# Gold Coast travel and events guide. Local guides and event coverage from the southern toe of Surfers Paradise. The Oceanway walk to every event on the Gold Coast calendar, written from the building, not by an agency. ### Running the Gold Coast Marathon from Viscount: the course passes the front door The ASICS Gold Coast Marathon returns 3 and 4 July 2027, and both legs have historically passed the beachfront at Viscount. Watch your runner go by twice from the kerb, taper on the Oceanway, and sleep in a cool, ocean-facing room the night before. [Read more](/experience/blog/gold-coast-marathon-2027/index.md) ### Gold Coast Show 2026 Near Surfers Paradise The Gold Coast Show runs 28 to 30 August 2026 at Broadwater Parklands in Southport. Free entry, three days of rides and fireworks, a public holiday Friday, and the beach across First Avenue when you get home. [Read more](/experience/blog/gold-coast-show-2026/index.md) ### Blues on Broadbeach: a free festival within walking distance Blues on Broadbeach is one of Australia's largest free music festivals, held each May across the Broadbeach precinct, and it's an easy walk from Viscount along the Oceanway with no road crossings. [Read more](/experience/blog/blues-on-broadbeach/index.md) ### Where to eat: Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise restaurants Every Viscount apartment has a full kitchen, but Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach both sit an easy walk away with beachfront surf clubs, a steakhouse and a revolving restaurant on the skyline. Here's where to eat out. [Read more](/experience/blog/broadbeach-surfers-paradise-restaurants/index.md) ### Christmas on the Gold Coast: what's on near Viscount Movie World's White Christmas, free carols on Surfers Paradise Beach and the Broadbeach gingerbread village are the three fixtures worth building a Gold Coast Christmas around, and two of them are a walk from the building. [Read more](/experience/blog/christmas-on-the-gold-coast/index.md) ### Free Things to Do in Surfers Paradise Cascade Gardens, Macintosh Island Park, the beachfront markets and the Oceanway are all free and within walking distance of Viscount on the Beach. Here's how to string them into a no-cost day. [Read more](/experience/blog/free-things-to-do-surfer-paradise/index.md) ### Surfers Paradise adventure activities: iFLY, jet boats, SkyPoint Indoor skydiving, a Broadwater jet boat and the SkyPoint Climb all sit within a 20-minute walk of Viscount on the Beach. Here's what each ride involves and where it fits on the Cavill Avenue thrill strip. [Read more](/experience/blog/gold-coast-adventure-activities/index.md) ### The Gold Coast events calendar, season by season A season-by-season guide to the festivals and events near Viscount on the Beach, most within walking or tram distance, from January's Magic Millions to October's Groundwater Country Music Festival. [Read more](/experience/blog/gold-coast-events-guide/index.md) ### Gold Coast school holidays with kids: the family planner A family-holiday plan built around Viscount's beachfront base in Surfers Paradise: a beach and surf lesson, a theme-park day, a free afternoon in the gardens and a rainy-day backup, all reachable without a hire car. [Read more](/experience/blog/gold-coast-school-holidays/index.md) ### Broadbeach Shopping: Pacific Fair and Beachfront Markets Pacific Fair and The Oasis are a short walk or tram ride from Viscount, Harbour Town's outlets are a drive north, and the Beachfront Markets are a stroll up the sand. Here's what's actually worth the trip. [Read more](/experience/blog/gold-coast-shopping-guide/index.md) ### Gold Coast theme parks: which one, and how far from Surfers Four major theme parks sit within a short drive of Surfers Paradise: Movie World, Sea World, Dreamworld and Wet'n'Wild. Here's what each one covers and roughly how far it is from Viscount. [Read more](/experience/blog/gold-coast-theme-parks/index.md) ### Live music and shows near Surfers Paradise Four venues cover most of the live music and stage shows within a short tram or walk of Viscount: The Star's Jupiters Theatre, HOTA's arts precinct, Miami Marketta's free night market and GCCEC's big-ticket concerts, plus Den Devine for a nightly gig without a booking. [Read more](/experience/blog/live-music-and-shows-near-viscount/index.md) ### New Year's Eve fireworks in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach Surfers Paradise Beach and Broadbeach's Kurrawa Park each host two free New Year's Eve fireworks displays, an 8pm family show and a midnight finale, both walkable from Viscount's beachfront balconies. [Read more](/experience/blog/new-years-eve-surfers-paradise/index.md) ### Rainy Day Things to Do in Surfers Paradise When the Gold Coast turns wet, Surfers Paradise still has plenty indoors: arcades, escape rooms, an ice rink and a cabaret dinner show, all a short walk or tram ride from Viscount on the Beach. [Read more](/experience/blog/rainy-day-things-to-do-surfer-paradise/index.md) ### Self-Contained Apartments in Surfers Paradise A self-contained apartment gives a family a full kitchen, a private laundry and two bathrooms, at the same beachfront address a hotel room would put you at. Here's what that actually changes over a week in Surfers Paradise. [Read more](/experience/blog/self-contained-apartments-surfer-paradise/index.md) ### Surfers Paradise Beach, Broadbeach and the Oceanway between them Surfers Paradise Beach sits across the road from Viscount, and a sealed path with no road crossings runs south to Kurrawa Beach and Broadbeach in about fifteen minutes. Here is which beach suits which day, and how the walk works with a pram or a bike. [Read more](/experience/blog/surfers-paradise-beaches-and-oceanway/index.md) ### Groundwater Country Music Festival Broadbeach The Groundwater Country Music Festival returns to Broadbeach on 16 to 18 October 2026, free across more than a dozen stages spread through the suburb. From Viscount the festival is a 15-minute walk south along the Oceanway, no road crossings. [Read more](/experience/blog/groundwater-country-music-festival-broadbeach/index.md) ### Pacific Airshow Gold Coast 2026 The Pacific Airshow returns to Surfers Paradise on 14 to 16 August 2026, the display flown over the water off the beach. Every apartment at Viscount faces the ocean, so the upper-floor balconies look straight out to the show without your leaving home. [Read more](/experience/blog/pacific-airshow-gold-coast-2026/index.md) ### Gold Coast 500 2026: walk in for the race, sleep south of the circuit For the Gold Coast 500, 23 to 25 October 2026, the walk is the whole point. Viscount sits at the southern toe of Surfers Paradise on the 2 km Oceanway, so you stroll north to the Cavill Avenue gates and south to Broadbeach for dinner, and the car never leaves its space. [Read more](/experience/blog/gold-coast-500-2026/index.md) ### Whale Watching Near Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise Humpbacks pass Surfers Paradise from late May to early November. Every Viscount balcony faces the ocean, so you can watch from the beachfront, with a boat from Main Beach only if an hour on the water appeals. [Read more](/experience/blog/whale-watching-broadbeach/index.md)