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Find Your Perspective
There's a rumour that we're not a very "artsy" place. Good thing it's just a rumour. Galleries, theatre groups, nostalgia museums, sculpture festivals and indigenous performances just brush the surface of a cultural canvas that goes far deeper. As they say - art is purely a matter of perspective after all. Looking for more inspiration? Check out the cultural highlights of the Gold Coast hinterland.
arts & culture
- Free Event
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From now until 23 Jan 2026
Welcome to Parad-Ice - The Variety Ice Skating Show
Get your tickets to 'Welcome to Parad-Ice', a one-of-a-kind variety show, featuring fierce ice-skating that will dazzle with acrobatics, spins, and clown antics. Fun for the whole family.Located at Planet Chill Ice-Skating Rink, inside Paradise Resort Gold Coast.
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13 Dec 2025
Nicole Slater: Rose Gold
Nicole Slater: Rose GoldRose Gold is a solo exhibition by Australian artist Nicole Slater, showcasing a series of large-scale equestrian portraits that reflect her deep, lifelong connection to horses. A professional breeder with years of experience, Slater brings an intimate understanding of equine anatomy to her work — knowledge that informs the physical accuracy and presence of each portrait. As a self-taught painter, she combines technical precision with emotional depth. This fusion of lived experience and artistic skill allows her to capture not only the form of her subjects but also their spirit, creating powerful, nuanced representations of the horses she knows so well. Nicole runs a thoroughbred breeding property in rural Victoria with her husband, sporting legend Billy Slater. Together, they care for rescue horses and other animals, living a life surrounded by livestock and native wildlife. This close relationship with animals and the natural environment informs every aspect of Nicole’s art.In Rose Gold, the horse is presented not just as a subject, but as a symbol of memory, light and presence. The warm, fading tones of sunset — Slater’s favourite time of day — become a gentle reminder to pause, reflect and appreciate fleeting beauty. Image: Nicole Slater, Chilli Rose 2025, acrylic on linen. Courtesy of the artist.
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13 Dec 2025
Surfers Paradise Christmas Twilight Market
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas… at the beach. This year, they're giving you two nights of festive fun on Friday, 12th, and Saturday, 13th, from 4 PM to 9 PM.Join a Coastal Christmas celebration like no other! The Esplanade will twinkle with fairy lights, festive tunes, and beachside cheer as hundreds artisan stalls unwrap the best season! So grab your reindeer crew and jingle all the way to Surfers Paradise Beachfront Market!Friday 12th & Saturday 13th December | 4PM-9PM The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise Free entry - all elves are welcome! Worried about getting here? No need to call Rudolph: Park your sleigh at Soul Surfers Paradise or the Paradise Centre on Hanlan Street or hop on the tram and slide off at Cavill Ave station
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From now until 21 Mar 2026
A Bigger View
Embark on a journey of epic proportions as you immerse yourself in monumental works of art from the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). Made possible through the Australian Government's Sharing the National Collection initiative, this exhibition brings together masterpieces from the NGA alongside major works from our very own collection.Spanning decades and continents, each epic in scale and subject, these artworks demonstrate the various and unique approaches artists take to the landscape.A highlight for visitors will be two artworks created by Henri Matisse (1869 -1954), one of Europe's greatest twentieth-century modernist artists. Accompanying Matisse's uniquely abstracted views of sea and sky forms is an extraordinary work by senior Australian artist, Imants Tillers, presenting a vision of the Australian landscape inspired by Eugene Von Guérard's 1863 masterpiece North-east view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko, seen here together for the first time.These works will be complemented by stunning works from HOTA's own collection. Uluru by Pintupi artist Long Tom Tjapanangka brings a First Nations perspective of Australia's biggest landmark to the exhibition, and a stunning hinterland painting by beloved Australian artist Wiliam Robinson invites contemplation of the natural world around us.Prepare to be awestruck by the grandeur of these works, as you explore a bigger view.
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From now until 17 Dec 2025
Twiggy
TwiggyIntroducing TWIGGY, an upcoming documentary focused on the life and times of the greatest ‘IT’ girl of all time, Dame Lesley Lawson, better known as Twiggy. The first time Twiggy has ever told her story, her life is presented through her working class childhood in northwest London, her international stardom and her career as an acclaimed actress, singer, fashion designer, writer and TV presenter. Country Of Origin: UK
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From now until 17 Dec 2025
Nuremberg
NurembergThe Allies, led by the unyielding chief prosecutor, Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon), have the task of ensuring the Nazi regime answers for the unveiled horrors of the Holocaust while a US Army psychiatrist (Rami Malek) is locked in a dramatic psychological duel with former Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe).Country Of Origin: USA.
