Big events bring big dollars for local economy
From triathlons and surf competitions to music festivals and culinary showcases, major events on the Sunshine Coast are generating significant economic returns by attracting visitors and offering an exciting calendar of experiences for our residents.
Helping to make this a reality is Sunshine Coast Council’s Major Events Sponsorship Program, which once again has proven its value, delivering an estimated $106 million in direct economic impact.
The action-packed calendar of Council-sponsored events helped support more than 1,100 full-time equivalent jobs across the events and tourism sectors throughout the region in 2024–25.
A number of events achieved sell-out status, reflecting strong community and visitor enthusiasm for high-calibre athletes, performers, and competition.
The latest snapshot was presented by the Sunshine Coast Events Board. Collectively, the eleven-member advisory group provides strategic leadership and advice in support of Council’s Major Events Strategy, which guides sponsorship of major events until 2028.
A total of 57 sponsored major events were hosted through the 2024-25 financial year program, including six ‘signature events’, 49 events considered ‘economic drivers’ and two ‘emerging events’.
Together they, reinforced the Sunshine Coast’s reputation as one of Australia’s leading regional destinations for major events.
Sunshine Coast Biosphere on show
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the program’s success went well beyond economic impact.
“Major events bring our community and visitors together to celebrate shared passions, our natural assets and unique experiences.
“They help to showcase our stunning region as a destination to visit all year round, and create lasting memories for everyone,” Mayor Natoli said.
“From the Mooloolaba Triathlon or the Queensland Garden Show to the Big Pineapple Festival, these events help build our identity as a destination and create community pride, while supporting local jobs and businesses.
High-quality events the key
Sunshine Coast Events Board Chair John Williams said the results reflected the strength of the region’s partnerships and the growing interest in hosting events on the Sunshine Coast in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“This year’s outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in securing long term partnerships with well-established events, investing in the potential of emerging events and the increasing interest in hosting events on the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Williams said.
“The calibre of applications continues to rise, and our framework ensures we support events that align with our long-term vision of ensuring the Sunshine Coast is considered to be Australia’s premier regional event destination.”
The Events Board Annual Report 2024-25 highlights
- Hosting the World Medical Football Championships, attracting over 1,000 delegates and athletes from 18 nations with the Medtildas clinching the Women’s Cup in a historic 2–0 victory over Canada.
- The growth of The Rangebow Festival and The Australian Wearable Art Festival as ‘emerging events’, helping to secure the return of the Big Pineapple Festival in 2024 which sold out, all of which enrich our cultural calendar.
- Securing multi-year contracts for high-impact events IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast and the Queensland Garden Show and and securing the first international para event ahead of the 2032 Paralympic Games – the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships in 2028.
Sunshine Coast Resilient Economy Councillor Joe Natoli said there were good indicators of event growth from a number of organisers, which created more opportunity for our local businesses to capitalise on new and returning patrons.
“We saw record-breaking numbers for the Sunshine Coast Marathon in 2024, which prompted a successful change to a single lap course in 2025 extending into Twin Waters and Mudjimba which resulted in another record-breaking event,” Cr Natoli said.
“The appetite to attend events is strong, and we saw this with sold-out events during The Curated Plate, for Basketball Australia’s new Trans-Tasman Throwdown featuring the Boomers and the Opals and the 2024 Big Pineapple Festival.
“All of our sponsored events attract audiences from outside the region, so this is a good time to remind local businesses that there are plenty of opportunities to make visitors to our region feel welcome and capitalise on having the extra visitors in town.”
Priorities for 2025-26 and beyond
With a strong foundation and a clear vision, Council remains committed to positioning the Sunshine Coast as Australia’s premier regional events destination.
The refreshed Major Events Strategy continues to guide Council’s investment, with a focus on balancing the calendar, supporting emerging events, and preparing the region as a Co-Host for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
What’s coming: our sponsored major event calendar
Nov 1: Big Pineapple Festival - last tickets remaining
Nov 28: Sculptures on the Edge - tickets on sale
2026 event planning in progress*
Jan 16-18: Suncoast Spinners Wheelchair Basketball Tournament
Jan 17-21: Australian Junior Beach Volleyball Tour + Queensland Open
Jan 23-26: Kite Karnival ft. Australian Freestyle Nationals
Jan 30-Feb 1: Queensland Oztag Championships
Mar 14-15: Mooloolaba Triathlon - entries now open
Apr 5-10: Gymnastics Queensland State Championships
Apr 18-23: Dragon Boat National Championships (AusChamps)
May 1-10: Horizon Festival
June 20-28: Winterfest and Football Queensland Junior Cup
Jul 4-11: Australian Deaf Games - registration open for participants and volunteers
Jul 11: Australian Wearable Art Festival - entries now open for artis, designers, crafters and creatives
Jul 10-12: Queensland Garden Show
Jul 24-Aug 2: The Curated Plate - EOIs open for Industry Partners
Aug 2: Sunshine Coast Marathon - entries now open
Sept 13: IRONMAN 70.3 Sunshine Coast
Oct 5-10: Asia-Pacific Sixes Lacrosse Championships
For more event information, visit Events.SunshineCoast.
*All event dates subject to change.
NRL Under 19s - 3 NSW origin players tackling a Qld player for the ball.
Basketball tip off to start the game with players jumping up for the ball.
The Curated Plate - a tray of glasses filled with food and blurred background of people seated at tables
Four festival lovers jumping up in from the Big Pineapple blow up decor
Surf champions - two holding up a winner, with a surfboard up right behind them, with a beach break backdrop.
Sunshine Coast Marathon - hundreds of runners on the road, with buildings in the distant background.
Gardeners browsing the range of plants at the Qld Garden Show
A gymnastic in flight during her routine.
The Australian Wearable Art Festival catwalk
A beach volleyball player on the beach with the ball in the air with arms ready to spike or serve. Background is sky and clouds, and destination signage saying Sunshine Coast.
A colourful view of the set up for beach volleyball, with courts, signage, and marquees at Bulcock Beach/Happy Valley.
