Guy Montgomery

Few bands capture the feeling of an Australian summer quite like Thirsty Merc, and this November they’re bringing that sunshine straight to the Gold Coast. The 20 Good Regions Tour sees the band criss-crossing the country, from capital cities to country towns, and Miami Marketta is one of the stops on the map.

Expect a set built for singing along. Fronted by Rai Thistlethwayte, the band has spent more than twenty years turning out radio favourites, and they’re all on the menu: “20 Good Reasons”, “Someday, Someday”, “Mousetrap Heart”, “The Good Life”, “Tommy and Krista”, and “In The Summertime”, which you’ll know from the opening of Bondi Rescue. It’s polished, high-energy rock with the hooks to match, played by musicians who know exactly how to work a crowd.

Bring your mates, grab a bite from the Marketta’s street food line-up, and settle in for a night of the songs that have soundtracked countless road trips and backyard barbecues.

Tickets are available now through Oztix.

Gold Coast singer-songwriter Ben Morgan is coming home, and he’s bringing a fresh batch of songs with him. Fresh off the biggest overseas run of his career, Ben plays an intimate show in The Gin Parlour, giving locals an early listen to material from his upcoming debut album.

Ben’s sound sits somewhere between indie-folk and blues: a gravelly, lived-in voice, finger-picked guitar work and the unexpected lift of saxophone weaving through it all. His songs are drawn from real moments, touching on love, heartbreak, travel and the natural world, and they land with the honesty of someone who learned his craft playing to passers-by on the streets of the East Coast.

That busking start has since grown into a global audience in the millions online, and stage time alongside Ziggy Alberts, Boy & Bear and Kim Churchill, plus a turn at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Whether you’ve been following along since the early days or you’re about to hear him for the first time, this is a chance to catch a homegrown artist up close in a small room before the album drops.

The Gold Coast’s biggest Christmas singalong is back for a 15th year, filling HOTA with carols, lights and festive fun across two evenings.
Headlining this year is ARIA Award winner Samantha Jade, alongside high-energy DJ Havana Brown. The Royal Navy Band Queensland will bring the brass, the Looney Tunes crew from Warner Bros. Movie World will put on their Christmas show for the kids, and Santa is expected to make an appearance too. 7NEWS presenters Amanda Abate and Chris Parsons will host, and both nights finish with fireworks over the parklands.

Tickets for the Outdoor Stage area have all been claimed, but there’s still plenty of room to join in. Spread out a picnic rug on the HOTA Parklands from 4pm and watch the whole show live on the big screens, grab dinner from the food trucks, and take the family for a spin on the free Ferris wheel. Auslan interpreters will be part of the program, helping make it a night everyone can enjoy.

Getting there: walking, cycling or public transport is the easiest option. If you’re driving, enter your rego at the meter for four hours of free parking, though spaces may be limited.

Ministry of Sound is back at HOTA, Home of the Arts, with its biggest Gold Coast event yet. The Summer Dance Festival has moved to a new summer date and is expanding across the HOTA Precinct, with three stages spread through the parklands surrounding the lake.

The lineup

Leading the bill is CLASSICAL, with the Ministry of Sound Orchestra performing dance music’s greatest tracks live. Joining them are international dance legends Roger Sanchez (USA), Seb Fontaine (UK), Braxe + Falcon (FR), Utah Saints (UK), K-Klass (UK) and DJ Paulette (UK), along with Australian favourites John Course, Minx and Tenzin, plus a strong lineup of local talent.

A day-to-night festival

The Summer Dance Festival celebrates the defining moments of dance music and the artists who shaped them, with the classics reworked and reimagined on a bigger scale than ever. Thanks to huge demand, the whole precinct becomes a multi-stage open-air festival, featuring:

• Three stages with high-end production
• A Silent Disco
• Curated bars and premium food
• Lakeside parklands with the Surfers Paradise skyline as your backdrop

VIP tickets

For the ultimate festival day, VIP includes two welcome drinks, express entry, access to a raised viewing deck behind the main stage, and entry to the VIP Village at the Golden Stage. Inside, you’ll find exclusive bars, dedicated food vendors, private bathrooms, shaded seating and a keepsake tour laminate.

Premium Admission

Want to stay close to the action? Premium Admission gives you express entry plus faster bar and bathroom lines, so you spend less time waiting and more time dancing.

Don’t miss the Gold Coast’s ultimate summer dance event. Secure your tickets to Ministry of Sound Summer Dance Festival at HOTA today.

Spilt Milk returns to the Gold Coast this December after selling out last year, and the Queensland leg comes with a lineup that’s well worth clearing your calendar for.

