At a glance
- When
- Saturday 31 October, 12pm to 10pm, and Sunday 1 November, 11am to 4pm (HOTA’s event page)
- Where
- HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise
- Tickets
- Adult $11.60 and concession $6.60 on HOTA’s page, including a $1.60 booking fee; children 13 and under free with a child ticket; children 3 and under free, no ticket
- Getting there
- The festival recommends a taxi, rideshare, walking or cycling; the G:link to Surfers Paradise is about a 15-minute walk away
- Parking
- HOTA’s car park fills quickly; the City gives the first 4 hours free from 9am to 7pm if you enter your registration at the meter
- Who it’s for
- Anyone going to the festival at HOTA on Saturday 31 October or Sunday 1 November, including families with children
- What to do now
- Buy tickets through HOTA’s event page, plan a way in that avoids driving, and check the festival’s social channels on the day for weather updates
- Last checked
- Monday 26 October 2026, against the festival website, HOTA’s event page and the City of Gold Coast’s HOTA car park page
- Not yet confirmed
- The stage and cooking demonstration times, the festival map and the vendor list (the festival has not published them yet); the fireworks start time
The first Gold Coast Greek Festival in 13 years runs at HOTA in Surfers Paradise on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November 2026, with adult tickets at $11.60 on HOTA’s page, free entry for children 13 and under, and fireworks on Saturday night.
This guide uses the festival’s own website, HOTA’s event page and the City of Gold Coast’s HOTA car park page, as checked on 26 October 2026. The festival’s site says its content is still being finalised, and its program and map pages have not been published yet, so times and the map may change. We note below where sources differ.
When does the Gold Coast Greek Festival open, and what does it cost?
HOTA’s event page gives Saturday 31 October as 12pm to 10pm and Sunday 1 November as 11am to 4pm. A community news report on the festival gave the Sunday start as 10am, so check HOTA’s page before you leave.
| Ticket | Price on HOTA’s page | What the festival site says |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $11.60 | $10 plus a $1.60 booking fee |
| Concession | $6.60 | $5 plus a $1.60 booking fee |
| Child 13 years and under | Free, child ticket required | Free, child ticket required |
| Child 3 years and under | Free, no ticket needed | Free, no ticket needed |
The festival’s FAQ page says tickets are sold online through HOTA, and that tickets will be available at the gate unless sold out, though it recommends booking online in advance.
What is on at the festival?
The festival’s what’s on page lists live cooking demonstrations: George Calombaris with Vikki Moursellas, and Anna Polyviou with her yiayia. It also lists live music, traditional Greek dancing, backgammon and entertainment for all ages. HOTA’s page adds loukoumades and baklava, Zorba and dance workshops, plate smashing and a Saturday night fireworks finale. The festival’s about page calls it a not-for-profit, community-driven celebration and says it is the return of a Greek festival to the Gold Coast after thirteen years.
The festival’s program page, with stage times and performance times, and its map page had not been published as of 26 October, so this guide cannot give set times. HOTA’s event page lists pyrotechnics, strobe effects and loud noises among its warnings.
How do I get to HOTA without driving?
The festival’s FAQ says HOTA’s car park can fill up quickly and recommends a taxi, rideshare, walking or cycling instead of driving, and carpooling if you do drive. Its suggestions are:
- Bus: plan the trip on translink.com.au.
- G:link: catch the tram to Surfers Paradise, then walk across Chevron Island and the HOTA Green Bridge. The festival says this is about 15 minutes, while HOTA’s own getting here page says about 20 minutes.
- Pick-up and drop-off: use the dedicated zone at the venue; drop-off and pick-up on surrounding roads is not permitted.
- Taxis: there are two signed taxi zones within the precinct.
- Rideshare: the festival advises being dropped a short distance away and walking in, to avoid traffic entering and leaving the precinct.
HOTA’s page also lists the HOPO ferry, which stops at HOTA, Marina Mirage and Sea World; see our guide to the HOPO ferry.
Where can I park, and what does it cost?
The City of Gold Coast’s HOTA precinct car park page says almost 900 public spaces are available. From 9am to 7pm the first 4 hours are free if you enter your vehicle registration at the meter on arrival; the offer is valid once per day per vehicle and cannot be redeemed through the EasyPark app. The City gives a flat rate of $8.40 for staying longer than 4 hours, and says parking is free and unrestricted before 9am and after 7pm. HOTA’s own page gives the day rate as $8.00, so check the meter. The City warns that you may be fined if you do not enter your registration on arrival.
The City says the first 4 hours between 9am and 7pm are free with registration at the meter, and a flat rate applies after 4 hours; the festival runs 12pm to 10pm on Saturday. For how the car park works, see our guide to HOTA parking. Accessible parking is in the car parks near the entrance to the main building, the HOTA Gallery and the playground by the lake, according to the City and HOTA.
What can I bring, and what if it rains?
- Food: the festival says you cannot bring food; food and drinks are sold on site, with souvlaki, gyros, loukoumades and Greek sweets named, and the vendor list still to be announced.
- Weather: the festival goes ahead rain or shine, and weather updates go on its social media channels.
- Pets: not allowed inside HOTA venues, including the outdoor stage when it is used for an event; registered assistance animals are welcome.
- Accessibility: HOTA gives (07) 5588 4000 for specific access needs.
HOTA’s event page has more answers on what is prohibited, pass-outs, chairs, eskies, cameras and first aid in its FAQ section. For the next big event on the same lawns, see our guide to the Mayor’s Christmas Carols.
Who is behind the festival?
The festival’s about page says it is an initiative of the Honorary Consul-General of Greece in Queensland, George D. Mastrocostas, and is held under his patronage. It describes the event as not-for-profit and community-driven, run through the work of volunteers, families, community organisations, performers and local businesses. The aim, the page says, is to bring Queensland’s Greek community together, introduce Greek culture to a wider audience and give younger Greek Australians something to take part in and carry forward. The festival’s website says the 2026 event is the start of what it hopes will become an annual tradition.
How should I plan a visit?
- Buy tickets through HOTA’s event page, and add a free child ticket for each child aged 13 and under; children aged 3 and under need no ticket.
- Choose how you will arrive before you leave home. If you drive, register your car at a parking meter as soon as you park, because the City can fine a car that is not registered.
- Check the festival’s website and social channels on the morning of your visit for the program and any weather update.
- Eat at the festival, because outside food cannot be brought in.
- Plan a pick-up away from the main entrance after Saturday night’s fireworks, since HOTA says taxi and rideshare demand is high after popular events.
What if the details change?
The festival says its content is being finalised and updated regularly, and its social channels carry weather and program news. We will correct this guide on the morning of the festival if the sources change.
Sources
- Gold Coast Greek Festival — website, FAQs, about and what’s on pages (read 26 October 2026)
- HOTA — Gold Coast Greek Festival event page (read 26 October 2026)
- City of Gold Coast — HOTA Home of the Arts Precinct Carpark
- HOTA — Getting here
- Greek City Times — Gold Coast Greek Festival at HOTA (community news report, used for context only)
Featured image: HOTA, Home of the Arts, in 2020, shown for orientation (photo: MarketingHOTA / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the Gold Coast Greek Festival, HOTA or the City of Gold Coast. Event details change; check the festival’s website and HOTA’s page before you go.