Events In Surfers Paradise

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Travel Information for Queensland Visitors - Queensland Tourist Safety Information - regularly updated, official website.

COVID-19 FAQ's For Activities, Tours, Cruises & Theme Park Tickets - General Ticket & Pass FAQs and COVID-19 Travel Update.

Thank you for your understanding and patience at this really difficult time.

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Events in Surfers Paradise to attend or avoid?

Cavill Mall in Surfers Paradise is a great venue for events. A couple of major Gold Coast events are based in and around Surfers each year. Attend or avoid? That is the question! For example families and schoolies don't go together!

Events In Surfers Paradise

In any given month there is always some event, festival, carnival, fireworks or concert going on in Surfers.

The main focus of most of these events is around Cavill Mall and now Circle on Cavill and of course the beach. Check the events calendars for more up to date information about these smaller events and also the dates for the two larger Surfers Paradise events.

Each year there are also two main events in Surfers Paradise that last for several days and have a big impact on the area. In my opinion, all visitors to the Gold Coast during October and November need to be aware of these events and the potential consequences to their trip.

The events are:

• Surfers Paradise/Gold Coast 600 - October (replaced Gold Coast Indy in 2009)
• Gold Coast Schoolies - November

If you are planning to stay in Surfers Paradise, you should be aware of these events if you are travelling in either October or November. You may wish to move your travel dates so you can be a part of the event or you may wish to make sure your travel doesn't co-incide with them.

These are not the only events in Surfers Paradise, but they are the ones that have the most influence on planning a trip.

Gold Coast Events Information Year to Year

* Events may be cancelled or rescheduled at anytime for any reason.
It is highly recommend you check dates with the event organizer before booking your trip.

Guide to Gold Coast Events

Surfers Paradise Gold Coast 600

GC600 is the replacement event for the Gold Coast Indy, which was run in Surfers Paradise and Main Beach for the last time in October 2008.

As well as the track based races there are many events, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and entertainment that is scheduled to be run to make this a real party atmosphere.

For visitors to GC600 it is a great atmosphere and staying in Surfers or Main Beach is definitely the best option to really get the most out of the carnival.

If you are not interested in motorsport and are planning a holiday to the Gold Coast in October, I highly recommend you either shift your holiday dates to avoid the actual SuperGP week or else choose a location outside Surfers Paradise or Main Beach to stay in.

Accommodation is often most expensive during this week as it will be at a premium with all the teams and specatators vying for the good locations.

Surfers Paradise Schoolies Week

Every year as the school leavers graduate they head to holiday destinations to party. Surfers Paradise Schoolies week is an event that has grown over the years into a huge commercial event attracting both Queensland schoolies and schoolies from around Australia.

Surfers Paradise hosts schoolies with something like 17,000 plus descending upon the area to enjoy and celebrate their coming of age.

There are event areas set up and there is a registration process so that only schoolies get into events to help keep it as safe as possible.

For the rest of us, this means to me that, Surfers is a NO-GO Zone during this week. To be honest, I would extend that for the week after the formal event. The other Australia states school leavers tend to float on up for the party for the following week, even though there aren't the same events running.

To me families and schoolies, don't mix. Neither do overseas tourists! My tip, AVOID SCHOOLIES unless you are a schoolie!

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