GOLD COAST, October 2026 — The new Gold Coast Greek Festival will bring Greek food, music and dancing to Surfers Paradise. The two-day event runs at HOTA, Home of the Arts, on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November 2026.
George Mastrocostas, Honorary Consul-General of Greece in Queensland, conceived the festival and is also its patron. The festival brings together Hellenic community organisations from across Queensland, and organisers expect 10,000 people across the weekend. They say the celebration is for everyone, whether visitors are Greek, Greek at heart or simply love great food and music.
The Evzones Collection at the Gold Coast Greek Festival
Greek City Times photographer Nick Bourdaniotis’ The Evzones Collection will also be part of the festival, running on both festival days. About 26 large-format prints of the Evzones, the Hellenic Presidential Guard, will be on show in two locations around the festival at HOTA.
Bourdaniotis, a Nambour native, grew up in Brisbane. Since 2021, he has taken the collection to Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. In March 2023, the Athens War Museum exhibited the work. That December, Bourdaniotis donated the Athens exhibition to the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic. Later, in 2024, The Evzones Collection traveled to The Greek Club in Brisbane. There, a Greek Independence Day showing took place under the auspices of George Mastrocostas.
Food and cooking with Vikki Moursellas and Anna Polyviou
Food will take centre stage at the Gold Coast Greek Festival. Greek community associations will serve traditional dishes alongside a packed cooking program. In addition, young Greek Australians will help bring their heritage to life through music, food, dance and storytelling.
During the weekend, chefs Vikki Moursellas and Anna Polyviou will appear in the Lakeside Room. Polyviou’s mother, Gina, will join her there. Moursellas previously co-wrote the Peináo cookbook with her twin sister, Helena.
According to organisers, the Gold Coast Greek Festival cooking program will showcase family recipes and inspiration for home cooks. The program will also feature Greek sweets, ice cream, specialty drinks, coffee, tea and Greek beer. The festival’s FAQs also list souvlaki, gyros and loukoumades.
Music, dancing and plate smashing
Beyond the food, the Gold Coast Greek Festival line-up includes the Glendi Band, grEchoes, and Greek and Cypriot dance groups. Crowd participation sessions and Greek dancing lessons will also run. Festival-goers can then test their new moves in a best-dancing competition.
For those who prefer a little less dancing, the program also features a plate smashing competition and kids’ activities. Then, on Saturday night, fireworks over Evandale Lake will close the first day of the Gold Coast Greek Festival.
George Mastrocostas on filoxenia and younger generations
Speaking as patron, George Mastrocostas explained why he conceived the event.
“The Gold Coast Greek Festival was conceived as an opportunity to bring our Greek and Hellenic communities together, particularly our younger generations, while opening our culture to the wider Gold Coast community.”
“Greek culture has always been built around family, faith, community and hospitality. We want this festival to celebrate those traditions, but also to ensure they remain vibrant and relevant for the generations that follow us.”
George Mastrocostas, festival patron
Organisers are inviting the entire Gold Coast community to come along and discover something new. They also want visitors to experience the warmth of Greek hospitality, filoxenia, right in the heart of the city. Similarly, Mastrocostas made clear that everyone is welcome.
“This is not a festival only for Greeks. We want the entire Gold Coast community to come and experience our food, music, dancing and traditions, but most importantly the warmth of Greek hospitality, our filoxenia.”
George Mastrocostas, festival patron
Gold Coast Greek Festival tickets and proceeds
The Gold Coast Greek Festival runs from 12 pm to 10pm on Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. The venue is at 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise. Entry is $10 per adult per day, and children under 13 enter free. Tickets are on sale through HOTA’s event page. Concession tickets cost $5, with a $1.60 booking fee on paid tickets.
All proceeds from the Gold Coast Greek Festival support the Greek diaspora across Queensland. Specifically, the funds will help strengthen Greek communities and preserve a shared Hellenic heritage for future generations. On its About page, the festival calls itself a not-for-profit, community-driven celebration. Its website also says a Greek festival returns to the Gold Coast after more than a decade. Athens-based artist Caroline Rovithi designed the official logo.
The festival website has program updates. Finally, George Mastrocostas summed up his hopes for the weekend. “If people leave having enjoyed themselves, learned something about Greece and felt genuinely welcomed by our community, then the festival will have achieved what we set out to do.”