12 March 2026
ROOFTOP SUNSETS, COCKTAILS & DJ BEATS EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT
Looking for just the right spot to wind down that 9-to-5 stress and turn the volume up on your weekend?
The Exhibitionist Bar offers rooftop sunsets, diaspora pizzas, specialty cocktails, and DJ beats every Friday & Saturday night.
It’s the perfect spot for that after work drink with colleagues, an elegant setting for that special date night or long overdue catch-up with friends.
This is where the week exhales and the weekend begins.
FIRST NATIONS ARTIST LISA SORBIE MARTIN BRINGS STORYTELLING TO HOTA
HOTA has just welcomed its newest Children’s Gallery exhibition. The vibrant, immersive project by acclaimed First Nations artist and designer Lisa Sorbie Martin, inviting families to gather, explore and connect through art, culture and storytelling.
Aka Sorbie: Saltwater Heart draws on the central themes of Sorbie Martin’s art practice - culture, family and the ocean. These are brought to life through bold colour and intricate patterns, connecting our saltwater lifestyle here on the Gold Coast to Lisa’s island home in the Torres Strait.
Designed specifically for young audiences and their families, the exhibition offers engaging and sensory hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity and learning. Visitors can immerse themselves in an underworld ocean of coral and fish, play cubby house in the island hut with Lisa’s fabrics, explore patterns in nature, and make art at Aka Sorbie’s table.
The exhibition is free to attend.
GC LAUGHS FESTIVAL KICKS OFF THIS WEEK
Brace yourself, Gold Coast, the funny is about to hit full throttle! GC Laughs Festival is taking over HOTA for two huge weekends of non-stop comedy and belly laughs.
It all kicks off this Friday with the Opening Gala, hosted by social sweetheart Mel Buttle, before rolling into a stacked line-up featuring comedy favourites Lizzy Hoo, Dave Thornton, Matt Okine, Nikki Britton, Sam Taunton and Zoe Coombs Marr throughout the festival.
Heading along with your crew? Don’t miss festival showcases for a cheap laugh - ‘Local Laughs’ on Sunday 15 March celebrates the regions rising comedy talent, while the cheeky, adults-only ‘Late Laughs’ on Saturday 21 March closes the festival with an after-dark laugh fest.
There’s something for everyone, no matter what tickles your funny bone. Grab your mates, swing by the GC Laughs Margarita Bar, and settle in for a night of big laughs and good times.
Just be warned — your cheeks might hurt the next day… from laughing of course.
VIEW THE 26 FEB 2026 ARTS & CULTURE UPDATE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Experience Gold Coast acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are situated, the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region.
We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise their continuing connections to the lands, waters and their extended communities throughout Southeast Queensland.