1 May 2025
RETURN OF THE WSL CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR CROWNING BUMPER EVENT WEEKEND
The Gold Coast is in for another bumper long weekend of events, headlined by the much-anticipated return of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour to our shores.
Visitors and locals alike can get down to Burleigh Heads to see some of the world’s best surfers carving it up at the Gold Coast Pro kicking off this Saturday or get ready to dance at Ministry of Sound Classical returning to HOTA, Home of the Arts – reliving all the greatest club anthems as they’ve never been heard before.
Rounding out the weekend is the opening of Flotsam Film & Photography Festival with two weeks of ocean-inspired pop-up film nights, exhibitions, live performances, workshops and photo-meets, plus the TRL Queensland State Championships seeing teams from around the state flock to compete for the championship title.
T100 TRIATHLON WORLD TOUR COMING TO THE GOLD COAST
Experience Gold Coast has today announced a new major event for the Gold Coast – joining the likes of London, Singapore and Dubai as a host city of the T100 Triathlon World Tour.
The T100 Triathlon World Tour is a made-for-TV event, bringing the top 20 male and top 20 female triathletes together at iconic locations around the world to compete in a unique 100km format. Sanctioned by World Triathlon and Triathlon Australia, the event is the exclusive world championship tour of long-distance triathlon.
The main race will be bolstered by mass participation events to bring thousands to our city to both participate and spectate, and the international broadcast into Europe, the USA and Asia will beam the Gold Coast’s famous coastal strip into households worldwide.
The first Gold Coast T100 race will be held 21–22 March 2026.
WRITERS REVEALED GRAND OPENING
HOTA, Home of the Arts, proudly unveiled its next major international exhibition – Writers Revealed, featuring treasures from the British Library and National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition opened with an exclusive after-hours event, welcoming 130 guests.
The evening began in the enchanting Palette X Perrier-Jouët Garden, where guests were greeted. The garden, designed in collaboration with Ciao Darling, featured a bespoke Perrier-Jouët setup and elegant floral installations, setting a tone of timeless sophistication.
Inside the Gallery Foyer, guests were met with the emotive sounds of Angel Strings, performing beloved classical pieces including scores from Harry Potter. The HOTA Shop remained open for the occasion, offering a curated range of bespoke items reflecting the exhibition’s literary themes.
The experience continued with a canapé menu crafted by Executive Chef Dayan Hartill-Law, with each dish inspired by iconic writers featured in the exhibition. Highlights included whimsical Alice in Wonderland-themed ‘Drink Me’ bottles and delicious morsels served in velvet-bound books.
Yarmila Alfonzetti, Head of Arts & Culture at Experience Gold Coast, officially welcomed guests, before special guests Denise Vogelsang from the National Portrait Gallery London and Alexander Ault from the British Library shared fascinating insights into the exhibition and its global significance. A standout moment was the mention of the rare portrait of William Shakespeare – an extraordinary work that has only left London three times.
Guests were then invited into Gallery One, where the literary journey awaited. The evening closed on a thoughtful note: writers may create the stories, but it’s the readers who bring them to life.
Writers Revealed is now open for a limited time only.
KURRAWA PARK SUNDAY TICKET JUST GOT EVEN BIGGER!
Kurrawa Park Sunday just levelled up with a one-off Soul Deep Show from the legend himself, Jimmy Barnes… but that’s not all.
Joining the Sunday ticket lineup are Aussie icons The Badloves and genre-blending US sensation Pokey LaFarge. This is a beachfront experience you won’t want to miss!
Returning for its second year, the Kurrawa Park Sunday Ticket is back to bring even more incredible music to Blues on Broadbeach – and this year’s lineup is one for the ages!
On Sunday, 18 May, Australian rock icon Jimmy Barnes takes the stage for a special one-off Soul Deep Show, celebrating his 10x platinum 1991 album Soul Deep. Featuring a powerhouse collection of classic soul and R&B covers, this unforgettable performance promises to revisit timeless tracks with all the energy only Barnesy can bring.
Sharing the spotlight are special guests The Badloves – Aussie icons in their own right and Pokey LaFarge, bringing his distinctive genre-defying blend of jazz, folk, and Americana sound all the way from the US.
Kurrawa Park Sunday Ticket is a ticketed event alongside the festival’s free program and is set to be another jam-packed day of rhythm, soul, and blues by the beach. Don’t miss your chance to be part of it!
VIEW THE 17 APRIL 2025 EVENTS 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.