At a glance
- When
- Saturday 21 to Friday 27 November; Orchid Avenue and Cavill Avenue to Saturday 28 November
- Where
- The Esplanade, Orchid Avenue and Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise
- What's affected
- The Esplanade fully closed 5pm to 4am; Orchid Avenue and Cavill Avenue 7pm to 4am
- Alternative
- Safer Schoolies Hotline 13 QGOV (13 74 68)
- Official notice
- Queensland Government Safer Schoolies page
During Schoolies Week, from Saturday 21 to Friday 27 November, The Esplanade in Surfers Paradise is fully closed between Hanlan Street and Trickett Street from 5pm to 4am each night, and Orchid Avenue and Cavill Avenue (from Surfers Paradise Boulevard to Orchid Avenue) are closed from 7pm to 4am from Saturday 21 to Saturday 28 November.
These times come from the Queensland Government’s Safer Schoolies page for Gold Coast residents and businesses, checked on 16 October 2026. The page says the information is accurate at the time of publishing and is subject to change without further notice, and that all traffic changes are at Queensland Police Service discretion.
Which roads close, and when?
| Road | Dates | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Esplanade, Hanlan Street to Trickett Street | Saturday 21 to Friday 27 November | 5pm to 4am | Full closure |
| Orchid Avenue; Cavill Avenue from Surfers Paradise Boulevard to Orchid Avenue | Saturday 21 to Saturday 28 November | 7pm to 4am | Full closure |
| The Esplanade, southbound lane, View Avenue to Elkhorn Avenue | Saturday 21 to Friday 27 November | 5pm to 4am | Partial closure |
| The Esplanade, Elkhorn Avenue to Laycock Street | Friday 13 November; Monday 16 to Friday 20 November; Saturday 28 November to Tuesday 1 December | Intermittent | Intermittent closure |
The Safer Schoolies Hotline is 13 QGOV (13 74 68) for any questions about the changes.
Is any part of The Esplanade closed for good?
Yes. The Safer Schoolies page says the 250-metre section of The Esplanade between Hanlan Street and the Soul building roundabout has officially been made a permanent, vehicle-free pedestrian zone. It does not give a date for when that began, so the Schoolies closure for Hanlan Street to Trickett Street is a separate, nightly closure on the wider stretch.
What if I live in a building affected by the closures?
The page says residents who cannot reach their building during the temporary closures will be offered alternative car parking. Speak to your building manager or call the hotline on 13 QGOV (13 74 68). Information for Surfers Paradise residents is also published in a community newsletter, which covers road closures, diversionary activities, support services and safety initiatives.
What about noise?
Amplified music is used in the Schoolies Hub on Friday 20 November from 5pm to 7:30pm for a sound check, and from 7pm to midnight each night from Saturday 21 to Friday 27 November. The organisers say they follow the state noise guidelines. For complaints, call the 24-hour Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372.
What is the Schoolies Hub, and can I go in?
The Schoolies Hub is a fenced, alcohol and drug-free entertainment precinct on the beach at Surfers Paradise. To enter you must be a Year 12 school graduate wearing an official Safer Schoolies wristband, and the organisers say wristbands are free to legitimate school leavers. The page says the hub is only for school leavers, and that it is not operational during Week 2 on the Gold Coast. If you are not a school leaver, plan to stay outside the fence.
How do the car parks and trams fit in?
The City of Gold Coast says that if you hold a long-term parking voucher that overlaps full car park closure periods for major events, such as the Gold Coast 500 or Schoolies, the voucher is extended automatically for the days lost. Our guides to the Cypress Avenue car park and the Bruce Bishop car park cover the rates in Surfers Paradise.
On the trams, Translink’s November evening closures notice says buses replace trams between Helensvale and Gold Coast University Hospital stations from 7:30pm until the last service on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November, which falls in Schoolies Week, and again on Sunday 29 and Monday 30 November. The notice says the cause is Coomera Connector (Stage 1) construction and that normal services resume from the first service the next morning. Our G:link November closures guide has the full list.
What about earlier closures on Cavill Avenue?
Cavill Avenue, the Gold Coast Highway and Surfers Paradise Boulevard are also closed on Monday to Wednesday nights until 5:00am on Saturday 7 November for utilities work, according to the City of Gold Coast. That work ends before Schoolies Week, and our Cavill Avenue night closures guide has the details. It is separate from the Schoolies closures above.
Sources
- Safer Schoolies — Gold Coast residents and businesses (road closures, noise, residents; checked 16 October 2026)
- Safer Schoolies — Schoolies Hub
- Translink — November evening tram closures, Helensvale to Gold Coast University Hospital
- City of Gold Coast — Council carparks
Featured image: The Esplanade at Surfers Paradise (photo: Kgbo / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Safer Schoolies, the Queensland Government, the City of Gold Coast or Translink. Closures are at Queensland Police Service discretion and can change; check the official pages before you travel.