At a glance
- When
- Saturday 12 December 2026, 3pm to 9pm
- Where
- The Great Lawn, Broadwater Parklands, Marine Parade, Southport
- Who it’s for
- Families and anyone after handmade gifts, festive food and live music in the evening
- What to do now
- Choose how you will arrive: the Broadwater car park is metered at $3.60 an hour, and the G:link stops at Broadwater Parklands station
- Last checked
- Sunday 8 November 2026, against the organiser’s website and the City of Gold Coast pages
- Not yet confirmed
- Entry price, the music and dance line-up, the stall list, and the wet-weather plan for this evening
The Broadwater Pavilion Twilight Christmas Market takes over the Great Lawn at Broadwater Parklands in Southport from 3pm to 9pm on Saturday 12 December 2026, and the organiser lists live music, dancing, artisan stalls and seasonal food under the park’s giant Christmas tree. The organiser has not yet published an entry price or a line-up, so this guide sticks to what is confirmed: the date, the place, and how to get there.
The market is run by Broadwater Pavilion Markets (BWP Markets), the group behind a monthly Saturday market in the same parklands. The details below come from that organiser’s own website and from City of Gold Coast pages, all checked on 8 November 2026.
When and where is the market?
The organiser’s Twilight Christmas Market page gives the date as 12 December, 3pm to 9pm, and the location as the Great Lawn at Broadwater Parklands. The page is headed 2026, and the home page says the market is back for 2026 after a sold-out edition last year. The organiser describes it as an evening of festive fun on the Great Lawn “under the glow of the giant Christmas Tree”.
| Item | What the organiser says |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday 12 December 2026 |
| Hours | 3pm to 9pm |
| Place | The Great Lawn, Broadwater Parklands |
| What is promised | Artisan shopping, seasonal food, live music and dancing |
| Vendor applications | Close Sunday 6 December, unless booked out earlier |
The Great Lawn is one of nine outdoor spaces the City of Gold Coast lists for hire at Broadwater Parklands. The City’s park page says the parklands are home to the Gold Coast Marathon, the Gold Coast Show and Monster Machinery Day, and that its upcoming events are listed on What’s On Gold Coast.
What will be on?
The organiser’s home page lists three things: artisan shopping with handmade gifts, crafts and festive treasures; gourmet seasonal food and treats; and live music and dancing in what it calls a family-friendly atmosphere. It has not named the performers, the stallholders or the times of any show. Stallholder places are still being filled, since vendor applications are open until Sunday 6 December, so the final stall list will not exist until then.
The organiser says confirmed stallholders are promoted on its Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages before the event. Those channels are the likeliest place for a line-up to appear. We will not guess at one here.
Does it cost anything to go in?
The organiser’s pages do not say. Nothing on its Twilight Christmas Market page, its home page or its FAQ page mentions an admission price, a ticket link or a free-entry promise. Treat entry as unconfirmed until the organiser says so on its website or social pages.
Can I park nearby?
Yes, but it is paid parking. The City of Gold Coast’s Broadwater car park page, which we read for our Broadwater car park guide, lists these terms as of October 2026:
| Item | City of Gold Coast |
|---|---|
| Rate | $3.60 an hour |
| Paid times | 9am to 7pm, Monday to Sunday |
| Outside paid times | Free, 24 hours a day |
| Capacity | 650 to 699 spaces |
| Payment | Card or coins; some meters take card only |
The City’s Broadwater Parklands page gives a different start time: “metered parking from 7am to 7pm”. The car park page is the one that sets out the fees for this car park, so we use 9am to 7pm, but read the meter and the signs when you park.
The market’s own vendor page gives a hint of the cost on the day. It tells stallholders that parking is paid from 9am, that it is “approx $20 for the duration of the market”, and that they must follow the Gold Coast City Council parking signs. That figure is the organiser’s estimate for vendors who arrive in the morning. It is not a published visitor price. A visitor who arrives after 3pm would pay for the hours between 3pm and 7pm, if the City’s paid times apply on the day.
The City’s accessible parking page says people with a valid disability parking permit can park free in metered spaces across the Gold Coast. The Parklands page adds that accessible parking spaces are spread across the northern, central and southern car parks.
Can I get there by tram, bus or ferry?
The City’s park page says Translink buses run along Marine Parade, the G:link runs through Southport, and the Hopo ferry stops at Broadwater Parklands. Broadwater Parklands has its own G:link station, shown below, which is named for the park.
We have not found a Translink notice that changes tram or bus services for Saturday 12 December. Use the Translink journey planner or call 13 12 30 close to the day, since service updates are usually published a few days ahead. Our Hopo ferry guide covers the ferry stop.
What else is open in the parklands that day?
The City lists the Rockpools water play area as open 8am to 6pm in December, with Christmas Day opening at 12pm. The Bouncy Pillow at Washington Waters Playground is listed as 7am to 7pm for December and January. Both lists say hours may change due to weather. The swimming enclosure is not patrolled and dogs are not allowed in it, according to the City.
What if it rains?
The organiser’s FAQ covers its monthly market, not this evening. It says that if rain would affect the market, the organisers will cancel it and set a new date, and that they will publicise it across all platforms. The Twilight Christmas Market page does not say whether the same rule applies, so we cannot say what happens to this event in bad weather. Watch the organiser’s Facebook and Instagram pages on the day.
Is this the same as the monthly Pavilion Markets?
No. The organiser’s FAQ says the Broadwater Pavilion Markets run on a Saturday from 8am to 2pm in every month except January, on Fisherman’s Lawn. The Twilight Christmas Market is a separate evening event on the Great Lawn. The organiser says exact dates for the monthly market are posted on its social media pages, and we found no December monthly date on its website. Do not assume there is a morning market on the same day.
Is anything else on at Broadwater Parklands in December?
We saw third-party listings for a Christmas Markets GC event at Broadwater Parklands from 18 to 20 December, but we found no organiser or City page for it. We have left it out. If you want something at the parklands on another night, our December Christmas markets and twilight events guide lists the City-listed Gold Coast events for the month.
What should I check before I go?
- Entry price: not published by the organiser as of 8 November.
- Line-up and times: not published.
- Wet-weather plan for the evening: not stated.
- Translink service notices for 12 December: none found as of 8 November.
- Parking: read the meter and signs; the City’s two pages differ on the start time.
The organiser’s contact is info@bwpmarkets.com.au, and its FAQ says messages through its contact form, Instagram or Facebook are the only way to reach it.
More guides: Gold Coast parking guide
Sources
- Broadwater Pavilion Markets — 2026 Twilight Christmas Market
- Broadwater Pavilion Markets — home
- Broadwater Pavilion Markets — FAQ
- City of Gold Coast — Broadwater Parklands
- City of Gold Coast — Broadwater Carpark
- City of Gold Coast — Metered parking
- City of Gold Coast — Accessible parking
Featured image: Broadwater Parklands wharf, Southport (photo: Totallynotarandomalt69 / CC BY 4.0; text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Broadwater Pavilion Markets or the City of Gold Coast. Check the official pages above before you go.