Bowlzilla is a unique skateboard festival on the Gold Coast which celebrates the end of summer. It puts the Gold Coast on the world’s skating stage and showcases the very best the city has to offer skaters. The Gold Coast is home to the most skate parks per capita than any city in Australia – so it is fitting this festival takes place in our very own backyard.

The Australian Beach Volleyball Tour Finals I Coolangatta I 12 – 14 March

The Australian Beach Volleyball Tour is the premier elite domestic Beach Volleyball series in Australia. The tour attracts Australia’s best athletes and welcomes international wildcard entries while bringing to the sand a spectacle of exciting talent. The finals will be held on the beach at Coolangatta.

Beyond the Sand | Surfers Paradise | 13 – 21 March

Beyond the Sand Arts Festival (formerly known as Sand Safari Arts Festival) will transform Surfers Paradise into a beachfront gallery of colour, movement and music across nine spectacular days and nights from 13 – 21 March 2021. The 2021 event will be circus-themed offering entertainment for the entire family. Featuring the annual Australian Sand Sculpting Championships, installations from local and nationally acclaimed artists, as well as daily circus performances, roving entertainment, sand art activities and sculpting workshops, attendees will be able to ‘step right up’ and learn new skills from performers and artists.

Queensland Surf Life Saving State Championships I 26-28 March

The pinnacle event of Queensland’s surf sport calendar. Competitors from all across Queensland will battle the sand, surf and each other in their quest for state glory. Some of the surf lifesaving’s greatest rivalries will be reignited when the state’s top Senior and Masters surf sport athletes contest the Queensland Surf Life Saving State Championships.

Gold Coast Triathlon – Luke Harrop Memorial | Robina | 11 April

The 2021 Gold Coast Triathlon – Luke Harrop Memorial includes a packed entertainment schedule for the whole family to enjoy. Entrants can enjoy some fast and flat racing, with Sprint, Enticer and Kool Kids options available, there is something for everyone!

Australian Swimming Championships | Southport | 14 – 18 April

Returning to the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, the 2021 Australian Swimming Championships will see Australian titles awarded to open and top age athletes and provide a valuable hit out for Olympic hopefuls as they will have the chance to swim morning finals to replicate and prepare for what they will experience in Tokyo.

Gold Coast Film Festival | Gold Coast – citywide | 14 – 25 April

The annual Gold Coast Film Festival brings films, panels, Q&As, parties, pop-up cinemas and more to over 10 venues across the Gold Coast. Walk the red carpet on opening night alongside actors, filmmakers and film crew. Learn from Australia’s leading producers, writers and directors at intimate seminars and workshops. At the Gold Coast Film Festival, you will be captivated by internationally acclaimed dramas, comedies and genre films, local indie gems, engaging documentaries, family features and the scariest horror films.

For The Love Music Festival | Doug Jennings Park, Main Beach | 17 April

It’s 2021 and live music is making a serious comeback! Grab the gang and get in quick to secure tickets to the city’s latest new music festival ‘For The Love’. Headliners this year include Flight Facilities, Mallrat, Cosmos Midnight, Running Touch and Boo Seeka, to name a few. The event will be held at the beautiful Doug Jennings Park – so pack sunscreen and your best dancing shoes, of course!

Supanova | Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre | 17 – 18 April

Supanova is a celebration of fandom, where the worlds of film and television, fantasy, comic books, anime, sci-fi, cartoons, books, gaming and collectables come to life! There’s something for everyone, including ‘cosplay’ (costume-role play), fan clubs, musical performances, creative master classes, celebrity Q&As, wrestling, tournaments, competitions and an expo full of shopping possibilities.

Cooly Classic Ocean Swim | Coolangatta | 18 April

Join swimmers from all over Australia for the Gold Coast’s premier ocean swim. The Cooly Classic offers competitors a rare opportunity to conquer three of Australia’s most revered surf breaks – Snapper Rocks, Coolangatta and Kirra. If you’re a seasoned ocean swimmer, the 5km marathon distance is a great opportunity to test yourself beyond the typical open water distances.

Inverted Festival I Metricon Stadium I 1 May

Inverted is a brand new all ages music festival for all Australian punk and pub rock music fans. It will deliver the perfect mash up of live Aussie Punk Rock, Pub Rock, Garage Rock and even Shed Rock plus Australia’s best BMX, Skate and FMX athletes competing for gold. The equation is simple: Live Punk Rock + Australia’s best action sports event + the Gold Coast = Inverted Festival.

Corona Open Gold Coast | Snapper Rocks | 3 – 13 May

Witness world-class surfing on world-class waves at world famous Snapper Rocks, the leading right hand point break in the southern hemisphere. This World Surf League Championship Tour event sees the world’s top 34 males and top 18 females battle it out in a spectator sport not to be missed.

