A performer, a crane and three tonnes of melting ice made an unusual start to a beach morning. BLEACH Festival’s 2026 edition ran from 1 to 11 October and has now ended. Its opening work, THAW, gave the Surfers Paradise beachfront something to talk about long after breakfast.
From Viscount, that beach setting was the natural way into the festival. The wider programme at HOTA offered music, installations and theatre across the eleven days. This article looks back at 2026; the official BLEACH Festival page has not announced 2027 dates or a programme.
Dawn on the sand
THAW, by Legs On The Wall, was staged on Thursday 1 October 2026 at 5 am on Surfers Paradise Beach. A performer suspended above melting ice turned a dawn outing into a piece of physical theatre about climate change. A second staging followed at HOTA on Saturday 3 October.
It was a memorable use of the coast: sand and sunrise became part of the setting, rather than something seen on the way to a theatre. Both performances are over. Another edition would need its own location, timing and access advice from the organisers.
Eleven days with different ways in
BEACON, by Morag Myerscough and Everybody NOW!, ran through the festival in HOTA’s Lakeside Precinct. Hand-painted forms and neon after dark gave visitors a different kind of art outing from the early beach performance.
Lady Blackbird & Electric Fields played the Outdoor Stage on Friday 2 October, with free tickets requiring registration. SIX60, supported by Sub-Tribe, followed on Saturday 3 October. The Farm’s No One Gets Out of Here Alive played Theatre 1 on 10 and 11 October.
Those were the choices in the 2026 programme. For families, picking one outing left time for lunch, a swim and the less scheduled parts of a holiday. The old ticket conditions and show times should stay with that finished edition.
Getting to an arts outing
Florida Gardens tram station is 500 metres from Viscount. HOTA requires an onward journey from the light rail, so use the venue’s getting-here information when planning another visit. Check the whole trip if children, a pram or a late finish are involved.
Viscount has one free on-site parking space per apartment, reserved in advance, with 1.95 m clearance. Venue parking and event-day access need their own check before setting out.
The beachfront after the performance
Every Viscount apartment faces the ocean. A private balcony, full kitchen and in-apartment laundry make the hours around an outing easy to use: breakfast before leaving, drinks in the fridge and somewhere for the day’s beach clothes afterwards.
The outdoor pool is heated to 27°C year-round and has a shallow end. The garden BBQ keeps dinner close to ground level, while the rooftop BBQ offers another place to look over the Pacific. Strollers and board games are available for days that stay nearer the building.
More beach days ahead
The 2026 festival is finished, and its mix of dawn theatre and music made a bright addition to spring. Wait for a new announcement before planning a future BLEACH weekend.
Browse the two- and three-bedroom apartments for the next family stay. The beach outside Viscount needs no festival date to make a good morning.
