 17 to 26, the heroed home of produce, eateries and arts is hosting Caper Byron Bay Food & Culture Festival for another year. Curated by legendary chef Louis Tikaram (Stanley, Longrain), the ten-day event is toasting to Byron’s colourful community, creatives and cuisine with a delicious lineup full of foodie affairs, plus plenty more. Here’s what you need to know … more
Book lovers and storytellers rejoice! The city’s very own writers festival is heading to town this month with an action-packed line-up of authors, book launches, workshops, panels and free, family-friendly community events set to take over the Gold Coast. Read on for our top picks to bury your nose in. more
For its 21st year, Noosa Eat & Drink is back and bringing even more festival flavour to the luxe location's beautiful beaches and bustling precincts. The 2024 program is finally here and suffice to say, we can expect another year of award-winning food, ever-flowing drinks and industry-leading chefs taking over this Sunny Coast hotspot. Here’s what to know … more
The wait is over, folks. Splendour in the Grass has dropped its three-day line-up for 2024 – and oh boy, is it huge. Australia's pop queen Kylie Minogue will headline a stellar bill of homegrown heroes and international heavyweights that will descend on the North Byron Parklands from July 19–21 for the festival's 22nd year. more
Do you feel the need, the need for speed? If you answered 'heck yeah', then this next piece of news will be the wind beneath your wings. The world's biggest airshow, Pacific Airshow, is coming back to the Gold Coast this August! Before you start chugging some Red Bull, read on to discover what's in the store for our beachside city. more
Is it just us or are we always looking for the next occasion to celebrate? While the new year in the western calendar is well and truly passed, we look to the Lunar New Year to keep the festivities firing. Lucky for us The Star is hosting a string of dining specials from Friday February 9 until Saturday February 24 to welcome in the Year of the Dragon. more
Much-loved all-ages music festival Groovin' the Moo has dropped its full line-up for 2024 – and oh boy, it's big. Landing on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday May 5, this year's festival is jam-packed with a stellar crop of big-name international and Australian beat-makers. more
With 2023 practically a write-off, it’s time to cast our eyes to all things bigger and better. Turn to that fresh calendar page, exhale and start anew with a brand-new year. And from where we're standing – your 2024? It’s looking good. Get ready for a new year of stacked festival line-ups, world-class culture and fun for the whole family. Keep reading to discover all the endless fun in-store for the future you in 2024. more
Spring has sprung, the flowers are blooming and the days are getting longer and hotter. Don't you love it? So you can get in the spirit, we have hand-picked a fun selection of events happening across the Gold Coast this October, from family-friendly art exhibitions and revved-up car races to country music festivals and high teas. Helping you get there is the always handy G:link, which operates across 19 stops from Helensvale down to Broadbeach South. more
If you can believe it, the end of this week welcomes another edition of school holidays. If you're a parent, this means that you have two weeks to fill with fun activities to keep the kids entertained. Thankfully, HOTA has your back this September with the return of mini-festival Kids Take Over from September 27 to October 1. Here are all of the whimsical activities in store ... more
With just over a month left before our city comes alive with more than 1000 culture-soaked events for Brisbane Festival, now is the time to start putting together your list of must-see performances to avoid any chance of missing out. It's hard to encapsulate the full depth of the 2023 program, so to help you out, we've put together a couple of round-ups to help narrow down the magnificent multitude of events. From mind-bending contortion and rom-com movie mixtapes to wild parties and musical journeys, here are all of the unmissable Brisbane Festival events taking over the South Bank Piazza. more
With a fully-loaded line-up of fabulous events approaching at breakneck speed for this year's Brisbane Festival (it's all happening from September 1–23, for the forgetful folk), it's safe to say choosing from the multitude of enticing events (more than 1000 to be specific) is certainly a challenge. But don't fret, as your faithful friends at The Weekend Edition have your back. Those wanting to immerse themselves in a bit of mischief, magic and mayhem, and celebrate all that is wonderful about our Queer community, listen up. We've rounded up all of the must-see LGBTIQ+ shows at this year's Brisbane Festival, and trust us when we say, the diamonds on this list are sure to be glitter-full of fun! more
Craving a good ol' dose of art and culture? Luckily for you, SURFACE Festival is just around the corner. For the third year, strollers are invited to wander through the streets and discover art as artists showcase their work across a variety of surfaces. more
In a world viewed through the lens of social media and filters, many of us are often left contemplating the human experience. HOTA's UNDERGROUND Festival is giving artists, creatives and audiences the chance to take risks, explore ideas and consider what makes us human. Over three winter nights, audiences will have the opportunity to occupy HOTA's intimate spaces and explore the obscurity of life and raw emotion, seeking to understand what enrages and liberates us. Fuelled by big ideas and homegrown contemporary artists, here is a peek at what you can expect at UNDERGROUND from July 13–15. more
Literary lovers, assemble! The Byron Writers Festival is back for another year at a brand-new location and is ready to dish up a scholarly smorgasbord of storytelling, inspirational ideas and conversation. From August 11–13, more than 120 writers and thinkers will come together at Bangalow Showground to ponder the power of stories and the written word in shaping who we are. Here's a sneak peek of the line-up ... more
Gearing up for its 12th year, BLEACH* Festival is marking the milestone with its most ambitious program to date – 300 artists, 218 performances and 38 events including two world premieres across five hubs. Go ahead and block out your calendar from August 3–13, because you're not going to want to miss a minute of the fun. Here's what the 2023 iteration of the Gold Coast's premier arts and cultural festival has in store ... more
Love beer, cider and all things boozy and bubbly? This next piece of news is for you – Crafted Beer Festival is back for another year, and you can take your pick from 400 delectable drops from more than 50 of the nation's best craft breweries, cideries and seltzer makers. The 2023 edition is raising the bar to be frothier than ever, taking over Kurrawa Park in Broadbeach on September 9 and 10. Here's a taste of what's on offer ... more
Giving us an excuse to blast our favourite RnB noughties playlist (not that not having one ever stopped us before) is the news that nostalgia-inducing music festival Juicy Fest is returning to Australia in 2024. The banger-filled event is bringing along hip-hop and R&B icons like Ashanti, T-Pain, The Game and many more familiar faces to the Gold Coast in January. more