Solid Gold: Artists from Paradise | HOTA | 8 May – 4 July

The new HOTA Gallery’s first ever major exhibition premieres new works indoors and out, celebrating the diversity, richness and ambition of the Gold Coast. Established Australian artists including Hiromi Tango, Michael Candy, Samuel Leighton-Dore and Libby Harward will be exhibited alongside locally recognised artists and collectives. The exhibition features a variety of artforms including sculpture, weaving, textiles, ceramics, painting, photography, video, and installation. And with works presented in Gallery 1, around the public spaces of the Gallery, and outdoors – HOTA is literally bursting with great art around every corner.

Australian Gymnastics Championships | Carrara | 13 – 26 May

Experience two weeks of superhuman feats, as the top gymnasts from around the country vie for the title of 2021 Australian Champion. All six competitive GymSports will be on show across the 12 days of competition. The Olympic disciplines of Men’s and Women’s Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline Gymnastics will put in the final preparations for Tokyo while the Acrobatic and Aerobic Gymnastics athletes will be showing off their routines ahead of their World Championships.

Supercell: Festival of Contemporary Dance | Surfers Paradise | 20-22 May

Supercell: Festival of Contemporary Dance is back in 2021 with a jam-packed program celebrating bodies in motion. Bursting with powerful performances, inspiring workshops and thought-provoking conversations. Held across in the summer season in February 2021 across the Home of the Arts precinct at Surfers Paradise, Supercell is a vibrant gathering of people and offers the chance to get up close and personal with creatives and artists.

Blues on Broadbeach Music Festival | Broadbeach | 20 – 23 May

Blues on Broadbeach is one of Australia’s largest free music festivals spanning four bluesy days and nights, with a unique, village-like atmosphere and relaxed ambience. The free and non-ticketed event nurtures Australian talent as well as providing a stage for international acts.

Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show | Hope Island | 20 – 23 May

The 32nd edition of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) will return to The Marine Village from 20 to 23 May 2021. Building on momentum from the recent Sanctuary Cove Boating Festival, held as a precursor to the main event in 2021 and attracting an impressive 20,000 visitors, SCIBS is the southern hemisphere’s premier marine event and will be home to a stellar display of the latest products and innovations.

Cooly Rocks On | Coolangatta | 9 – 13 June

Cooly Rocks On has evolved into Australia’s largest Rock ‘n’ Roll and nostalgia festival, as well as a signature event on Queensland’s event calendar. The event attracts thousands of Rock ‘n’ Roll and vintage car enthusiasts looking to celebrate the music, memories and moment of the 50s, 60s and 70s. In 2021, the festival will welcome the spirit of VIVA Surfers Paradise with five days of Elvis activity to be added to an already bursting program, bringing ‘The King’ to Cooly. Witness world-class Elvis Tribute Artists as they take to the stage on the Coolangatta beachfront and enjoy the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest.

Australian Open Bowls | Gold Coast – Citywide | 12 – 25 June

The World’s Biggest Bowls Festival will again hit the sunny Gold Coast – the lawn bowls capital of Australia. With $250,000 in prize money and the heart of the event centred at the Broadbeach Bowls Club freshly renovated hot off the back of the Commonwealth Games, this competition will see plenty of people ready to roll up.

Amy Shark: Cry forever tour 2021 | HOTA Outdoor Stage | 25 June

Homegrown multi ARIA award-winning, singer-songwriter Amy Shark is off on a massive headline tour of Australia in June/July 2021 in support of her highly anticipated sophomore album, CRY FOREVER, which is available to pre-order now. Shark’s national ‘CRY FOREVER’ tour will be the Gold Coast local’s most ambitious live undertaking yet in some of the largest venues Australia has to offer. The all ages event will take place on HOTA’s outdoor stage beneath the stars from 7pm. Tickets on sale now.

Gold Coast Marathon | Southport Broadwater Parklands | 3 – 4 July

Australia’s premier road race attracts more than 27,000 participants of all ages and abilities. The scenic course is considered one of the flattest and fastest courses in the world and the time of year usually boasts excellent weather conditions for running.

Bleach* The Gold Coast Festival | Citywide | 12 – 22 August

Bleach* Festival is the Gold Coast Festival, taking place annually across the City. The program is one of Australia’s leading and most exciting site-specific contemporary arts programs. Quintessentially Gold Coast, Bleach* celebrates the city’s most dynamic and adventurous artists, welcomes renowned Australian and international collaborators and engages a broad audience through a range of events. Utilising the Gold Coast’s world-famous natural landscape as unconventional venues, Bleach* aims to deliver incredible arts and cultural experiences that challenge expectations, change perceptions and provide a unique and authentic sense of place, inspiring both locals and visitors alike.

2021 World Bowls Championships | Citywide | 7 – 19 September

Broadbeach Bowls Club, Musgrave Hill Bowls Club and Club Helensvale will host the two-week-long tournament, with over 240 bowlers expected to take part in one of the pinnacle international events in the sport.

Robbie McEwen Granfondo | Gold Coast Hinterland | 18 – 19 September

A mass participation cycling event with individual events for recreational cycling enthusiasts from beginner level to elite and also for children. The aim is to give people the opportunity to ride on a supervised course while experiencing the beauty of the Gold Coast hinterland. Offering three courses of various distances, the event caters for different levels of ability which provides an opportunity for more riders to take part.