At the top of the bill are two international headliners you’ll only catch at Spilt Milk. Scottish hitmaker Lewis Capaldi makes his first Australian festival appearance since his triumphant 2025 Glastonbury set, bringing his latest UK chart-topper “Survive”. Sharing the top spot is South London’s RAYE, the record-breaking BRIT Awards winner, with songs from her second album, THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.

The rest of the bill runs deep. UK songwriter Maisie Peters plays an exclusive set featuring her number-one album Florescence, US rapper Baby Keem arrives with new record Ca$ino, and Remi Wolf brings her colourful, genre-bending pop. Irish producer KETTAMA delivers big-room electronic energy, while Sydney’s DMA’S return to Spilt Milk for the first time in a decade with their new self-titled album. Keep an eye out for STÜM, Miss Kaninna and Kurdish-Kiwi favourite Fat Papi further down the lineup, plus an exclusive Gold Coast set from the winner of the American Apparel StAArt Up Fund.

Tickets are available through spilt-milk.com.au.

Christmas comes to the southern end of the Coast as Cooly Carols returns to Queen Elizabeth Park, right by the sand at Coolangatta.

It’s a relaxed, beachside take on the classic carols night: bring a picnic rug, gather the family and a few friends, and settle in as the sun goes down for an evening of festive songs with the ocean as your backdrop. It’s an easy, low-key way to get into the holiday spirit, with plenty of room for the kids to soak up the Christmas cheer.

The full program and performer line-up are still under wraps, so watch this space for more details in the lead-up.

Presented by the City of Gold Coast.

The Toni and Ryan podcast is coming off the airwaves and onto the stage, and you’re invited to be part of it. For the first time ever, Toni and Ryan are recording live in Australia, with a stop at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast.

Fans know the show for its honest, no-holds-barred conversations and quick wit, the kind of chat that feels like catching up with your closest mates. Over time, it has grown one of the warmest and most welcoming podcast communities in the country, and now that community gets to come together in person.

You’ll get everything you love about the podcast: the unpredictable tangents, the open conversations and the moments that leave you crying with laughter. On top of that, you’ll get something you can’t get through your headphones: the buzz of a full room of TARPers laughing along together.

Whether you’ve been with them since episode one or only started listening recently, this is your chance to be in the audience for a live episode and connect with fellow fans from your area. Book your tickets to the Toni and Ryan live podcast recording at HOTA before they’re gone.

One of Australia’s best exports, Thomas Green storms back onto the stage to electrify audiences with a brand new hour, following his sell-out debut tour. After a significant self-discovery, Green realises his life is a whirlwind full of tangents of his own making, navigating through the impulsive, random and stupid.

After selling out all UK shows in 2025, Thomas Green’s Brainstorm tour is one of the hottest tickets around – now running into 2027 including 14 shows at London’s Leicester Square Theatre.

As seen on ITV and as heard on BBC radio. Tour support for Mo Gilligan, Jason Manford, Russell Kane and Adam Rowe. A podcast fan-favourite, and regular guest on the hit podcast ‘Have A Word’.

One of Australia’s greatest rock exports is coming home. Multi-platinum legends JET return to live shows in 2026, bringing the timeless anthems that defined a generation of rock music. From the stadium-filling swagger of “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” to the emotional punch of “Look What You’ve Done,” Jet’s catalogue remains as electrifying today as when they conquered the world in the early 2000s.

Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2023, Jet’s influence on modern rock is undeniable—6x ARIA Awards, 10x Platinum certifications in Australia, and global sales exceeding 6.5 million albums. Their debut album Get Born didn’t just launch a career; it launched a phenomenon. This is your chance to experience that lightning in a bottle live.

Backed by Sydney’s explosive indie rock powerhouses LIQUID ZOO, a five-piece built for maximum impact. Combining the swagger of The Strokes, the grit of early Kings of Leon, and the raw intensity of Amyl and the Sniffers, Liquid Zoo brings the perfect high-octane warmup to get the crowd primed for an unforgettable night.

Blues on Broadbeach takes over the Gold Coast’s favourite dining and entertainment precinct again next May, turning streets, parks, bars and stages into one big four-day celebration of blues and roots music.

The core of the festival stays free, with a packed program of overseas legends, Australian favourites and up-and-coming acts playing across stages and venues throughout Broadbeach. Wander between sets by day, then settle in as the precinct buzzes late into the night with everything from slow-burning soul to foot-stomping, dance-till-you-drop performances.

For something a little more special, the ticketed Sunday Ticket returns for a fourth year, closing the festival with a premium line-up of headline performances. Food lovers can also book into the Late Night Supper series, which pairs up-close blues sets with curated dining.

The 2027 line-up is yet to be announced, so keep an eye out for artist news in the months ahead. Leave the car at home if you can, as parking around Broadbeach fills quickly during the festival; the G:link and buses are the easiest way in.