OUT LOUD Festival, March 6–15
Thought summer was over? Think again! Things are only just heating up at HOTA, with the arts precinct’s anticipated ten-day festival OUT LOUD to bring big ideas and big Brazilian beats to the Gold Coast. Celebrating diversity, OUT LOUD will feature a raft of different events across the ten days – kicking off with a wild celebration of samba, jazz, bossa nova and soul with two heralded trailblazing musicians, Jorge Ben Jor and Liniker, bringing their massive bands and transformative music to the Outdoor Stage on Friday March 6. There’s also a live ASMR performance by WhispersRed on Thursday March 12, a family-friendly sing-a-long screening of The Greatest Showman on Saturday March 14, as well as a series of Talks & Ideas sessions with some of the country’s most spectacular minds, including  neuroscientist and author Dr Hannah Critchlow. Intrigued? Head to the HOTA website for program details and event tickets.

GC Laughs Festival, March 14–21
In need of a hearty chuckle? As in, the kind that erupts from deep within your belly? Gather the crew and get amongst the knee-slapping goodness of the annual GC Laughs Festival. Making a triumphant return this March, the festival is armed with a hefty bill of comedic heavyweights – including funny folk like Em Rusciano (Friday March 20), Joel Creasy (Thursday March 19), sketch comedy duo Hot Department (Thursday March 19) and Aaron Gocs (Saturday March 21) on the GC Laughs Festival line-up. There’s also big names like Becky Lucas, Danielle Walker, Aaron Chen, Blake Freeman and Dusty Rich hitting the various HOTA stages. Keen? Scope out the program and book tickets here.

Mussel Festival, Sunday March 15
It’s back! The coast’s iconic Mussel Festival returns this March for the ultimate (sea)foodie feast. Taking over Miami Marketta, the festival will see these sweet and oh-so-tasty molluscs dished up in unlimited quantities for one day only. There will be three flavours of all-you-can-eat mussels on offer, all cooked and served to order. You can soak up the flavours of the white-wine, garlic and lemon, get a kick from the Asian chilli tomato variety, or indulge in seafood veloute! There will also be pasta options available to purchase for those guests not into mussels and have been (willingly) dragged along by a mussel fanatic! Snap up your tickets via Oztix.

Ocean Film Festival, March 11–12
In town for two nights only, The Ocean Film Festival World Tour is set to captive audiences with a brilliant showcase of captivating, inspirational and educational footage from some of the world’s best independent filmmakers. Held at HOTA, the festival features an intriguing roster of short films and spectacular cinematography, with pieces of varying lengths and styles covering topics like ocean adventure and exploration, the oceanic environment, marine creatures, ocean-related sports, coastal cultures and more. Strap yourself in to witness never-before-seen footage, fascinating interviews and insightful narrations about the big blue. For tickets, head to the festival website.

The Drop Festival, Coolangatta, Saturday March 28
This iconic nation-wide music festival travels alongside the World Surf League Australian tour and will be hitting the Gold Coast in late March, bringing with it a wave of Aussie all-stars. We’re talking The Presets, ARIA Award-winning Boy & Bear, Brisbane’s Ball Park Music and hip-hop, rap and pop hybrid Allday, party starters DZ Deathrays, indie-pop hit maker Kita Alexander, and the powerful-yet-silky vocals of Graace. The Drop Festival hits Coolangatta on Saturday March 28 at 1:00 pm, wrapping up at 10:00 pm. Final tickets are selling here.