Get cultured this October.
Get cultured this October.
For the first time, BLEACH Festival is moving into October, trading chilly winter nights for fresh spring energy as it celebrates its 15th year of bringing groundbreaking arts and experiences to the GC.
With new Artistic Director Felix Preval at the helm, BLEACH is entering a new chapter of big ideas and bold performances over 11 days of creativity and connection.
From jet pack performers and giant interactive installations to late-night raves and gravity-defying circus, this year’s program features more than 290 artists across 48 events where there’s always something new to discover.
We’ve rounded up nine events we don’t want to miss.
Talk about making a statement. Created by acclaimed physical theatre company Legs On The Wall, THAW sees a lone performer balancing atop a three-tonne block of melting ice suspended high above the ground. As the ice slowly disappears beneath them, so does their footing, creating a powerful metaphor for our changing climate. Catch this unforgettable performance at sunrise on Surfers Paradise Beach, before it returns for a dramatic late-night showing above HOTA Lake.
Where: Surfers Paradise Beach & HOTA Lake Precinct
When: 5am, Thursday 1 October & 11.30pm, Saturday 3 October
What happens when contemporary dance collides with rave culture? You get one seriously wild hour. This immersive performance condenses the energy of a three-day rave into a high-octane theatrical experience, complete with electronic music, pulsing lights and boundary-pushing choreography that’ll have you questioning whether you’re watching a performance or in one yourself.
Where: HOTA Basement
When: 2-4 October
Prepare to spend an night saying, “How did they do that?” Seven acrobats from Gravity & Other Myths push the limits of strength, trust and gravity in this internationally acclaimed circus performance, accompanied by a live percussionist who keeps the energy soaring.
Where: HOTA Theatre
When: 3-5 October
Fancy becoming part of the artwork? VOICES is an interactive light and sound installation where visitors spin 50 translucent tubes to activate a glowing wall of colour and soaring choral music. The more people who join in, the more spectacular the experience becomes. Equal parts playground and public artwork, it’s one you’ll definitely want on your camera roll.
Where: HOTA Lake Precinct
When: 1-11 October
Head to the top of HOTA Gallery and you’ll find one of the festival’s most Instagram-worthy installations. Better Days Studio transforms the panoramic Level 5 viewing platform into a colourful dreamscape that plays with light, landscape and perspective. It’s the perfect excuse to slow down, look up and see the Gold Coast from an entirely different angle.
Where: HOTA Gallery Level 5
When: 1-11 October
When the sun goes down, BLEACH turns up the volume. Club Peroxide transforms the Basement into the festival’s own underground nightclub across opening weekend, bringing together DJs, performers and immersive visuals for a free late-night party that’s equal parts art installation and dance floor.
Where: HOTA Basement
When: 2-3 October
Circus, First Nations storytelling and larger-than-life visual theatre come together in this magical outdoor performance from Arc Circus and the Yugambeh Aboriginal Dancers. Inspired by an ancient Dreamtime story, it’s a celebration of culture and movement that the whole family can enjoy.
Where: HOTA Lake Precinct
When: 10-11 October
BLEACH isn’t just about visual arts. Its live music lineup is stacked too. New Zealand chart-toppers Six60 bring their stadium-sized sound to the Gold Coast, delivering the feel-good anthems and infectious energy that have made them one of the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest live acts.
Where: HOTA Outdoor Stage
When: 3 October
Go out with a bang at BLEACH’s spectacular closing celebration. High Tide promises live performance, visual spectacle and jet pack performers soaring above HOTA Lake before the party continues with a family-friendly rave beneath the stars. It’s the kind of finale only BLEACH could dream up, and the perfect way to wrap up 11 unforgettable days of creativity.
Where: HOTA Lake & Outdoor Stage
When: Sunday 11 October
So warm up your vocal cords and dust off your dancing shoes because you’ll not want to miss BLEACH this October. To find out more, head to https://hota.com.au/bleach-festival
Where: HOTA, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise
When: 1st–11th October, 2026
Words by Lisette Drew
STORY SPONSORED BY HOTA
Cold weather, hot venues.
Winter has officially settled in, and let’s be real, leaving the house now requires a strong dose of motivation. Luckily, the Gold Coast’s latest wave of openings is making it a whole lot easier to throw off the doona and seize the day.
From juice bars and cookie counters to rooftop sips and smokehouses, June proves the Gold Coast dining scene is not hibernating, and neither should you.
From the team behind Fire Baby and Ember, Hicksy’s Cafe is part of the new Hicksville, a big and bold hospitality precinct on Hicks Street in Southport. By day, Hicksy’s Cafe offers up specialty Bear Bones coffee, fresh pastries and stacked sandwiches with standouts including the Fire Baby Porchetta Roll, Brisket Boss and Pesto Mushroom Melt. Cancel your meal prep, these sandwiches are next level.
