HOTA

EVENT · ENDS 29 NOVSurfers Paradise

No Ticket for the Mayor’s Christmas Carols 2026? Free Screening on the HOTA Parklands From 4pm, Free Ferris Wheel Rides and Food Trucks on 28 and 29 November (Surfers Paradise, QLD)

A Ferris wheel in Surfers Paradise, photographed in 2011 (not the HOTA wheel)

You can still be part of the Mayor’s Christmas Carols without a ticket: the City of Gold Coast says to pack a picnic blanket for the HOTA Parklands, where the show is screened on big screens and there are food trucks and free Ferris wheel rides for the whole family, all from 4pm on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November. The second round of free tickets for the HOTA Outdoor Stage is at 6pm tonight, Tuesday 27 October.

EVENT · ENDS 1 NOVSurfers Paradise

Gold Coast Greek Festival 2026 at HOTA: Adult Tickets $11.60, Children 13 and Under Free, Saturday 12pm to 10pm With Fireworks, Sunday 11am to 4pm (Surfers Paradise, QLD)

HOTA, Home of the Arts, in 2020, shown for orientation

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.

EVENT · ENDS 29 NOVSurfers Paradise

Mayor’s Christmas Carols 2026 at HOTA: Free Tickets Release 9am Monday 26 October and 6pm Tuesday 27 October, Plus Parking and Getting There (Surfers Paradise, QLD)

Surfers Paradise skyline seen from Home of the Arts

Free tickets for the HOTA Outdoor Stage at the Mayor’s Christmas Carols are released in two rounds: 9am on Monday 26 October and 6pm on Tuesday 27 October. The City of Gold Coast’s What’s On Gold Coast page for the event lists both times, and the shows are on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November. Gold Coast is on Brisbane time, so these are Queensland times with no daylight saving.

EVENTSurfers Paradise

HOTA Markets Every Sunday, 6am to 11:30am: Parking, Ferry From 9:23am and the Walk From Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast, QLD)

HOTA Gallery entrance, Surfers Paradise

The HOTA Farmers & Artisan Markets run every Sunday from 6am to 11:30am at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise. Parking is free and unrestricted before 9am, and HOTA says parking can be limited during the markets, so it suggests public transport or a ride-share.

PARKING GUIDESurfers Paradise

HOTA Parking, Gold Coast: 4 Hours Free, Then a Flat $8.40 Day Rate — Free Times, Event Nights and Walking In (Surfers Paradise, QLD)

HOTA, Home of the Arts, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast

Parking at HOTA, Home of the Arts, is free for the first 4 hours between 9am and 7pm, as long as you enter your vehicle registration at a parking meter when you arrive. If you stay longer than 4 hours, the City of Gold Coast, which runs the HOTA Precinct Carpark, lists a flat rate of $8.40. Parking is free and unrestricted before 9am and after 7pm. Prices are as of October 2026.