Wonder Festival 2025

WONDER Returns to HOTA with ‘Cloud Play’

The Gold Coast’s beloved outdoor art experience WONDER returns to HOTA, Home of the Arts, from 31 May to 13 July 2025, transforming the precinct into a dazzling celebration of art, light, and community spirit.

At the heart of this year’s festival is ‘Cloud Play’, a breathtaking 530sqm kinetic sculpture by acclaimed international artist Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics. Floating above the HOTA precinct, this colourful and ever-moving artwork responds to natural wind patterns, creating a dynamic and mesmerising canopy that changes throughout the day and night.

By day, Cloud Play is accompanied by a custom soundscape blending First Nations storytelling, music, and natural sounds. After dark, the experience shifts again as IKONIX brings the artwork to life with a captivating light display that responds in real time to weather conditions, turning the sky into a living, breathing artwork.

The WONDER 2025 program features an exciting line-up of free and ticketed events, including live music, immersive audio experiences, performance art, food pop-ups, and more.

Opening Event – Saturday 31 May
The festival opens with an uplifting afternoon on the HOTA lawns featuring The Good Band, DJ Swing-A-Billy Ray, and hosted by local favourites Everybody NOW!. This free, family-friendly event is a joyful celebration of community and creativity, and the perfect way to experience Cloud Play for the first time in a lively, open-air setting.

Other Festival Highlights Include:

• Sounds Like Gold Coast – showcasing emerging local music talent
• Gawrehma Jungan: The Story of Clouds – a moving audio journey exploring First Nations connections to weather and sky
• Wunderbar by Goldys – a one-night-only celebration of queer art and culture, ft. Natalie Bassingthwaighte and The Huxleys
• Strictly Baz Luhrmann: The Concert – a cinematic orchestral performance under the stars
• Solstice Brazil – a vibrant festival finale with international headliners Baiana System and local Brazilian acts

Whether you’re discovering the artwork by day, soaking in the spectacle by night, or joining in the live events, WONDER: Cloud Play is a truly unmissable celebration of art, culture, and community.