Get ready to roar: the blockbuster Queensland sporting events not to miss
Event
By Danielle Reckless
Nothing beats the emotional rollercoaster of watching live sporting events - especially when you're in a crowd of sports-mad Queenslanders.
The sights, sounds and unrelenting energy from the stands is unforgettable, whether you prefer bats, balls, fast cars or forehand winners down the line. Pull out your supporter jerseys, assemble your cheer squad and get ready to roar until you’re hoarse at these blockbuster Queensland sporting events in the year ahead.
Supercars Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, Gold Coast
When: 25-27 October 2024
Feel the adrenaline trackside on the famous Surfers Paradise Street Circuit at the Supercars Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
Across three days, experience the thrill of supercar races and entertainment on the Gold Coast and with kids aged 12 and under going free with a paying adult, it's an event the whole family can enjoy!
Australian PGA Championship, Brisbane
When: 21 - 24 Nov 2024
Golf lovers rejoice, the opening event of the DP World Tour season, the Australian PGA Championship will return to Brisbane. Tee-ing off in late November, spectators can enjoy watching the best of the best in the golfing world take centre stage in Eagle Farm.
Brisbane International, Brisbane
Brisbane International, Brisbane
When: 29 Dec 2024 - 5 Jan 2025
Brisbane International is back – your shot to see some of the world’s best tennis players battle it out for the title in our summer heat. The combined WTA 500 and ATP 250 tournament will feature at the Queensland Tennis Centre over 8 action-packed days, and it’s bigger than ever.
The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival, Gold Coast
Magic Millions Carnival, Gold Coast
When: 11 January 2025
The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival's Yearling Sale is one of the most internationally renowned Queensland sporting events. But it’s the AUD$11.75 million The Star Gold Coast Raceday that gets lovers of live racing digging through their wardrobe for the perfect outfit to match the glamour of the day.
Heart-stopping races (including the Barrier Draw along the sands of Surfers Paradise), polo match, Fashions on the Field and the famous TAB 2YO Calcutta Dinner soiree have helped cement this carnival as the must-attend event for racing’s elite, punters, and fashionistas alike. Get prepared with our carnival guide.
Volleyslam, Gold Coast
When: 15 - 24 March 2025
The Gold Coast has some of the best beaches in Australia - so it makes a suitable stage for this huge celebration of beach volleyball. Four days of fierce competition on the sands of Coolangatta will feature three levels of events: Elite16, Challenge and Futures, forming part of the annual Volleyslam Beach Volleyball Festival. And there's so much to explore while you're here.
Billy Jean King Cup, Brisbane
When: TBC April 2025
World-class tennis will return to Brisbane's Pat Rafter Arena when Australia Mexico in the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifier. The best women in Aussie tennis will take the court, with Queensland's own Sam Stosur stepping up as team captain.
Australia needs to beat Mexico in order to qualify for the 12-nation finals in Seville in November.
NRL Telstra Premiership Brisbane Magic Round, Brisbane
NRL Magic Round, Brisbane
When: TBC May 2025
16 teams, eight games, three days, one venue. Sporting events in Queensland don’t get much more electric than when the greatest weekend of NRL returns to Suncorp Stadium for the NRL Telstra Premiership Brisbane Magic Round.
Everything a true NRL fan could ask for: it’s a chance to see your team (no matter who you support), the game's biggest superstars, live music every day and a stack of activations across the stadium. Make a weekend of it, from the action of NRL heartland on Caxton Street to exploring the city's nightlife and adventurous spirit.
Crankworx Cairns, Cairns & Great Barrier Reef
When: TBC May 2025
Want to watch the world’s best mountain bike athletes tail whip while looking out over the Great Barrier Reef or blitzing downhill through the Wet Tropics? Head to Crankworx Cairns, the Cairns leg of a worldwide tour that’s been called the ‘Super Bowl of Mountain Biking’. Here's everything you need to know about Crankworx Cairns.
