Gold Coast Eyes Major Expansion of HOTA Precinct With New Theatre, Music Hall and Arena

The Home of the Arts (HOTA) complex in Bundall is poised to anchor one of Australia’s most ambitious cultural build-outs as Gold Coast councillors weigh multiple venue projects designed to boost the city’s live-entertainment capacity over the next decade.

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From 1,100 seats to 1,800: the Lyric Theatre business case

HOTA’s 1,128-seat main auditorium has helped attract tours and festivals, but a council review found its size limits the city’s pull for marquee musicals and large-scale concerts. In response, officers have advanced plans for an 1,800-seat Lyric Theatre, estimated at about A$538 million. The 2024-25 budget sets aside funding to finish a detailed business case and test financing models that would shield ratepayers from major cost shocks. Although the theatre will not appear as a headline spend this year, councillors insist it remains at the centre of long-term cultural planning.

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New mid-size venue for Surfers Paradise

While the Lyric Theatre’s funding path is clarified, a separate live-music project in Surfers Paradise is moving to design. The city-owned Transit Centre on Beach Road will be transformed into a 2,500-capacity “Town Hall” venue, filling a gap between HOTA’s theatre and outdoor stage and Brisbane’s 3,300-seat Fortitude Music Hall.

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Carey Park Arena fast-tracked for 2032 Olympics

At the larger end of the scale, council has accelerated planning for a 12,000-seat indoor arena at Carey Park in Southport. Costed at roughly A$480 million, the venue is pitched as a legacy site for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games and is expected to host up to 80 major events a year. Public consultation has shown strong community support, and the city will seek a public-private partnership to share construction costs.

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Council chambers tipped to become arts hub

The drive for a complete cultural precinct could soon extend to the council’s own headquarters. After purchasing the 17-storey Gold Coast Corporate Centre for A$117 million, councillors are considering relocating staff across Bundall Road and repurposing the 1970s-era Evandale Chambers as a small theatre and education space. The move would free the entire lakeside site for culture while retaining a public gallery for council meetings.

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What happens next

Budget deliberations continue behind closed doors, but timelines are already being drafted:

With a pipeline that ranges from intimate black-box spaces to Olympic-ready arenas, the Gold Coast is positioning itself as Queensland’s most diversified live-performance destination—provided councillors can strike the right financial chords in the months ahead.