23 April 2026
CONNECT YOUR BUSINESS TO THE MAGIC MILLIONS AUDIENCE THIS MAY
Are you a business looking to connect with a high-value, international racing audience? The Magic Millions National Series returns to the Gold Coast Sales Complex from 20 May to 2 June, attracting around 3,000 attendees daily, including an esteemed international cohort of owners, breeders, trainers, and enthusiasts, representing major players from Asia, UAE, Europe, and the Americas.
Timed with the Queensland Racing Carnival, this premier event offers a unique platform for local businesses to showcase offers to a premium, highly engaged audience. The National Sale has a proud history of both unearthing and selling champions. Winx, Golden Sixty, Aeliana, Autumn Glow, Sunshine in Paris, Pierro and Zoustar all emerged from canny Gold Coast buying.
From dining and retail to experiences and services, participating businesses can position their brand at the centre of one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most influential bloodstock events. Register your offer to be featured in official event promotions and visitor communications.
WSL CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR RETURNS TO SNAPPER ROCKS IN 2026
The Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro returns to its spiritual home at Snapper Rocks from 1–11 May, bringing the world’s best surfers back to one of the planet’s most iconic right-hand point breaks. As the third stop on the World Surf League Championship Tour (CT), the event marks a key moment in the early-season title race and a welcome return after last year’s relocation to Burleigh Heads.
The Gold Coast will play a pivotal role in shaping early momentum in the world title race, following the traditional Australian leg at Bells Beach and Margaret River. This year’s event carries added significance, with a refreshed CT format removing the mid-season cut and placing greater importance on every result from the outset. Steeped in history, Snapper Rocks has long been regarded as a proving ground for world champions, delivering some of the most iconic performances in professional surfing.
On the water, the 2026 field blends returning champions and rising stars, with Gabriel Medina, Stephanie Gilmore and Carissa Moore lining up alongside reigning world champion Molly Picklum, creating a compelling mix of legacy and next-generation talent.
Adding to the atmosphere, the Here Comes The Sun Festival will land in Coolangatta on Saturday 2 May, transforming Queen Elizabeth Park into a beachside music precinct alongside the opening weekend of competition. Featuring a strong all-Australian line-up including Lime Cordiale, The Jungle Giants and Young Franco, the event forms part of a national series aligned with the WSL tour, blending live music and surf culture across key Australian stops.
ART MEETS OCEAN AT FLOTSAM FESTIVAL 2026
Flotsam Festival returns to the southern Gold Coast from 1–15 May, delivering 15 days of film, photography, exhibitions, music and creative events celebrating surf culture past, present and future. Stretching across Coolangatta, Kirra, Currumbin and Burleigh Heads, the multi-venue festival transforms the coastline into an immersive trail of coastal storytelling and open-air art.
Highlights include the International Masters of Surf Exhibition at Dust Temple, curated by Ted Grambeau and featuring more than 50 leading surf photographers, alongside a special panel celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Queensland-produced feature surf film, Tubular Swells. The Kirra Hub (9–10 May) anchors the program, providing a platform for emerging filmmakers, photographers and musicians from the region, with exhibitions, live music, workshops and artist talks throughout the weekend. Signature program elements also return including (Surf) Girls on Film and Flotsam Oceans in partnership with Surfrider Foundation.
Now firmly established as a leading independent arts festival, Flotsam continues to celebrate the stories and creativity behind surf culture on the Gold Coast.
SWIM FROM SNAPPER TO KIRRA WITH THE COOLY CLASSIC 2026
The Cooly Classic returns on 16–17 May, bringing thousands of swimmers to one of Australia’s most iconic ocean swim courses. Now firmly established as a flagship open water event on the Gold Coast, the Cooly Classic has grown over the past decade into a premier community and elite challenge, attracting swimmers from across the country and beyond.
Starting at Snapper Rocks, the point-to-point course winds through Rainbow Bay, Greenmount and Coolangatta before finishing at Kirra Beach, following one of the world’s most iconic surf corridors. The 2km Cooly Classic remains the headline event, with multiple distances catering to both elite and recreational swimmers.
Beyond competition, the event has become a celebration of ocean swimming culture, with Olympic champion Michael Klim OAM supporting its growth through his ambassador role with World Series Swims and the Klim Foundation, the event’s official charity partner supported through participant fundraising.
With crystal-clear autumn conditions and a course that threads together some of the Gold Coast’s most recognisable beaches, the event delivers a unique opportunity to experience the coastline from the water, reinforcing May as a key month of major coastal events across the southern Gold Coast.