Southport Sharks and Laneway Festival confirm the music festival will return to Brisbane’s RNA Showgrounds in 2027 following a stint on the Gold Coast which attracted more than 30,000 people and reinforced the city’s long-term opportunity to host major cultural events.
Laneway Festival thanks Southport Sharks, Experience Gold Coast, event partners, local stakeholders and the Gold Coast’s passionate community of music lovers for embracing the festival in 2026. Both Southport Sharks and Laneway Festival remain committed to supporting the growth of live music in the region and will continue exploring future opportunities to work together on the Gold Coast.
Laneway Festival co-founder, Danny Rogers, says “Thank you to Southport Sharks for giving us the opportunity to share Laneway with the Gold Coast’s thriving music community. We are confident in the Gold Coast’s appetite for major cultural events and look forward to working together again in the future.”
The 2026 event demonstrated the Gold Coast’s ability to host major contemporary music festivals through strong patron support, positive community engagement and effective collaboration with organisers, stakeholders, residents, transport providers and government agencies. Southport Sharks was proud to support Laneway and showcase the precinct’s strength, nearby G:link connectivity, and the Gold Coast’s ability to attract visitors seeking premium live entertainment experiences.
Southport Sharks CEO Dean Bowtell says “Laneway’s Gold Coast debut demonstrated the region’s ability to successfully host major contemporary music festivals and delivered real visitation, tourism and economic benefits for the city. The event brought energy, opportunity and strong community support, underpinned by effective venue operations and transport connectivity.
“While Laneway will return to Brisbane in 2027, its success on the Gold Coast gives us a strong platform to work with government, industry and venue partners on delivery models that keep major events viable and sustainable in the region. For Southport Sharks, this aligns directly with our Masterplan objective to build a year-round precinct for entertainment, culture, sport and community events. We remain committed to working with Laneway and other event partners on future Gold Coast opportunities.”
Southport Sharks remains committed to attracting major events that contribute to the region’s economic, tourism and cultural growth. This commitment is central to the club’s Masterplan, which is focused on developing Southport Sharks as a multi-purpose platform precinct capable of hosting a broad mix of sport, entertainment, cultural, community and commercial events across 52 weeks of the year. The precinct will continue to play a positive role in supporting live entertainment on the Gold Coast, and we look forward to announcing another significant entertainment event for late 2027 in the near future.
