The Gold Coast Greek Festival is here, and it’s been 13 years in the making

For the first time in over a decade, the Gold Coast is getting a Greek festival. Here’s everything you need to know, plus a word from the man who made it happen.

The Gold Coast hasn’t had a Greek festival in 13 years. That changes on Saturday 31 October, when the inaugural Gold Coast Greek Festival takes over HOTA, Home of the Arts, for two days of food, music, dancing and culture.

Greek community associations from across Queensland are coming together for one weekend, with 10,000 people expected through the gates. And as the festival’s official media partner, Greek Plateia is flying up to be part of it.

The idea behind it

The festival was conceived by George Mastrocostas, Honorary Consul-General of Greece in Queensland, who is also its patron.

“The Gold Coast has not had a Greek festival for 13 years, and I felt it was time to bring one back,” he says. “We have a wonderful Greek community here, and I wanted to create an occasion that would bring us together and allow us to share our heritage with the city we call home.”

For George, it’s also personal. As a father of three, he thinks often about what the community is passing on to the next generation.

“I wanted a festival where our older generations would feel proud, our younger generations would feel they belong, and our friends from every background would feel welcome.”

Built by the community, for the community

At the heart of the weekend are the Greek community associations themselves, many of them run entirely by volunteers who have spent decades keeping Greek traditions alive in Queensland.

“Behind each association are people who have given years of their lives to our community, often quietly and entirely as volunteers,” George says. “They have maintained the places, traditions and relationships that have kept us connected to Greece.”

Each association brings its own history and character to the festival, and every dollar raised goes back to supporting Greek communities and the Greek diaspora across Queensland.

Come hungry

Food takes centre stage. The associations will be cooking their own traditional family recipes, with souvlakia, loukoumades, baklava, kataifi, galaktoboureko and pagoto on the menu, plus Greek coffee, wine and beer.

Over in the Lakeside Room, two of Australia’s favourite Greek chefs, Vikki Moursellas and Anna Polyviou, who will be joined by her mum Gina, will be cooking live across the weekend.

Come ready to dance

Beyond the food, the festival is packed with live music from the Glendi Band and grEchoes, alongside Greek and Cypriot dance groups. Never danced a step? There are free Greek dancing lessons all weekend, followed by a best-dancing competition for those ready to show off their new moves.

For those who prefer a little less dancing and a little more opa, there’s a plate smashing competition, plus kids’ activities throughout the weekend.

Meet the Evzones

Photographer Nick Bourdaniotis is bringing The Evzones Collection to the festival. Around 26 large-format portraits of the Evzones, the Hellenic Presidential Guard, will be on show in two locations around HOTA.

Bourdaniotis, a Nambour native who grew up in Brisbane, has toured the collection to Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney since 2021. In 2023 it was exhibited at the Athens War Museum, and he later donated that exhibition to the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic.

A finale over the lake

Saturday night ends with fireworks over Evandale Lake, closing out the first day of festivities.

A festival for everyone

You don’t need to be Greek to be welcome. Whether you’re Greek, Greek at heart, or simply love good food and music, the festival is built around one idea: filoxenia, the Greek tradition of hospitality.

“In a Greek household, there is always room for another person at the table, and that is the spirit I would like people to encounter at the festival,” George says. “You do not need to know the language or the dance steps to join in. Come with your family and friends, spend some time with us, and hopefully leave having made a few new friends of your own.”

Gold Coast Greek Festival 2026
When: Saturday 31 October, 12pm to 10pm; Sunday 1 November, 10am to 4pm
Where: HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise
Tickets: $10 adults per day, under 13s free, purchase your tickets here