If one thing’s for sure, drag is most certainly anything but a drag. We’re eternally here for the bold, brashy, trashy, OTT fabulousness of it all, so when someone spills the tea about a new drag show, guuuuuurl just sign us up! With more glittery goodness than a five year old’s unicorn party, the ultimate drag extravaganza is coming to The Star Gold Coast. Yas queens that’s right, Thursday’s a Drag is kicking off in March at Atrium Bar, featuring a line-up of sassy sistas from RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under.

With master’s degrees in fierce, these queens are our kind of royalty. Sprinkling their divalicious magic and slinging endless naughty lols, this 90-minute high-energy drag show is a vibe. Think sickening (drag slang for epic) performances, death drops (dance move where a queen dramatically falls back into a stroke pose) and lip syncs for your life #ShadeFreeZone.

So just who will be showing up to dazzle the pants off us? Grab your autograph books peeps coz the cast is lit. We’re talking a different headliner for each of the four performances during March and April, plus appearances by local drag icons including Natasha St James, Dixie Wrecked, Scarlett Fever, and Shu Shu Funtanna. With line-ups like these, it’s gonna slay slay slay like a Tay Tay tune.

First up on Thursday 9^th March, Karen From Finance will do what she does best which is, umm, not finance.  The ‘corporate’ queen of Melbourne, Karen enjoys tax time, office-based bonding activities, and invoice archiving and well, her name is Karen after all #CallTheManager. Placing in the top four finalists in season one of Drag Race Down Under, she recently completed a three-year international tour of her award-winning debut solo comedy ‘Out Of Office’, among several other high profile gigs.

On Thursday 23^rd March, another season one fave Maxi Shield will be in the house with her signature sass and fun fact; she’s toured and performed with Madonna #ded. #NoReallyDed.

Thursday 6^th April brings ‘The Thunder from Down Under’ Molly Poppinz to our hood. This bae took out the ‘Fierce Queen’ title at Vancouver Pride, pioneered MISFITS in Newcastle, and finished in season two’s top four on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. You go gurl!

And last but by no means least, the sassy Spankie Jackzon will shake it like a polaroid picture on Thursday 20^th of April. Winner of season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, New Zealand’s TVNZ House of Drag (season two), and has appeared on X Factor Australia and Australian Idol.

All four shows are hosted by Brisbane drag darling, Beverly Kills, mixing her skills of sideshow and burlesque with high energy, sparkly drag. Placing in the top five of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season two, she’s ultimate whip crackin’, fire eatin’, jump splittin’, tail waggin’ queen.

Tickets are $25 each and include a welcome cocktail on arrival to set the tone. We’re not just talking any old cocktail here, it’s Belvedere darling and if it’s good enough for Daniel Craig… Special food and cocktail menus will be available to purchase throughout the night to keep you fed and watered and hot tip; take Friday off, coz the frivolity will keep on keeping on long after the show ends.

So round up your crew and get ready to lol, rofl, twerk and werk it with the best! For tickets and more information, go here.

Where: Atrium Bar, The Star Gold Coast, 1 Casino Drive, Broadbeach
When:  Doors open 6pm for a 7.30pm start. Show concludes at 9.30pm. Thursday 9^th & 23^rd of March and Thursday 6^th & 20^th of April 

Words by Bianca Trathen.

STORY SPONSORED BY THE STAR GOLD COAST

Guests must be 18 years or over to enter Atrium Bar and the Casino. The Star practises the responsible service of alcohol. Bet with your head, not over it

Welcome, April. It’s the month that kicks off with people playing silly pranks on each other, temperatures finally dip (and yay, our makeup stays put), the kids are on school vacay (like, again, and we’re still recovering from the 10000-week Christmas hols), and of course, the Easter bunny bounces into town. It’s also the month our friends at the home of amazing food and entertainment, The Star Gold Coast, pull out all the stops with fun and frivolity for the whole family. Here’s a taste…

EASTER SUNDAY
Garden Kitchen & Bar
We all know the food is *chef’s kiss* at Garden Kitchen & Bar, and Easter Sunday is certainly no different. In fact, they’re embracing the day with eggstra enthusiasm, hosting free face painting, an Easter egg hunt from 1pm to 3pm, and of course a visit from everyone’s fave fluffy friend, the Easter Bunny. Eggcellent!

ENTERTAINMENT
Live on The Lawn – Garden Kitchen & Bar
The good eggs at The Lawn, Garden Kitchen & Bar have you covered this Easter long weekend with live entertainment coming in hop! DJ Chris Bent will be on the decks (next to the deck), as will DJ McGill and DJ Axel, all doing what they do best. For a laid-back Easter Sunday sesh, check out the Buttered Duo from 3pm to 6pm, the perfect way to chillax after an epic Easter lunch. Finally, tell Siri to set reminders for Lisa Hunt playing on Friday 14^th and 21^st, and Groove City on Saturday 22^nd.

Thursday’s a Drag – Atrium Bar
Seeing as we all have this Friday off, there’s no eggs-cuse to say no to “Thursday’s a Drag“, slaying from 6pm (doors open) to 9pm. Always a divalicious night of drag mastery, the queens sure know how to get the party started. The good times don’t stop there though, as crowd fave DJ Brent will be in da house mixing up a storm until 1am.

