October on the Gold Coast: top events in your city this month
The Gold Coast has its own page on Keen now, and October gives it plenty to do: a Grand Final on the long weekend, eleven days of BLEACH and three free days of country music in Broadbeach. These are the thirty-odd we'd actually message the group chat about.
Every pick below links to its live page on Keen, with dates, prices and the ticket link. The links retire once an event is done, so if one tells you it's been and gone, that's the truth doing its job. For the always-current version, what's on across the Gold Coast is rebuilt from the catalogue nightly. Heading up the M1 instead? Brisbane has its own October picks.
Grand Final Sunday: where to watch
Roosters v Knights on Sunday 4 October. Queensland keeps its clocks where they are, so kick-off here is 6:30pm while Sydney calls it 7:30, and Monday is the King's Birthday holiday. The full list is on where to watch the Grand Final on the Gold Coast.
Grand Final at The Coolangatta Hotel
Coolangatta · Sunday 4 October, from 2pm
Smashed Crabs play from 2pm to 6pm, then the game goes up live and loud on the big screens, with footy doubles and giveaways all day. Book a table.
Grand Final at Mackenzie's Sports Bar
Southport Sharks, Southport · Sunday 4 October Free
Free to walk in, no bookings, full sound on the big screens and free footy food at half-time. The cheapest good seat on the Coast.
Grand Final at Goldie's
The Island, Surfers Paradise · Sunday 4 October
Stadium screens, cold beers, wood-fired pizzas and an after party that rolls straight into the public holiday. Book or walk in.
Grand Final at the Burleigh Town Hotel
Burleigh Waters · Sunday 4 October
Big screens everywhere (the pub reckons one of them is among the largest in the southern hemisphere), prizes and food deals, and a courtesy bus you can book.
Grand Final family day at Coomera Lodge
Oxenford · Sunday 4 October
A family day by the river with face painting and a ball toss comp for the kids, then the game in the Sports Bar with footy feeds.
Grand Final at The Star Gold Coast
Broadbeach · Sunday 4 October
Two ways in: the mega screen in the Sports Bar (18+, on the gaming floor) or outdoor viewing on The Lawn, where a $300 picnic table for up to eight is all food and drink tab.
BLEACH takes over HOTA
BLEACH Festival
HOTA, Surfers Paradise · 1 to 11 October
Eleven days of live music, contemporary dance, theatre and installations across the whole precinct, indoors and out, with a new artistic director at the helm. Plenty of it is free to wander into; the big shows are ticketed.
BEACON
HOTA, Surfers Paradise · 1 to 11 October Free
A huge, bright, hand-painted landmark by the artist Morag Myerscough, made with hundreds of Gold Coasters. Impossible to miss, and free to wander around the whole festival.
BEACON Choir
HOTA Lakeside Precinct · Thursday 1 October Free
Hundreds of voices on the Lakeside Lawn singing a new poem by Holly Ringland, Auslan interpreted. The festival's opening goosebumps.
Sounds of Brasil with Maria Gadú
HOTA, Surfers Paradise · Sunday 11 October Free
Bossa nova, samba and forró in the spring sun, with Brazil's Maria Gadú in her first Australian show. Free, which feels like a mistake in your favour.
Festivals and free days out
Groundwater Country Music Festival
Broadbeach · 16 to 18 October Free
Three free days of country across the Broadbeach precinct, with Kasey Chambers, Kaylee Bell and The Wolfe Brothers on the bill. Boots optional, sunscreen not.
Nobby's Street Fiesta
Nobby Beach · Saturday 3 October Free
A Latin street party on the long weekend Saturday: live music, dance lessons, fire shows, stilt walkers and street food.
Chirn Park Street Festival
Chirn Park, Southport · Saturday 10 October Free
Live music, roving performers, market stalls and a pop-up bar down the street. A proper neighbourhood afternoon.
Gold Coast Open House
Across the Gold Coast · 10 and 11 October Free
Inside the buildings you usually just drive past, as part of the city's architecture festival.
Feast on Fifth
Fifth Avenue, Palm Beach · Saturday 17 October Free
A convoy of the Coast's most-craved food trucks, local restaurants and live music down one street. Arrive hungry, leave slowly.
Movies Under the Stars: The Wild Robot
Greenheart Robina Parklands · Saturday 17 October Free
A picnic rug, a big screen and a film under the sky. The council does the hard part; you bring snacks.
Flicks and Fireworks
By the Surfers Paradise sign · Sunday 25 October Free
A movie on the sand and fireworks over the ocean, on the last Sunday of the month. It is exactly as good as it sounds.