Where: 11 Hicks Street, Southport
Burleigh favourite The Fruit Shop has opened a second location, bringing its famous fresh juices, real acai and colourful smoothie bowls to Tugun. Owned by Ashlee Rana-Smith and Bailey Haigh, the family-run business continues a legacy dating back to the 1970s with its brilliant beachside snacks made with real fruit and no additives. Consider it your new go-to for a post-surf juice or acai fix.
Where: 4/467 Golden Four Drive, Tugun
Surfers Paradise has a new locale for long lunches. Taking over the former Hyde Paradiso site, Valentina Restaurant + Bar pairs Mediterranean-inspired feasts with sweeping ocean views and cocktails created alongside the team behind Maybe Sammy. Expect share plates, fresh seafood, handmade pasta and standout spritzes, all served in a breezy coastal setting inspired by Barcelona and the Amalfi Coast. It might just make you cancel your Euro summer plans.
Where: Level 2, Peppers Soul, 8 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise
After a four-month Mediterranean-inspired makeover, Cooly Breeze Rooftop Restaurant & Bar has reopened bringing elevated coastal style and a refined new menu, crafted by owner and Executive Chef Marcondes Almeida Neto – the culinary mastermind behind fellow Cooly kingpins Black Dingo and La Stradina. Whether you’re chasing sunset spritzes, long lunches or just sweeping ocean views, this refreshed favourite is officially back and better than ever.
Where: Beachcomber International Resort, Level 13/122 Griffith Street, Coolangatta
Part of the new hospitality precinct on Hicks Street, Hicksville’s Smokehouse & Backyard Bar is bringing serious smokehouse energy to Southport, serving 16-hour brisket, sticky ribs, smoked chorizo and stacked BBQ buns. Expect low-and-slow meats, share plates like the Pitmaster’s Plate, and a strong drinks list heavy on bourbon, whiskey and local brews. Perfect for post-work knock-offs or weekend feasts.
Where: 11 Hicks Street, Southport
From the team behind Pasture & Co, Fletcher’s Pantry & Espresso is Tallebudgera’s newest neighbourhood cafe, bringing specialty coffee, artisan breads and freshly baked goods to the former Woodbox site on Tallebudgera Creek Road. Designed with a nod to the building’s old-school charm, it’s set to become the local go-to for slow mornings and community catch-ups.
Where: 33 Tallebudgera Creek Rd, Burleigh
Broadbeach has officially entered the cookie chat with Brooki Bakehouse landing on Surf Parade as the brand’s first full-scale Gold Coast store. The Brisbane-born cult bakery, famous for its viral New York-style cookies, brings thick, gooey, over-the-top treats like Milk Choc-Chip, Biscoff, Red Velvet and Oreo Cheesecake, plus rich brownies, cupcakes and show-stopping cakes. Open 10am–10pm, it’s your new excuse to make every day a cheat day.
Where: 88 Surf Parade, Broadbeach
Southport’s cafe scene just levelled up with No Name Lane 4215 opening at RDX Lumina, bringing the cult Broadbeach brand’s signature style to a futuristic new space. Chef Liam Dove is serving up Aussie brunch brilliance like Chilli Scramble and Raspberry Lemon Pancakes, while coffee is as top-notch as ever. The headline act though is the split cup, offering two different sips in one cup, so you no longer have to choose between coffee or matcha, you can have both!
Where: T0.3, 23 Nexus Way, Southport
Words by Lisette Drew
Valentina Restaurant + Bar serves Mediterranean feasts and ocean views.
The Gold Coast’s love affair with long lunches, ocean views and exceptional cocktails just got a little more serious.
Taking over the iconic beachfront space formerly occupied by Hyde Paradiso, Valentina Restaurant + Bar has opened, bringing a slice of Mediterranean sunshine to Surfers Paradise. And if that wasn’t enough to get your tastebuds tingling, the drinks menu has been crafted alongside the legends behind Maybe Sammy, one of the world’s most celebrated bars.
Yes please.
Perched on Level 2 of Peppers Soul, Valentina is the first Queensland venue from Table For, Accor’s dedicated food and beverage group, the team responsible for a string of acclaimed Sydney venues including Flaminia, Bar Allora and El Vista.
Inspired by the warmth, hospitality and effortless charm of coastal destinations like Barcelona, the Amalfi Coast and Andalusia, Valentina has been designed as the kind of place where one cocktail turns into three, lunch becomes dinner and nobody’s in any hurry to leave.
And honestly, with 180-degree ocean views stretching across the coastline, can you blame them?
The Mediterranean-inspired menu has been created under the guidance of Executive Chef Rosy Scatigna and brought to life by Head Chef Chantelle Richard-Preston and her all-female kitchen team. Expect vibrant, produce-driven dishes designed for sharing, grazing and lingering.
