In Partnership with HOTA, Home of the Arts
BLEACH* is officially back and it’s a chance to see the Gold Coast in a whole new light. Now in its 14th year, the experimental arts festival returns from Thursday, July 31 to Sunday, August 10. It’s set to transform the Gold Coast into a major site of contemporary art, performance and music.
Under the creative direction of Michael Zavros, this year’s festival offers a curated mix of free and ticketed events across Kurrawa Park, Emerald Lakes, Home of the Arts (HOTA) and RACV Royal Pines Resort. The 2025 edition continues to champion the city’s cultural identity through visual art, music, dance, theatre and large-scale installation from local and international creative talent.
The festival opens at dawn with Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhale hot-air balloon sculptures, Skywhale and Skywhalepapa, taking flight above the Gold Coast skyline. Developed in partnership with the National Gallery of Australia, the project invites viewers to witness the spectacular skywhales at sunrise in a shared public ritual.
Following the flight, families are invited to HOTA for a ‘Story Hour with Patricia’. Here, the artist will read from “Every Heart Sings,” her first children’s book, published by the National Gallery. The reading extends the themes of the skywhale project, reframing public sculpture as a springboard for intergenerational dialogue about the natural world.
Also launching on the festival’s opening day is the ‘Ladies Lounge’, an ongoing installation by artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele. Previously set up at Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art, the space welcomes women into a gold-embellished social salon that’s part artwork, part performance. During BLEACH*, the lounge will host a rotating public program featuring poetry, talks, performances and DJs.
Another major highlight is ‘Jeff Koons: In Conversation’, presented in collaboration with the American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia. The internationally renowned artist will appear on opening night with Alison Kubler, Editor-in-Chief of Vault magazine.
And to round out the 11 day festival, visitors can also attend ‘Cavalcade’, BLEACH*’s grand finale dressage, opera and equestrian spectacular on the shores of Broadbeach — as well as a full lineup of local and international works across sound, art and food.
Importantly, many of the events are completely free, making BLEACH* one of the most open and welcoming arts experiences in the country. It’s a festival that encourages curiosity and is designed for visitors to explore, drop in, stay late, and come back again and again.
Whether you’re heading in for a headline performance or looking to experience something new on a weeknight, BLEACH* offers something for everyone.
To explore the full program and plan your BLEACH* 2025 experience, visit the website.