You don’t need to blow the budget to have a rich experience in this city. In fact, you don’t need to spend a cent! Here are some of the best free things to do and places to go on the Gold Coast.
- We’re all for chasing waterfalls and there are plenty to find around here. Explore beyond the beach and head for the Hinterland to wander through ancient rainforests where cool, freshwater creeks and rivers flow into some of Gold Coast’s best waterfalls. Get back to nature and feel rejuvenated from visiting spectacular spots like Purling Brook Falls.
- Enjoy some incredible free events at Gold Coast’s cultural precinct, HOTA, during their annual arts festival, WONDER. From Friday October 18 - Saturday November 2, explore 13 days of creative performances and outdoor events inspired by the hero artwork - Museum of the Moon. This large-scale, life-like installation of the glowing full moon will be installed at the Outdoor Stage and accompanied by an ethereal soundscape. From free musical performances at the Outdoor Stage to yoga with a live soundtrack and First Nations Astronomy walks, share in the inspiration of the Moon, the night sky, and the feeling of WONDER.
- Drop into Miami Marketta on a Wednesday, Friday or Saturday night for free live tunes and great vibes. Entry is free, and there’s a smorgasbord of budget-friendly street eats on offer as well.
- Experience the sight of hundreds of colourful parrots fluttering and flying around Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary at the twice daily Rainbow Lorikeet feeding. Be there at 8am and 4pm each day to witness the raucous gathering. A gold coin donation will get you a plate of nectar to feed them and these cheeky birds will land on your head and hands to get a taste. (You’ll need a ticket to see other native and exotic animals, entry to this experience is free. Enter through the gift shop).
- Each year in October, Groundwater Country Music Festival brings some of the best country artists to the Gold Coast for three days of free music and festival fun. With stages throughout the streets, parks, restaurants, the party atmosphere takes over the entire suburb of Broadbeach. In 2024 the incredible lineup includes Kasey Chambers, Adam Brand, Shannon Noll and more from October 18 - 20.
- The Gold Coast is just as amazing underwater as it is above and there’s some great snorkelling and diving spots along the coastline and in the creeks. Bring your snorkel and fins for an aquatic adventure.
- Take a tour of Gold Coast culture, street style with Art Roll - an exhibition of Gold Coast murals and street art, curated into a self-guided tour on wheels. There’s a detailed map of art works (over 100 of them), information about each piece and the people who created them. Grab a bike, skateboard or scooter and check it out suburb by suburb - Miami is a great place to start…
- You’ll find free electric BBQs scattered all over the Gold Coast at parklands and beachfront foreshores. Pack up an Eski with supplies and cook up a BBQ feast to share with friends or family. Ed Hardy Park at North Burleigh, Kirra Hill Lookout or Cascade Gardens in Broadbeach are all stunning locations where you can have a cook up.
- Get fit for free! City of Gold Coast’s Active & Healthy program supports locals and visitors to become more active with free fitness classes. From Tai Chi or Pilates in the park, to group fitness and learn to swim programs, inclusive yoga and fitness classes for kids. Classes are held all over the Gold Coast for free (or very low cost) and many activities take place outside in parks or by the beach so you get to enjoy some time in nature too. There are classes for all ages, sizes, shapes and abilities.
- Go fishing! A stellar way to spend a day is to choose a spot on the banks of one of Gold Coast’s gorgeous waterways and cast a line. Keen anglers can access a range of great locations on foot from foreshores, canals, beaches, bridges and creek banks. Bream are the most common species of fish you’ll catch around town, but anglers also catch flathead, whiting, trevally, tailor, mulloway, mangrove jack, estuary cod and tarpon.
- With ocean views and walking tracks that weave through the rainforest and alongside Tallebudgera Creek, Burleigh Headland National Park offers some beautiful bush walks. Give yourself at least an hour to take your time and soak all the magic in. Dig deeper into our local Indigenous culture with a visit to Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
- Blues on Broadbeach rolls into town at the end of May, and this is one free festival you don’t want to miss. The entire beachfront precinct turns into a rhythm and blues mecca, with international and homegrown artists performing over four huge days of non-ticketed events. Entering its 25th year, Blues on Broadbeach is an absolute highlight of the Gold Coast events.
- Discover some local secrets - the invigorating fresh water swimming holes and rock pools hidden in the Hinterland. Spend a day splashing, swimming and floating about in Currumbin Rock Pools in Currumbin Valley - one of the easiest to access. The fresh, flowing waters, lush grassy banks and shady picnic spots make for a perfect day-escape to relax and revitalise.
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Free, mood-boosting fun for dog lovers can be found at the off-leash dog beach at Palm Beach Parklands. There’s a surf beach and sheltered lagoon where you can delight in the sight of dogs of all shapes and sizes having the time of their life, frolicking in the water, and doing zoomies along the shore.
- What better way to spend a sunny day than packing a picnic and heading to a special spot to enjoy the simple things - fresh air, nature and good food in the great outdoors. Scenic Gold Coast picnic spots are abundant so pick a place anywhere between the beach and Hinterland, lay down your rug and relax.
- Discover a different side of the city during BLEACH* Festival, which takes place over 10 days every August. Immerse yourself in contemporary cultural experiences where the Gold Coast’s natural landscapes are turned into stunning open air venues. There are always plenty of free and fabulous events and experiences in the program like live music, workshops, theatre, comedy, kids activities, First Nations culture and creative collaborations.
- For a free Gold Coast wildlife experience head to Charis Seafoods for the daily pelican feeding. Located on the Broadwater in Labrador, they serve up excellent fish ‘n’ chips and freshly caught seafood, and at 1pm each day, they feed all their fish scraps to the big birds, who gather to wait for their lunch. Enjoy a stroll and a swim in the picturesque waterside setting for a very pleasant and completely free afternoon.
- In September each year Swell Sculpture Festival transforms the shores of Currumbin Beach into an outdoor art gallery for large scale sculptures. Pack the togs, towels, surf boards and snacks and spend a morning or an afternoon exploring big, bold sculptures, building sandcastles and have the best beach day with a side of art and culture.
- Eperience the wonder of Lamington National Park from a different perspective on the free Tree Top Walk at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. Traverse nine suspended bridges, 16m above the forest floor and marvel at the breathtaking Gondwana Rainforest around you, part of the Australian World Heritage Area. To access some seriously spectacular scenery, ascend the ladders to two viewing platforms - you can see forever!
- Stretch your legs and soak up some natural beauty at Coombabah Lakes Conservation Area. With multiple flat trails and boardwalks winding through eucalyptus forest, salt marsh and mangrove habitats, the1200 hectare reserve is the perfect place to walk while wandering amongst the wildlife. Over 250 species of flora and fauna are found here so keep your eyes peeled to spot wallabies, koalas and an abundance of bird life.
Looking for more things to do on the Gold Coast? Visit one of our many excellent craft breweries.
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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.