Events Update

21 May 2026

WOMEN’S STATE OF ORIGIN GAME 3

The Gold Coast will host a historic moment in women’s sport when Game 3 of the 2026 Ampol Women’s State of Origin hits Cbus Super Stadium in Robina on Thursday 28 May.

For the first time, the women’s Origin series will conclude on the Gold Coast, with Queensland and New South Wales set to deliver another fierce chapter in one of Australian sport’s greatest rivalries. 

With the series already secured by the Blues, both teams will head to the Gold Coast with plenty on the line. New South Wales are chasing a clean sweep, and Queensland are determined to finish the series strongly in front of a passionate home crowd.

Fans are encouraged to secure tickets early for this blockbuster finale, with thousands of spectators expected and strong demand anticipated for one of the standout fixtures on the 2026 sporting calendar. This is your chance to experience the intensity, rivalry and atmosphere of Origin live as Queensland and New South Wales battle for state pride under lights.

The expanded three-game series highlights the rapid rise and profile of women’s rugby league and further strengthens the Gold Coast’s reputation as a premier destination for women’s sport, joining a major 2026 calendar that includes the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the Australian WPGA Championship.

BONSOY GOLD COAST PRO DELIVERS RECORD CROWD, GLOBAL EXPOSURE AND HOMEGROWN CHAMPIONS

The Gold Coast has once again delivered a standout moment on the global sporting calendar, with the 2026 Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro presented by GWM attracting one of its largest crowds in its 50-year history and showcasing world-class surfing in front of a passionate home audience. 

An incredible run of firing conditions lit up Snapper Rocks for four straight days across the May long weekend, seeing the world’s best surfers return to the Superbank in elite competition for the first time since 2018. 

The event culminated in a dominant Australian double, with Stephanie Gilmore claiming her seventh Gold Coast Pro title and 34th Championship Tour victory, and Ethan Ewing securing his third CT win in a breakthrough performance that has reignited his 2026 world title campaign. 

Held in packed beachfront conditions, the event drew tens of thousands of spectators and generated significant visitor activity across accommodation, hospitality and retail precincts, reinforcing its role as a key driver of shoulder-season tourism on the Gold Coast.  

With strong domestic and international audiences both onsite and via global broadcast, the Gold Coast Pro continues to elevate the city’s profile as a premier destination for elite surfing and major international sport.

ELITE WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL FINDS A NEW HOME ON THE GOLD COAST IN 2027

The Gold Coast has been confirmed as the host city for the Wheelchair Basketball Australia National Finals for the 2027 season, further strengthening the city’s position as a leading destination for elite adaptive sport and major events. 

The agreement will see the pinnacle of the national wheelchair basketball season relocate to Southeast Queensland, bringing together Australia’s top men’s and women’s athletes, alongside a 3x3 tournament and gala awards night. The event is a premier basketball festival experience and the culmination of a new era for Wheelchair Basketball Australia’s national competitions.  

The new NWBL and WNWBL season starts in June and marks the beginning of a transformed competition structure, with strengthened leagues, intensified rivalries and a redefined high-performance calendar. 

The Gold Coast’s high-performance infrastructure and strong events ecosystem will provide a world-class platform for athletes and fans, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a leading host of inclusive, elite sport and supporting the pathway toward the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.