The big nights
Overtone Festival
Musgrave Park, Southport · Friday 2 October · 18+
Three outdoor stages of electronic music to open the long weekend, with Barry Can't Swim, Richie Hawtin and Mall Grab on the bill.
Gilsons
Miami Marketta, Miami · Sunday 4 October
The Grammy-nominated Brazilian trio, two generations of Gilberto Gil's family, back at Miami Marketta. A 4pm start on Grand Final Sunday.
Katchafire with Mike Love
Burleigh Town Hotel · Saturday 24 October
New Zealand roots reggae, with Hawaii's Mike Love opening on his own as a one-man band. A very Burleigh Saturday night.
GCCO presents African Dreaming
ADCO Amphitheatre, Robina · Friday 30 October
Strings, African instruments and a choir under an open sky, with music from The Lion King in the mix. $20, which is a steal.
KISSperience
CSi Club Southport · Saturday 31 October Free
A home-grown KISS tribute throwing a free rock'n'roll Halloween party. Face paint is not compulsory, but it is strongly implied.
Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer
The Imperial Hotel, Main Beach · Saturday 31 October
Interstellar and Gladiator for strings, by candlelight, in the old Palazzo Versace. The calm option for Halloween.
Comedy, cabaret and the big screen
Lawrence Mooney: Full Moon Party
HOTA, Surfers Paradise · Saturday 24 October
Stand-up, characters and complete Moonman lunacy, with the whole gang along for it.
The Australian Burlesque Festival: The Big Tease Soirée
Miami Marketta, Miami · Saturday 17 October
Glitter, tease and seventeen years of Australian burlesque, with international guests. Dress up; everyone else will.
Drag Bingo
Sidetracked, Southport · Friday 9 October
Bingo rounds broken up by drag numbers, hosted by Tara Zann. Bring your thickest skin and a good dauber.
Do Not Go Gentle
Griffith University Theatre, Southport · from Friday 30 October
Patricia Cornelius's play turns Scott's doomed polar expedition into a funny, sad look at growing old. Local actors, big ideas.
Adventure Reels Film Tour
HOTA, Surfers Paradise · Thursday 8 October
Australia's home-grown adventure film tour: skiers, climbers and kayakers doing things your knees would never allow.
Food and drink
Oktoberfest in the Gardens
Broadwater Parklands, Southport · Saturday 10 October · 18+
Steins, oompah and lederhosen on the Broadwater lawn for an afternoon and evening.
Craft and Spritz
HOTA Gallery · Friday 23 October
After-hours at the gallery with a pop-up bar, live vinyl and a drop-in wearable art workshop. Knock off, make something, have a spritz.
Markets
Burleigh Market
Burleigh Heads State School · Saturday mornings Free
Fresh produce, plants, local players and a coffee in hand. The correct start to a Coast weekend.
HOTA Farmers and Artisan Market
HOTA, Surfers Paradise · Sunday mornings Free
Farm stalls and makers beside the lake from 6am. Early risers get the best bread; everyone gets the view.
Surfers Paradise Beachfront Markets
The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise · Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights Free
A hundred-odd stalls and live music along the foreshore from 4pm to 9pm, running since 1995.
The Coastal Markets
Kurrawa Park, Broadbeach · 4 and 18 October Free
Hundreds of handmade and artisan stalls with the beach right beside you, on the first and third Sundays.
Something different
Alcotraz
Surfers Paradise · sessions all month · 18+
Orange jumpsuits, crooked guards and cocktails made from whatever you smuggled in. Deeply silly, played completely straight.
Prison Island
Surfers Paradise · sessions all month
Thirty-nine challenge cells and a scoreboard your crew will argue about for weeks. A Halloween horror edition starts on selected weekends from 16 October.
Bingo Loco
The Star Event Centre, Broadbeach · Saturday 31 October
The bingo rave, Halloween edition: lip-sync battles, confetti cannons and prizes. Nobody goes for the bingo.
The part where you actually go
That's the list. The gap between reading it and standing in one of those rooms is the same as ever: someone has to pick a date and make the call.
That's the job Keen does. The quickest way in is Find a time: pick two or three dates that could work, add an idea or two from this page, and drop one link in the group chat. Everyone answers from their browser, no app and no account needed. You see which date wins, tap once, and it's a real plan with RSVPs and a chat of its own.
And once your mates are on Keen too, it starts doing the noticing for you: everyone marks the nights they're free, and when yours line up, Keen tells you, along with what's on that actually suits the crew. The King's Birthday long weekend (3 to 5 October) is the obvious place to start.
October's thirty-odd best excuses are above. Pick one, name a night, and send the message.
Start closer in. See what's on in the next few days, pick a night, send the link.
What's on this weekend on the Gold CoastGet Keen free on the App Store or Google Play.
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