To start, there are Pacific oysters with vermouth mignonette, Byron Bay tuna crudo with mandarin and chilli, creamy taramasalata finished with dill and warm focaccia served with sesame and garlic butter. Then come the playful crowd-pleasers, including Valentina’s take on a filet-o-fish with tarragon tartar, chicken fritto with Calabrese dip and beef skewers with yoghurt aioli.
For something a little more substantial, you’ll find king prawn orzo with basil, linguine tossed through macadamia pesto and pecorino, free-range harissa chicken with smoked eggplant and market fish with puttanesca sauce. There’s also a 300-gram Angus scotch fillet for those who believe every good meal should involve steak.
Of course, no Mediterranean escape would be complete without a cocktail in hand.
The beverage offering leans heavily into aperitivo culture, with a dedicated spritz menu featuring everything from classic Venezianos and limoncello spritzes to rosé and strawberry spritzes and lychee-spiked creations. Signature cocktails bring a little extra personality, with highlights including an olive sour finished with extra virgin olive oil, a passionfruit and jalapeño margarita and a coconut and thyme highball.
For those choosing to skip the booze, there’s also a thoughtfully curated zero-alcohol selection using Lyre’s spirits.
Beyond the food and drinks, Valentina is shaping up as a destination rather than just a restaurant. Weekend bottomless long lunches are already on the agenda, alongside a regular music program featuring local DJs and Latin-inspired sounds designed to complement the venue’s coastal European energy.
The spacious venue offers both indoor dining and an outdoor terrace overlooking the ocean, accommodating up to 130 seated guests and as many as 250 standing for private events and celebrations.
In short, it’s bringing together three of the Gold Coast’s favourite things: incredible food, world-class cocktails and spectacular views.
Which means our social calendars may have just found their newest obsession.
When: Wednesday – Sunday for Lunch: 12pm – 2:30pm, Aperitivo: 4pm – 6pm and Dinner: 5pm – 10pm
Where: Level 2, Peppers Soul, 8 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise
Words by Belinda Symons
Johnny Omeros brings Mediterranean magic to Isle of Capri.
We hear Europe’s summer is officially off the charts, but if you’d rather skip the heatwave and the long-haul flight, we’ve found the next best thing on an island much closer to home.
After more than 30 years in hospitality, Johnny Omeros has opened the doors to his namesake restaurant at Capri on Via Roma, taking over the former Isla Dining space.
Drawn to the laidback village feel and tight-knit local community, Johnny says he wanted to create a place where great food and good company come together. Throw in those dreamy marina views, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for long lunches that somehow roll into dinner.
Inside, the venue is warm and welcoming, while outside is where you’ll want to linger, soaking up the sparkling waterfront scene with a cocktail in hand. Seating around 140 guests, it’s equally suited to date nights, family feasts, celebrations or simply pretending you’re dining somewhere along the Mediterranean coast.
Leading the kitchen is Head Chef Sejun Kim, serving up a menu inspired by Mediterranean and Greek flavours with an emphasis on fresh seafood, quality produce and generous plates made for sharing.
Let’s dive straight in.
The Seafood Platter arrives piled high with oysters (natural, Kilpatrick and Mornay), fresh and barbecued prawns, calamari, baby octopus, smoked salmon, Moreton Bay bugs, mussels and scallops. Warning – conversations will stop when this is brought to the table.
Other show stoppers include Live Mudcrabs; Greek-style, grilled with shallots, garlic, oregano and lemon butter, or the Chilli Plum version, finished with the restaurant’s homemade sweet chilli plum sauce. Feeling even fancier? Order the lobster your way; grilled whole, swimming in creamy Mornay or served chilled in a fresh lobster salad.
Not all heroes wear shells though. The Steak Frites has quickly become one of the venue’s biggest hits, pairing a perfectly cooked 300g Black Angus Riverina sirloin with crisp shoestring fries for a simple classic done exceptionally well.
Can’t decide whether to order seafood or meat? If you’re anything like us, you’ll order both. Eye Fillet, Bugs and Prawns is the ideal dish for the one-of-everything diner.
Of course, no Euro escape is complete without something refreshing to sip. Enter the Capri Garden, a botanical blend of gin, sake, fresh mint, basil, cucumber and citrus, finished with fragrant rosemary oil. It’s fresh, zesty and tastes like summer.
Whether you’re chasing a family feast, sunset cocktails with the crew or simply craving a little Mediterranean escape, Johnny Omeros on Capri is serving Euro summer vibes all winter long.
Where: 15–21 Via Roma, Isle of Capri, Surfers Paradise
When: Mon–Sat 12-30pm until late
Words by Lisette Drew
Images by Liam McDonald
