Saturday 7 February 2026 will go down as a historic day not only for Southport Sharks, but for the entire City of Gold Coast.
In a major coup for the region, Southport Sharks hosted the Queensland leg of Laneway Festival for the first time in its 21-year tenure.
Over 37,000 music fans attended the 10-hour spectacle at the Southport Sharks, headlined by US pop phenomenon Chappell Roan, backed on the line-up by international showstoppers such as Wolf Alice, Role Model, PinkPantheress, Wet Leg, and more, all bringing their own diverse and inclusive followings to the venue, in a celebration of incredible live music and how it can unify communities.
The brand exposure for Southport Sharks from this event extends not only to the national scale, with numerous editorials and features, but is already branching out to a global scale, with the Club’s name featured in articles coming from Rolling Stone, the Daily Mail UK, and not to mention the astronomical footprint achieved from being shown in the artists’ social platforms.
It is the biggest event the Sharks have ever hosted — by size, scale and scope — and it delivered a world-class activation that demonstrated exactly what is possible for the future of the precinct.
Upon the initial announcement of the festival relocating from Brisbane, Southport Sharks CEO Dean Bowtell said, ““Hosting Laneway Festival is a milestone moment for the Gold Coast as we work together to grow a world-class cultural calendar.”
“Redevelopment across Brisbane in the lead-up to 2032 provides an incredible opportunity to secure major events, and Southport Sharks is proud to be part of that journey. Through our Masterplan investment in community facilities and event spaces, and by deepening our partnerships with the City of Gold Coast, Experience Gold Coast and beyond, we’re committed to shaping a vibrant future for our city.”
Central to that vision is the transformation of the existing main playing field into an events facility, with an initial staged build of approximately 9,000 seats, with the capacity for future expansion
That infrastructure will provide the flexibility to host sporting events beyond just football, as well as large-scale community events within one integrated destination.
One of the biggest advantages of hosting large events at Southport Sharks is the proximity to public transport.
With two G:link light rail stations within 10-minute walking distance of the festival entry, and pedestrian access via Village Boulevard through Smith Collective, the site offers transport connectivity that is unmatched anywhere else on the Gold Coast, and demonstrates how critical the site is to delivering major events efficiently and sustainably.
The event has already drawn strong praise from local and state representatives, reinforcing its significance beyond a single day of live music.
Member for Bonney, Sam O’Connor MP, likened the atmosphere to the glory days of the Big Day Out, saying “it was the kind of energy the northern Gold Coast had been waiting for”.
He publicly thanked Dean Bowtell and the Sharks team for being “the driving force behind bringing major live music back to Southport”, adding that what he witnessed on the day was “worth backing” as the precinct continues to evolve.
Division 10 Councillor Brooke Patterson echoed those sentiments on ABC Gold Coast the following morning, describing the event as “a successful proof of concept for what the space can become”. Cr Patterson said she had “received glowing feedback from local residents, particularly around how well the event was managed with no noise complaints”, and noted the positive impact it delivered for the broader community.
Speaking with the Gold Coast Bulletin following the event, Bowtell said, “This has been a huge opportunity and it is the biggest event we have ever held in terms of size and scope and when you looked at the line-up, it was world class and a testament to the Laneway team.”
“We will sit down with the Laneway team after the event and determine any feedback, but this is just the beginning, and it reflects on what we are trying to activate the whole precinct 52 weeks a year, not just with football but for other uses which engage a deeper connection to the community.”
Southport Sharks are incredibly grateful for the vocal support of Gold Coast residents, local and state stakeholders, as well as the overwhelming praise from those who attended, viewing the day as a clear demonstration of the precinct’s potential to host major, city-shaping events into the future.
“This is more than a redevelopment, this project is about building a vibrant community destination that inspires people to live, learn, play, and thrive. We’re creating a precinct where sport, culture, housing, and wellbeing come together to strengthen the Gold Coast community for generations to come.”