2025 Australian National Swimming Trials
When: TBC June 2025
Will the Dolphins Swimming Team compete in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics? Brisbane Aquatic Centre will host the 2024 Australian National Trials - the most prestigious domestic swimming event on the national calendar.
Australian Open Lawn Bowls, Gold Coast
When: TBC June 2025
Think Lawn Bowls is just for the oldies? Then you've never sat green-side, beer in hand, watching as a bowl begins to pull up perilously close to the jack.
The Gold Coast continues to entrench itself as the home of Bowls in Australia (having hosted the Bowls World Championships 2021), with 14 days of competitions including singles, pairs, fours, over-60s, plus competitions for vision impaired and those with a disability.
Outback Queensland Masters, Outback Queensland
Outback Queensland Masters
When: TBC June/July 2025
Would you tee off in the outback for a chance to win a million dollars? Then join Australia's most remote golf series, the Outback Queensland Masters, which spans over 2,000 kilometres across six outback towns. Whether you're a first-time golfer, an amateur, or just after an adventure with your mates, this is for you.
It's the richest amateur prize pool in the golfing world with $10,000 in hole-in-one challenges in five locations.
Beyond the course, it's one hell of a good time and the chance to experience our genuine outback lifestyle.
The British & Irish Lions Tour
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
When: 2 and 19 July 2025
Two unforgettable nights of rugby are coming to Brisbane in 2025 with The British & Irish Lions Tour – and this is your chance to be a part of the action. The highly anticipated tour will see the Lions play nine matches in Australia, with three Tests against the Wallabies and six tour games around the country.
Two fierce games are set for Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium: the Lions will take on Queensland Reds on 2 July 2025, then return on 19 July to battle it out with the Wallabies. Don’t forget to save the date – and grab your tickets as soon as they go on sale, as this will be a sell-out.
Supercars Townsville 500, Townsville
When: TBC July 2025
Townsville isn't just our gateway to the tropical north: it's our gateway to adrenalin as the NTI Townsville 500 storms into town in July. It's North Queensland's largest annual sports event: watch the action on the world-renowned Reid Park street circuit, and join the fun of live music, entertainment and much more.
Come for the cars, but stay a little longer to explore this special place.
Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, Outback Queensland
Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, Mount Isa
When: TBC August 2025
Get ready to break in your cowboy boots over four days of non-stop outback action. Known as the biggest rodeo in the Southern Hemisphere - and Australia's richest prize pool - the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo returns to the red dirt of Queensland's remote North West with around 750 competitors bull riding, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing and more. Kick up your heels with live entertainment, outback market traders food stalls and live Rodeo Rock Concerts.
Pacific Airshow, Gold Coast
Pacific Airshow, Gold Coast. Photo by @pacificairshow
When: 16 - 18 August 2024
Pacific Airshow is returning to the Gold Coast to light up the skyline. With all the thrills that have made this the largest air show in the United States, Pacific Airshow’s Southern Hemisphere iteration will again showcase some of the world's best civilian performers and elite military aviators. The family-friendly event includes gravity-defying aerial displays, alongside live music, food precincts and loads of entertainment.
World Ultimate Frisbee Championships, Gold Coast
When: TBC September 2025
Over the past few decades, Ultimate Frisbee has taken a park-side pastime and turned it into fierce (and friendly) competition. And it culminates on the Gold Coast for the WFDF 2024 World Ultimate Championships, where it’s expected that 2,500 athletes from over 40 countries will participate across three Ultimate divisions (open, womens and mens). The WFDF 2024 World Guts Championship (WGC) will be held concurrently at the same venue, Runaway Bay Sport Precinct.
Birdsville Races, Outback Queensland
Birdsville Races. © Photo by Salty Dingo 2018
When: TBC September 2025
It's the race that stops the outback - and where frocking up looks a little different. But way out west, the tiny red-dirt town of Birdsville swells to crowds in their thousands for its annual races. It's one of the biggest parties of the year, and the race itself is just the beginning of the experience.
Looking for a new challenge? Here are the best Queensland endurance events to get the heart racing.