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From now until 17 Dec 2025
Dead Of Winter
Dead Of WinterRecently widowed, Barb (Academy Award winner Emma Thompson) travels through snowbound Northern Minnesota to scatter her deceased husband’s remains at the remote lake where they shared their first date. En route she discovers a teenage girl, kidnapped and held hostage in an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere. With no phone service and hours from the nearest town, she has become the young girl's only hope for survival… but at what cost to herself? Countries of origin: USA, Canada, Germany.
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From now until 07 Mar 2026
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2U2
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2U2When did you last receive a hand-drawn birthday card - or create one for someone else? Born from a treasured family tradition of gifting hand-drawn birthday cards, this installation by Hikoko Ito invites you to savour the joy of receiving one from a stranger who shares your birthdate - your “birthday twin” - and the delight of giving one in return. 366 Birthday Mailboxes, one for each day of the year, are arranged in deliberate disarray. Each bears a “Happy Motif,” reimagined from the Chinese character『樂』- symbolising happiness - by Hikoko and her late father, Sun Chan, celebrating its myriad expressions. Begin at The Calendar Wall: find the “Happy Motif” for your birthdate. Then, seek your matching Birthday Mailbox. Within, a card from your unseen birthday twin quietly awaits. The first batch of cards was created by local students and HOTA’s patrons - followed by offerings from visitors like you. Each one carries warmth and sincerity, sharing good wishes across all ages, cultures, and backgrounds. In the spirit of reciprocity, you are invited to craft a card for another birthday twin, continuing this chain of special connection. Each blank card features an artwork from HOTA’s collection to inspire your creation - you might even spot the original in the Gallery. Every motif matched, every card exchanged whispers: we are here - together. Through shared birthdates and strokes of ink and pigment, we transcend difference, embrace our collective humanity, and pass kindness forward - one heartfelt card at a time. Image Credit: Hikoko Ito, HB2U2 2025, Art Gallery of New South Wales. Image courtesy AGNSW. Hikoko Ito Japan/Hong Kong, Happy Birthday 2U2 2025 mixed media installation; powder-coated steel mailboxes with die-cut acrylic panels, printed vinyl wall design Collection of the artist
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From now until 22 Dec 2025
Perspecta
Perspecta draws its title from the Latin root of "perspective" and invites viewers to engage with how we see and are seen by our surroundings.Four artists - Kieran Davis, Jesse Harrison, Kaz Hughes and Jane Brennan bring their individual practices to bear on the themes of Land, Sea, River and Home.Working across painting, sculpture and ceramics, the exhibition encourages a layered experience of the Gold Coast's unique coastal environment its physical terrain, its shifting light, its waterscape, and the home we make within it.In a time when our relationships to place, environment and home are in flux, Perspecta offers a platform for reflection and connection.This exhibition brings together diverse artistic responses to the physical and metaphoric landscapes of the Gold Coast region, encouraging audiences to pause and reconsider their own vantage points.
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From now until 17 Dec 2025
Kokuho
Kokuho Spectacularly bringing the intricate style and all-consuming dedication of the Japanese Kabuki artist to the big screen, Sang-il Lee’s epic new drama KOKUHŌ is a decades-spanning tale charting the ambition, friendship and rivalry of two young trainees. Nagasaki, 1964. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, gifted Kikuo (rising star Ryō Yoshizawa) is taken under the wing of famed Kabuki actor Hanjirō Hanai (played by the iconic Ken Watanabe, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Last Samurai). Alongside the great performer’s only son, Shunsuke (Ryūsei Yokohama), he dedicates his life to the artform – a centuries-old Japanese theatrical tradition known for its costumes, elaborate makeup and innovative stagecraft. Over the ensuing decades, against the backdrop of stunning stagings of classic Kabuki tales, the destiny of the two young disciples entwines and twists - from acting school to the most prestigious stages - and their hearts suffer as much yearning, scandal and glory as their on-stage alter-egos. Only one of them will become the master of the art. Based on the best-selling novel by Shūichi Yoshida, KOKUHŌ (which translates as 'National Treasure') stormed the Japanese box office in mid-2025, with demand escalating for months on the back of word of mouth, becoming a true cultural phenomenon. The film is currently ranked as the #2nd highest-earning live action drama in Japanese box office history.Country of Origin: Japan
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From now until 11 Jan 2026
HOTA Collects: Metamorphosis
