Your Cultural Guide to the Gold Coast: Local Creatives, Independent Boutiques and Arts Spaces
Explore the Gold Coast beyond the beach with this insider guide to galleries, festivals, independent boutiques and local markets.
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While the city may be famous for its beach and wellness lifestyle, the Gold Coast also has a thriving cultural scene. One that's filled with local makers, independent boutiques and art spaces. From gallery exhibitions and circus performers to Indigenous tours and food markets, Get Up and Gold Coast and discover the city's cultural side with this insider guide.
UNLEASHES+, HOTA
HOTA, Home of the Arts
The first stop on a cultural tour has to be HOTA, Home of the Arts. It's a precinct that brings together galleries, live performance, cinema and dining all under one roof.
On now is the free exhibition A Bigger View, which spans artists, decades and continents to showcase large-scale artworks and masterpieces from the National Gallery of Australia and major works from HOTA. Among other talented artists, the exhibition also includes two pieces by Henri Matisse and one by Pintupi artist Long Tom Tjapanangka.
Alongside art and exhibitions, HOTA also hosts theatre, including international productions such as the high-energy circus cabaret La Clique, which returns in March after its sold-out debut in 2025. The show blends daring acrobatics and stunts with burlesque and comedy to create a captivating night out. Also in March, for one weekend only, comes Duck Pond, an "exuberant take" on the famous Swan Lake ballet in circus form. If you want to elevate your cultural day out, head to Palette, HOTA's flagship restaurant. It's the Gold Coast's only three-hatted restaurant, with a menu that is inspired by the gallery's exhibitions.
Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre
Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre
A huge part of the Gold Coast's culture is its Indigenous history. Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre, located at Burleigh Headland, offers locals and visitors the opportunity of guided walks, exhibitions and storytelling experiences to showcase the Yugambeh language and Country. Learn about the land's history and its First Nations people to gain an even deeper sense of its cultural heritage. To inspire you to Get Up and Gold Coast, Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre is offering two weekday walkabout tours for the price of one. Bring a friend or family member along for free and discover ancient stories and Burleigh's vibrant culture.
Swell Sculpture Festival
Gold Coast Festivals
Many art festivals choose the Gold Coast as their home base. First on the calendar in July is the Surface Miami Street Art Festival, which features large-scale murals and live painting in the Gold Coast suburb of Miami. In September, the Swell Sculpture Festival transforms Currumbin Beach into an openair gallery for Queensland's largest outdoor sculpture exhibition.
BLEACH* Festival is an annual citywide celebration of performance, visual art and music that takes over the Gold Coast's laneways and theatres. In 2026, BLEACH* will take place in October, so keep an eye out throughout the year as the program is unveiled. Between these festivals and many others, you've got a cultural calendar that rivals other Australian cities.
Mint Art House
Independent Boutiques
If you're looking for local creators and small businesses to support when in the Gold Coast, head to James Street's boutique stores in Burleigh. Located mere steps from the ocean, the independent shops and designers offer thoughtful curation and pieces that will remind you of your trip to the Gold Coast. For something even more unique, Mint Art House in Burleigh Heads is an artists' collective that's also a gallery, studio and events space selling unique ceramics and souvenirs for you to take home.
Miami Marketta
Food Culture
Looking to experience some of the Gold Coast's food culture? There are an abundance of markets and cafes that focus on community and creatives. Miami Marketta is a hub of creativity, good food, and live music. Described as the first creative precinct on the Gold Coast, different spaces and events are run side by side, and night markets and street food reign supreme.
At HOTA Farmer and Artisan Markets, local designers, artists and artisans host stalls every Sunday morning, offering the best in farm-fresh produce, delicious food, handcrafted wears and more. For a Gold Coast-style brunch, Stable at Cornerstone in Currumbin is a sun-filled space where seasonal produce and specialty coffee take precedence, while Sun Devil (located in Strange Days vintage clothing store) proves that some of the Gold Coast's best cafes are where you least expect them.
This is just a snippet of the cultural events, festivals and activities happening on the Gold Coast. Because while we love the city for its theme parks and beaches, it's also a growing cultural haven.
Image credit: Supplied
Lead Image: Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre
