Gold Coast Events March
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March is a great time to visit the Gold Coast. Events change a bit depending upon whether Easter & school holidays fall within March or April.March is a sporting month with quite a few sporting events, especially surf related events.
Read on, to find out more about the different events on during this month, or use the Options Menu to skip to the event you are interested in.
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Australian Gold Coast Events March
March is the first month in Autumn on the Gold Coast. The weather is still very warm although starting to cool by the end of the month.
It is a great time to visit the Gold Coast especially if you don't have to visit during Australian School holidays.
During March there are two major surf carnivals in the early part of the month the Quiksilver Pro International ASP Tour for Men and Roxy Pro International ASP Tour for Women.
As if that won't be enough surfing later in the month you'll be able to see the Australia Longboard Surfing Competition.
This is the time of the year when you can also catch lots of surf life saving carnivals around on the beaches of the Gold Coast.
Wildlife is active at most times of the year and popular this month is bird spotting. The ultimate in bird spotting on the Gold Coast has to be at O'Reillys Rainforest Retreat. During March they hold their Autumn Birding week with a full program to help bird watchers learn about the area and local birds.
There's many other events on, in this action packed month including:
- Bleach Festival - surfing festival
- Cooly Classic Ocean Swim
- Sanctuary Cove Ladies Golf Classic
- XXXX Round Crab Island Power Boat Race
- ARL / NRL Masters Carnival
- Clean up Australia Day
- International Women's Day
- St Patrick's Day
As well as these events, there are events, markets and shows that run throughout the year. You can find more information through these links:
- Gold Coast Turf Club - Horse Racing
- Gold Coast Markets - selection of markets around Gold Coast
- Dracula’s Cabaret on the Gold Coast Tickets: Dracula's Caberet Dinner and Show buy online now.
How to use this page? Scroll down to see all Gold Coast Events March. You can also use the search bar in the top of the page or at the bottom to locate an event.
Disclaimer: Whilst every care is taken to provide correct information, the information about Gold Coast events, festivals, shows and other activities shown on this and other pages within this website is a guide only. Dates are subject to change without notice. Please check with individual event organisers before planning your trip around these dates.
Gold Coast Events in March
Quiksilver & Roxy Pro Gold Coast
Dates
End of February to Early March
Location
Southern Gold Coast or Northern NSW Beaches depending on surf conditions
Check February listing for full details.
Autumn Birding Week at O'Reillys
Dates
Sunday to Friday around early March
Location
O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat Lamington National Park Road via Canungra
O’Reillys Autumn Birding Week - Autumn in the rainforest makes for great conditions to explore this famous birding area. Why not check out a stay at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat during this month.
Clean up Australia Day
Dates
Usually First Sunday in March
Location
All Across Gold Coast & Australia
Clean Up Australia Day is a nationwide event aimed at cleaning up and raising awareness for our environment. Business Clean Up Day is usually the Tuesday before the main clean up day. Schools Clean Up Day is usually the Friday before the main event.
If you see people around the Gold Coast with gloves on and picking up litter and rubbish - this is what they are doing. Whilst you visit us, please try to keep our wonderful beaches, attractions and country tidy and litter free. Clean Up Australia Day
It's worth keeping our amazing country clean every day of the year.
ARL / NRL Masters Carnival
Dates
Usually Wednesday to Sunday early March
Location
Runaway Bay Junior Leagues Club, Lae Drive, Runaway Bay
ARL / NRL Masters Carnival - Australian Rugby League Masters for over 35s. This event just gets bigger and bigger each year! I'm just a bit confused as to whether this is ARL or NRL - but it doesn't matter really!
Runaway Bay has a few places to stay, just not as many as some of the surrounding areas. Suggestions include Labrador, Southport or north to Hope Island.
More information about the event at NRL Masters
Bleach Festival Gold Coast
Dates
Usually starts on a Friday early in March, runs for just over two weeks to a Sunday
Location
Various Locations around Gold Coast, main events from Currumbin to Coolangatta
Bleach Festival on the Gold Coast is a surfing, arts and music festival with many events held over the festival period.
Festivities run right along the coast from Paradise Point, Burleigh and Palm Beach.
Most of the main festival will be found in Currumbin, Tugun, Kirra and Coolangatta. The main hub is at Queen Elizabeth Park, Coolangatta.
During the festival the Eco Challenge Gold Coast is usually held on one of the Sundays and it co-incides with the Quiksilver & Roxy Pro surfing events.
For the main festival check out Bleach Festival for more details - way too many for me to list and try to keep up with here ;-)
XXXX Round Crab Island Power Boat Race
Dates
Usually Saturday early March
Location
Broadwater
Round Crab Island Power Boat Race is a powerboat race in the Gold Coast's broadwater. Crab Island is off Hollywell near Runaway Bay.
During this annual powerboat race there will be lots of activity on the Broadwater in this area. You should be able to get good views from many parts of the foreshore in the area. The race is hosted by Southport Yacht Club.
International Women's Day
Dates
8 March
Location
Various Events & Locations
Celebration of International Women's Day.