Bingo Loco – Events Centre
If a game of bingo married a rave party and had a baby, it would be Bingo Loco. Whilst it sounds as mismatched as a bride and groom on MAFS, it’s actually the perfect union complete with bass rumbling rave rounds, petrifying lip-sync battles, dance-offs, confetti cannons and spine-chilling special effects, comedian MCs, dancers, crazy theatrics, and of course epic prizes. Previous loot includes a holiday to Bali, a bathtub, a car, a 3m teddy bear, a bag of rubbish, a lawnmower, and even a boat! Doors open at 6.30pm on Friday 14^th and tickets are $49 per adult (plus booking fees).

EAT & DRINK
Harvest Buffet
You know who loves an all-you-cat-eat buffet? Everybunny, especially kids who can eat FREE at Harvest Buffet with each paying adult! From scrumptious breakfast options to perfectly cooked roasts, fresh seafood, and a wide selection of desserts, this means one thing; wear your stretchiest pants.

Easter Cocktails
Umm, we need no further convincing here! Indulge in a little adult Easter fun with delicious Easter themed cocktails at Cucina Vivo, Kiyomi and Cherry Bar. They’re only available for a limited time so hop to it and chick them out.

Food Quarter and M&G Cafe
Calling all sweet tooths to Food Quarter and M&G Cafe! Grab some freshly baked Hot Cross Buns for $3.50 each, premium quality Small Chocolate Bunnies for $19.90 each, and Large Chocolate Bunnies for $29.90 each #TheDietStartsAfterEaster.

For more information on any of The Star’s epic Easter activations, go here.

Where: The Star Gold Coast, 1 Casino Drive, Broadbeach
When: Various activations throughout April

Words by Bianca Trathen.

STORY SPONSORED BY THE STAR GOLD COAST

The Star practises the responsible service of alcohol. Guests must be aged 18 years or over to enter Atrium Bar and the casino. BET WITH YOUR HEAD, NOT OVER IT.

The definition of cool according to the Inside Gold Coast edition of the Oxford English Dictionary is livin it large circa 1970, cocktail in hand (always), somewhere swanky in Las Vegas. Well friends, now we can do exactly that – sans the long-haul flight and time machine. Introducing Marilyn’s Diner & Bar, a high-end watering hole and American style burger bar, transporting us back to the hedonistic 70s with precision and panache.

Every aspect of this beautifully executed establishment is designed to immerse you in the glitz and glamour of the era. At the same time, it also pays tribute to one of literature’s most iconic tales of excess and adventure, Hunter S Thompson’s ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’. With nods to the classic book from pillar to post, Marilyn’s atmosphere is truly unique and captivating. From the specially crafted cocktails served in funky retro glassware, to the eclectic music selection and lively atmosphere, this place is #trending. It’s nostalgic but sophisticated, contemporary yet classic, refined but embraces the quintessential party girl. Simply put, Marilyn’s is unapologetically Marilyn’s.

Opening earlier in the year, the intimate venue boasts 50 seats across two areas including an outdoor “al fresco” lounge area. The bar child of long-term mates Alex Marks, Rupert Critchley, Brad Morgan, and Johnny Rogers, it’s a very welcome addition to the Broadbeach eats and sips scene. Alex (who also dons the Head Chef hat) is a chef, whisky specialist and award-winning cocktail bartender. He has cooked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, plus his impressive resume boasts stints at Melbourne’s Eau De Vie and a brief spell at Rick Shores.

Rupert has a background in cinematography and film making (cool much?!) specialising in filming food and wine. He’s also owned a cafe/ bar in the Austrian alps (again, cool much… quite literally) and worked at one of Sydney’s top rum bars, The Lobo. The gents found themselves in the right place at the right time meeting with local businessmen (and old friends) Johnny Rogers and Brad Morgan, and the rest as they say is history.

Championing the modern and contemporary styling with era-appropriate swagger was a breeze for Rupert, who worked tirelessly with Alex to design and build the majority of the venue. As luck would have it, the boys have a team of mates who conveniently have the specific trades they needed and note to self; must befriend more tradies.

To keep us coming back time and time again, there’s an ever-changing menu featuring the American-style smash burgers and other delicious delights. The staple offering is the Cheese Burger with two smashed beef patties with American cheese, house pickled onion, seasoned tomato, iceberg lettuce, pickles and signature sauce, served on a toasted potato bun. We also find it difficult to pass up the Prawns & Corns consisting of whole fried Tiger Prawns with corn ribs in Mexican brown butter.

It’s always cocktail o-clock at Marilyn’s and the expertly curated and eclectic selection is #goals. Do yourself a favour and order the Watermelon Sugar with vodka, spiced watermelon, lime, and whey, and suddenly we can’t get Harry Styles out of our head. Then go with a Rupus Du Sol with vodka, hibiscus, strawberry, eucalyptus, coconut, and sherry, followed by the Centre Court with minted rum, sour lime, fresh kiwi, and mescal. If you’re still vertical, finish with the Bold Fashioned with Starward two-fold Aussie whisky, coffee, and caramel.

For those who appreciate the finer things in life, from fresh and crisp wines to delicious and delicate cocktails paired with quality eats, it’s Marilyn’s for the win. See you there.

Where: 10/90 Surf Parade, Broadbeach
When: 2pm – 11pm Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Instagram: @marilynsbargc
Website: marilynsbar.com.au

Words by Bianca Trathen.
Images by Brittany Kreskas.