HOTA Collects: MetamorphosisArtists have been transforming found materials through cutting, assembling and pasting for centuries. Processes such as collage and assemblage flourished in Australia from the mid-twentieth century, with artists repurposing the discarded detritus of modern life to create new meaning. Through collage and photomontage, artists reconfigure images to examine themes such as feminism, environmentalism, and the connection between self and place. Metamorphosis brings together work by more than thirty Australian artists from the HOTA Collection, who have used these transformative methods to explore ideas of identity, memory and perception. The exhibition title draws from the words of Colin Lanceley, a key figure in the development of assemblage art in Australia, who observed: ‘The transformation of materials, the metamorphosis, informed by a poetic sensibility, is the key to creativity.’ Included in the exhibition are works by Lorraine Connelly-Northey, Rosalie Gascoigne, James Gleeson, Robert Klippel, Julie Rrap, Sally Smart, Ruby Spowart, Brett Whiteley, Judith Wright and Jemima Wyman. Image: Ruby Spowart, South Stradbroke triptych 1992, silver gelatin prints, collaged. Collection, HOTA Gallery. Gifted by the citizens of the Gold Coast to future generations 1993 © The artist’s estate
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From now until 06 Jan 2026
KEN DONE: NO RULES
‘There are no rules. And if there are rules, then you may as well break them.’ – Ken Done Ken Done’s paintings have captured public imagination for more than four decades. As one of Australia’s most recognisable artists, Done is beloved for his bold use of colour and vibrant imagery, resulting in paintings which are exuberant celebrations of the world around him. Done has forged a career unlike any other artist this country has seen, resisting traditional art-world expectations and embracing spontaneity and emotion over rigid technique. At a youthful eighty-five, Ken Done remains true to his personal philosophy – that an artist can and should create their own rules. Ken Done: No Rules features artworks from the 1980s to today which are largely drawn from Done’s personal collection. In his signature optimistic style, he captures the intimacy of his home and garden through to the majestic grandeur of Australia’s reefs, beaches and coastlines that have made Ken Done a household name. The exhibition features an exclusive animation showcasing a selection of Ken Done's iconic paintings, offering visitors a deeper immersion into his vibrant universe. Also included is a selection of outfits from Australian designer duo Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales of Romance Was Born from their 2023 collaborative collection Done Zone. This exhibition is curated in partnership with The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney.
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From now until 01 Feb 2026
Cloudy with a Chance of Art
Cloudy with a Chance of ArtEyes to the sky! HOTA’s Children’s Gallery is a place for daydreaming and creativity. The sky is the limit to your imagination, so we encourage families to look up and see amazing historical to contemporary artworks by Australian artists who also look to the sky for inspiration. A curated display of cloud artworks will set the scene for play and creativity ‘beneath the clouds’ in the Children’s Gallery. Proudly supported by Experience Gold Coast
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14 Dec 2025
Royal Ballet: Cinderella
Royal Ballet: CinderellaStuck at home and put to work by her spoiled Step-Sisters, Cinderella’s life is dreary and dull. Everything changes when she helps a mysterious woman out...With a little bit of magic, she is transported into an ethereal new world – one where fairies bring the gifts of the seasons, where pumpkins turn into carriages, and where true love awaits.This enchanting ballet by The Royal Ballet’s Founding Choreographer Frederick Ashton is a theatrical experience for all the family and will transport you into an ethereal world where a sprinkling of fairy dust makes dreams come true.CONDUCTOR: Jonathan LoORCHESTRA: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
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From now until 28 Dec 2025
HOTA Farmers and Artisan Market
The HOTA Markets are one of the Gold Coast's most vibrant community markets, held every Sunday morning, in the iconic HOTA precinct.Like the Gold Coast itself, we're a celebration of independence and lifestyle! They are passionate about local farmers, makers, bakers and growers, we like knowing where our goods come from, and we love supporting new and emerging small businesses. The markets are part of the fabric of the Gold Coast, they're proud to support and foster local artists and live music, as well as supporting social causes representing the local community.Each Sunday HOTA comes alive with in-season farm-fresh produce, delicious artisan foods, boutique fashion and handcrafted wears. All nestled against the backdrop of Evendale Lake and the stunning HOTA landscape.
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From now until 21 Dec 2025
Christmas Markets GC
Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year at the Christmas Markets GC from 4 til 10pm this December 19-21 at a new venue this year, Macintosh Island Park.Bring the whole family for a relaxing Christmas shopping experience. Wander under fairy-lit trees through a vibrant assortment of local small businesses offering unique artisanal goods and handcrafted gifts. Tantalize your taste buds with our delicious seasonal treats and gourmet eats.For three nights only, Macintosh Island Park will transform into a Christmas wonderland with live entertainment and merry carolers filling the air with holiday cheer. The kids will light up with our giant inflatables, enchanting decorations, amusement rides, jumping castles and free photos with Santa in his very own Grotto!Support local and tick off your Christmas gifts list, grab some supplies for the big day and take some time out with the family for a beautiful Christmas night out under the stars!Join them for some free family fun and dash over to the website and socials for all the details.
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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.