In Australia there are often a range of events on the 8 March each year to celebrate and raise awareness of women. More information: International Women's Day
The Sanctuary Cove Ladies Golf Classic
Dates
Sunday to Tuesday mid-March
Location
The Pines & The Palms Golf Course, Sanctuary Cove
Great opportunities for lady golfers to play on these outstanding golf courses without any gentlemen getting in the way!
The Sanctuary Cove Ladies Classic has some amazing prizes plus lots of fun for the ladies on and off the fairways all in the name of raising money for charity.
Sanctuary Cove would be the place to stay... they Intercontinental (formerly the Hyatt) at Sanctuary Cove would be my pick! If you cannot stay there, then Hope Island is close by.
St Patrick's Day in Gold Coast
Dates
17 March
Location
Various
St Patrick's Day (17 March each year) is celebrated by Irish and non-Irish all over the Gold Coast. You will find revellers drinking Guinness! A Monday St Pats day won't be stopping the die hards, but remember there will be no time to sleep it off before heading back to work!
I am sure you will find lots of fun at places like Waxy's Irish Pub which is part of the Circle on Cavill Complex in Surfers Paradise, McGintys in Oasis at Broadbeach or Harrigans Irish Pub in Jacobs Well to name a couple.
There are many other non-Irish bars and venues hosting St Pat's Day celebrations and plenty of the blarney going around for sure!
Another great spot for some rather more up market St Patrick's Day celebrations is at Canungra Valley Vineyards. They are part of the O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat and Spa group.
Previously they hosted a two course Irish Lunch and vertical tasting of 3 vintages of their Shane Shiraz. I have to admit I have no idea what a vertical tasting is... maybe it is the tasting you do before you have too much which then becomes a horizontal tasting!
Let me know if you spot any Leprachauns! Lots of green will be seen!
Australian Longboard Surfing Open
Dates
Wednesday to Sunday late in March
Location
Kingscliff, NSW (not too far over the border!)
This 5 day festival.You'll see the current Longboard surfing pros as well as a range of surfers of all ages and abilities entering into the different surfing divisions.
There are also a wide range of other activities from Surf Vehicle display to bikini parade and seafood cooking demonstrations as well as lifestyle markets, movies and of course surfing music.
Kingscliff is located in Northern NSW and has a range of fabulous and stylish accommodation at or near the beach.
A great opportunity to stay at one of the amazing resorts in the Kingscliff area, or my personal favourite Santai Retreat (book this one early, it is often full, but definitely worth it) There are other locations worth checking if you don't find what you want in Kingscliff:
- Kingscliff Accommodation Options
- Cabarita Beach Accommodation Options
- Casurina Accommodation Options
- Chinderah Accommodation Options
- Tweed Heads Accommodation Options
Certainly wide appeal for this large event.
Event information at Australian Longboard Open
Cooly Classic Ocean Swim at Coolangatta
Dates
A Sunday in Late March or Early April
Location
Around Coolangatta, Snapper Point and Kirra SLSC, Kirra Beach
The Cooly Classic Coolangatta Ocean Swim is renowned for ocean swimmers as you get to swim across 3 famous surf breaks - Snapper Rocks, Coolangatta and Kirra.
This is a great event for spectators too as you can watch the swimmers from along the beaches. There are now three races.
Cooly Clasic 2.0 for the ironmen amongst you is a 2km swim that starts at Snapper Rocks and is usually the first race - times change slightly each year.
The Cooly 1000 is a shorter course with a 1km swim which starts at Coolangatta Beach about an hour or so later.
The 300m Kid's Surf Dash for the little nippers starts at Kirra Beach and is the last race usally around midday (but please check for exact times) for swimmers aged 10 and over and parents are encouraged to swim along with them.
All presentations are at the Kirra Surf Club around noon. More information about the races, entries and times at the event website.
Other Events Sometimes Run in March
Surfers Paradise Easter & School Holidays Festivities
Dates
Around Easter & School Holidays in March or April
Location
Various Venues around Surfers Paradise
The "festival" is made up of different events and provides visitors with an opportunity to enjoy the best things about our city. Events run at various times and usually cover the Easter school holidays with a program of events intended to create a vibrant atmosphere within Surfers Paradise.
The format changes and may include some or all of the following:
SIPFest (Shorts In Paradise Festival) short film festival is part of the Gold Coast Film Festival and runs on a Sunday on Surfers Paradise beach.
Australian Street Entertainment Championships have been running for a few years over the Easter Weekend from Good Friday to Easter Monday. It's carnival gone crazy! Clowns, mimes, puppeteers, jugglers, acrobats, magicians and more...
Australian Surf Life Saving Championships (The Aussies)
Dates
Dates Vary usually March or April
Location
Gold Coast
Previously this event has been held in March or April in the southern beaches of Gold Coast. Check April for more details
Disclaimer: Whilst every care is taken to provide correct information, the information about Gold Coast events, festivals, shows and other activities shown on this and other pages within this website is a guide only. Dates are subject to change without notice. Please check with individual event organisers before planning your trip around these dates.
Return to Top Gold Coast Events March
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