At a glance
- Runaway Bay Carols by Candlelight
- Saturday 28 November, 5pm to 8pm, Runaway Bay Soccer Fields, Lae Drive; free; fireworks at 8pm
- Santa’s Arrival and Buggy Parade
- Saturday 28 November, from 10am, Sanctuary Cove, Masthead Way, Hope Island; free to attend
- North Burleigh Carols by the Sea
- Thursday 3 December, 4pm to 8pm, Ed Hardy Park, The Esplanade, Miami; free; stage program from 6pm
- Tugun Lights Up
- Saturday 5 December, 4pm to 8pm, Toolona Street, Tugun; free
- Christmas at Frascott
- Saturday 5 December, 5pm to 8pm, Frascott Park, Mattocks Road, Varsity Lakes; free; laser show to finish
- Alicia Street Christmas Fair
- Sunday 6 December, 4:30pm to 7:30pm, 28 Alicia Street, Southport; free
- Parking
- The City says parking may be limited and suggests public transport, walking or cycling
- Who it’s for
- Gold Coast families who want a free local Christmas event close to home between 28 November and 6 December
- What to do now
- Pick the event nearest you, save the date, and check the City’s listing on the day
- Last checked
- Saturday 31 October 2026, against the City of Gold Coast’s What’s On listings
- Not yet confirmed
- Stage running orders, the Alicia Street and Tugun programs, and the Hope Island parade route, which the listings do not give
Six free community Christmas events run across the Gold Coast between Saturday 28 November and Sunday 6 December 2026, and Runaway Bay is the only one of the six whose listing promises a fireworks display, at 8pm. This guide uses the City of Gold Coast’s What’s On Gold Coast listing for each event, read on 31 October 2026, and the City or the organiser may change the details.
Which community Christmas events are on, and when?
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 28 November | Runaway Bay Carols by Candlelight | Runaway Bay Soccer Fields, Lae Drive, Runaway Bay | 5pm to 8pm |
| Saturday 28 November | Santa’s Arrival and Buggy Parade | Sanctuary Cove, Masthead Way, Hope Island | From 10am |
| Thursday 3 December | North Burleigh Carols by the Sea | Ed Hardy Park, The Esplanade, Miami | 4pm to 8pm |
| Saturday 5 December | Tugun Lights Up | Toolona Street, Tugun | 4pm to 8pm |
| Saturday 5 December | Christmas at Frascott | Frascott Park, Mattocks Road, Varsity Lakes | 5pm to 8pm |
| Sunday 6 December | Alicia Street Christmas Fair | 28 Alicia Street, Southport | 4:30pm to 7:30pm |
All six are listed as free. The City’s larger event that weekend, the Mayor’s Christmas Carols at HOTA on 28 and 29 November, is a separate event with limited free tickets; see our guide to the Mayor’s Christmas Carols at HOTA.
What is on at Runaway Bay Carols by Candlelight on 28 November?
The City’s listing describes a free evening of carols, live entertainment, food vendors, family activities, Santa and a fireworks finale at 8pm. It is hosted by John Kerr (94.1FM) and Danielle Goullet (Australian Events & Entertainment), with Councillor Shelley Curtis. The performers named are Brett Mills, Leah Lever, Jack Watson, Sharon Rowntree and Craig Martin, with local school choirs and a 7-piece band. There is free face painting, food, drinks and sweet treats, glow products for sale and appearances from Christmas characters. The listing suggests bringing a picnic rug. For questions, the listing gives Cr Curtis’s Division 4 office on 07 5581 1680.
What happens at Santa’s Arrival and the Buggy Parade at Hope Island?
Sanctuary Cove, with Ray White Sanctuary Cove, runs a Santa’s Arrival Parade that includes the Rotary Hope Island Buggy Parade on Saturday 28 November from 10am. The listing promises creatively decorated buggies, costumed characters, a Santa Show after the parade and a sausage sizzle that raises funds for Rotary Hope Island. Event admission is free, but it costs money to register a buggy. The Best Decorated Buggy wins a 2-night stay at the Hayman InterContinental Great Barrier Reef Resort, and the listing says registrations open in mid-October at Ray White Sanctuary Cove. The listing does not give an end time. Sanctuary Cove Marine Village’s number on the listing is 07 5577 6500.
