Queensland is renowned for its world-class events and hosting more than 150 events throughout the year makes the state a sought-after celebration destination. With an overflowing events calendar, travellers can pack multiple events into one holiday just by implementing some clever itinerary planning. Whether it’s toe-tapping music festivals, tantalising cuisine celebrations, carefully curated exhibitions or heart-pumping races, April to September in Queensland sees the city, beaches and countryside come alive. Here’s Queensland’s guide to packing in as many events as possible into one sunshine-filled holiday!

April - Gold Coast

Make a beeline for the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim to stitch together three events, in three days, across one autumn long weekend (Friday, 19 – Monday, 22 April 2024). Capture Insta-worthy moments at the Kalbar Sunflower Festival on Friday, 19 April 2024, where fields of gold provide a glowing backdrop against rolling emerald hills. On day two, head east on a scenic two-hour drive to catch a flick at the Gold Coast Film Festival (Saturday, 20 April 2024), an annual cinematic showcase of more than 100 films, celebrating Queensland's burgeoning screen industry.

Next, get the heart pumping in the ultimate endurance test, or line the track to cheer on competitors at the Cooly Classic Ocean Swim (Sunday, 21 April 2024). This ‘water-based marathon’ serves up a range of race distances from 1km to 5km along the stunning stretch of southern coastline.

Round out this event-filled long weekend on Monday, 22 April with a rest day, staying at the new Cheshire Cat Motel in Palm Beach or gather a group and stay at the new Villas by Bilinga Beach Abodes. Add in a serendipitous soak at the new Native State Bathhouse and Studio Gym at Coolangatta. With three events in three days, travellers will need the extra day to recharge their batteries!

May - Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast

May serves up a two-week holiday of electrifying sporting events, paired with a scrumptious celebration of food in Southeast Queensland. Kick things off with the electric atmosphere of NRL Magic Round in Brisbane (Friday, 17 - Sunday, 19 May 2024), a festival of rugby league where 16 teams go head-to-head across one weekend, in the one location. Take a pre- or post-game stroll down Brisbane's iconic Caxton Street, renowned for the bustling bars, pubs and restaurants that line the street to refuel for a day of footy fever. One day and three-day NRL Magic Round passes are on sale now.

After a weekend of sporting fever, head north to the Sunshine Coast for a restful week by the beach, soaking up the chilled vibe of lesser-known Peregian Beach, just south of Noosa, at Essence Peregian Beach, which opened in mid-2023. On Saturday, 25 May 2024, get the blood pumping and venture to Noosa for the ASICS Noosa Runaway Marathon, as hundreds take to the streets to conquer 5km or 10km of bitumen, tracking Hastings Street and the Noosa River waterfront. Switch the dial from action to consumption, training the tastebuds with a Kiff & Culture Noosa Hinterland Foodie Heli-Tour before rounding out this two-week city to sea getaway at the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival, from 30 May – 02 June 2024.

June and July – Outback Queensland

June beckons with a journey west into the heart of Outback Queensland – best completed over a month-long adventure. On the way to Winton, stop first at Longreach to check out pioneering experiences like the Qantas Founders Museum, Cobb & Co Stagecoach Experience and Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame. Two hours down the road in Winton, settle in with a bag of popcorn under the stars at the Royal Open Air Theatre for the Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival (Friday, 21 – Saturday, 29 June 2024). Don't miss the opportunity to visit the Age of Dinosaurs Museum and get down and dirty on The Ultimate Dinosaur tour and a self-guided walk though Dinosaur Canyon or visit the Waltzing Matilda Centre whilst in town.

Then, take a swing at Australia's most remote amateur golf tournament, the Outback Queensland Masters. Sign up as a player or go along for the ride as a spectator for the tail end of the tour. Tack onto the tournament in Winton on Saturday, 29 – Sunday, 30 June 2024 and join the dots between towns like Barcaldine and Charleville, culminating in Quilpie for the prestigious million-dollar hole-in-one challenge.

July – Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Escape to Cairns, ticking off a combo of sport and culture in seven days. Lace up for the 7 Cairns Marathon and Community Run Festival on Sunday, 14 July 2024, before switching land for sea on Monday, 15 July to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef with Reef Magic, the newest pontoon on the Great Barrier Reef. Back in Cairns be sure to visit the new Living coral Biobank at Cairns Aquarium on a Living Coral Conservation Tour to see hundreds of coral species collected for research and restoration initiatives.

While in Tropical North Queensland there is plenty to see and do to fill two weeks of exploration and discovery by spending time in nearby holiday hubs such Port Douglas, the Daintree, Mossman Gorge and Kuranda Village. Back in Cairns, walk through 60,000 years of history and wisdom on a three hour Hands on Country Eco Indigenous tour by Mandingalbay Authentic Indigenous Tours, departing Cairns Marina. Continue the celebration of Indigenous culture at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (Thursday, 25 – Sunday, 28 July 2024), the perfect place to snaffle up the next "big” thing at a fraction of the gallery prices with market stalls, art galleries and fashion shows, displaying Indigenous masterpieces.

August - Brisbane

August paints a pretty picture in the River City with a week of seriously delicious food and creativity smeared across the capital. Start with Moreton Bay Food + Wine (Sunday, 25 August 2024), just 40 minutes north of Brisbane, to savour Moreton Bay’s finest produce. Notable previous guests include celebrity chef Miguel Maestre from Channel 10’s The Living Room and Alastair McLeod from Seven’s Weekender. Spend the next four days crawling the city's classic cultural spots such as The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) with the upcoming Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses exhibition as well as theatrical and musical performances at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).

Wrap up the week by raising the curtain on the Brisbane Festival on Friday, 30 - Saturday, 31 August 2024 to celebrate Brisbane’s art, culture, and live performance offering. Don’t miss Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust which will light up Brisbane’s sky on opening weekend and keep an eye out for the full schedule announcement later in the year for a lineup of talent, performances and installations that will spread a vivacious vibe across the city.

September – Gold Coast and Southern Queensland Country

Put in a leave request now and make the second weekend in September a long weekend to remember. Stroll by SWELL Sculpture Festival on the Gold Coast where art instillations pop up from the sand on the shores of Currumbin Beach (Friday, 13 September 2024), then hop into Home of the Arts (HOTA), for blockbuster art and exhibitions followed by-sunset drinks at Exhibitionist bar atop the colorful, geometric arts building.

On Saturday, drive two hours northwest for the ultimate tribute to spring, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers (Saturday, 14 – Sunday, 15 September 2024), stopping along the way, to explore the charms of the Lockyer Valley, stopping in at Awassi Cheesery for homemade cheese and ice cream, and The Barn & Scotty’s Garage where visitors step back in time to the 1950s and 1960s in the memorabilia-packed automotive museum. This is one epic events road trip not to be missed.

As you can see, with a little bit of smart planning it’s easy to pack in a plethora of events in one Queensland getaway. So, it’s time to get planning and plot out a Queensland events extravaganza, packed full of unmissable celebrations, new experiences, and stunning stays. Craft the ultimate ‘event crawl’ at queensland.com.

/ENDS

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More information:

Jacinta Bonus | Consumer PR Specialist

P: 07 3535 5337

E: jacinta.bonus@queensland.com