What is on at North Burleigh Carols by the Sea on 3 December?
The listing says the afternoon and evening at Ed Hardy Park, The Esplanade, Miami, starts at 4pm with children’s activities, food trucks and markets, followed by Christmas-themed stage entertainment, including carols, community groups and live music, from 6pm. It is presented by Division 12 Councillor Nick Marshall. The organiser’s contact on the listing is The Events Agency on 1300 855 270.
What is on at Tugun Lights Up on 5 December?
This is the thirteenth annual Tugun Lights Up, on Toolona Street, Tugun, from 4pm to 8pm. The listing says you can dine at local cafés and restaurants, look at local business offerings or visit the Christmas market stalls, with children’s entertainment through the program and a visit from Santa. It is presented by Division 14 Councillor Gail O’Neill with Community Bank Tugun, part of Bendigo Bank. The listing gives no stage times.
What is on at Christmas at Frascott on 5 December?
Christmas at Frascott at Frascott Park, Mattocks Road, Varsity Lakes, runs from 5pm to 8pm. The listing says it begins at 5pm with market stalls, trackless train rides, kids entertainment and food trucks. From 5pm on the main stage Santa Claus arrives alongside Christmas characters and school performances, and the night finishes with a live laser show. It is presented by Division 11 Councillor Dan Doran.
What is on at the Alicia Street Christmas Fair on 6 December?
The Alicia Street Christmas Fair, at 28 Alicia Street, Southport, runs on Sunday 6 December from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. The listing names live music, market stalls, inflatable fun, local restaurant specials, games and activities, and a visit from Santa Claus, and calls it a chance to bring together the local community, schools, businesses and residents. It is organised by Division 6 Councillor Brooke Patterson.
Can I park at these events?
Every listing carries the same City advice: use public transport, walking or cycling, and plan your trip with Translink’s journey planner. If you drive, the City says parking may be limited, that the EasyPark app lets you start, stop or extend metered parking from your phone, and that parking regulations still apply during events. Our guide to City of Gold Coast parking meters explains the meters, and our G:link fares guide explains how to pay for a tram. The listings do not name a bus route or tram stop for any of the six events.
How should I plan?
- Choose the event nearest you from the table, since all six are free.
- Arrive on foot, by bike or by public transport if you can, because the City says parking may be limited.
- For Runaway Bay, bring a picnic rug if you want to sit, as the listing suggests, and stay until 8pm for the fireworks.
- If you want to enter a buggy at Hope Island, register at Ray White Sanctuary Cove, since it costs money to register a buggy.
- Open the City’s listing for your event on the day for any change.
Who do I ask?
The listings give these contacts: Cr Shelley Curtis’s Division 4 office on 07 5581 1680 for Runaway Bay; Sanctuary Cove Marine Village on 07 5577 6500 for Hope Island; and The Events Agency on 1300 855 270 for North Burleigh, Tugun, Frascott and Alicia Street.
Sources
- What’s On Gold Coast — Runaway Bay Carols by Candlelight (read 31 October 2026)
- What’s On Gold Coast — Santa’s Arrival and Buggy Parade (read 31 October 2026)
- What’s On Gold Coast — North Burleigh Carols by the Sea (read 31 October 2026)
- What’s On Gold Coast — Tugun Lights Up (read 31 October 2026)
- What’s On Gold Coast — Christmas at Frascott (read 31 October 2026)
- What’s On Gold Coast — Alicia Street Christmas Fair (read 31 October 2026)
Featured image: Christmas decorations at Gold Coast Airport in 2022, shown for orientation and not at the events (photo: Kgbo / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the City of Gold Coast, Sanctuary Cove or The Events Agency. Event details change; check the City’s listing before you go.