Road closures, tickets: Everything you need to know about this year’s Gold Coast 500
GC500 bosses will unveil a “great spectacle” for this year’s race which will dramatically shake up the event, as the first plans for night racing on the streets of Surfers Paradise have been revealed.
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Some of Australia’s best-loved bands and DJs will headline the music at this year’s Gold Coast 500 race weekend.
GC500 organisers announced this year’s all-star line-up on Thursday night, featuring Peking Duk, Jet, Spiderbait, Bag Raiders, Kingswood and DJ Total Eclipse.
Supercars CEO Shane Howard said the concerts, which will be held on the Friday and Saturday nights in the Macintosh Island parklands, would be a drawcard for visitors.
“Once again we’ve got some of Australia’s most legendary bands lined up, so it’s going to be a great mix of intense racing and live music that’ll keep everyone going all day long,” he said.
“This will be another trademark GC500 party, rolling over three days at one of the most famous street circuits on the planet.
“We’re very proud to be celebrating 30 years on the streets of Surfers Paradise with another huge weekend on and off track in store.
The 30th anniversary of the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 is shaping up to be something really special.”
The Friday night concert, on October 25, will open with Brisbane-based US outfit DJ Total Eclipse, followed by dance duo Bag Raiders and with electronica duo Peking Duk closing out the first gig.
The Saturday concert will take a more rock-focused beginning with Kingswood, which performed at the 2023 gig.
They will be followed by Spiderbait, which is touring to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of its cover of the Ram Jam jot Black Betty.
The second concert will be closed out by mid-2000s rockers Jet who shot to fame on the back of their hit Are You Gonna Be My Girl. While no full concert will be held on Sunday night following the main Supercars race, Several Gold Coast DJs will perform on the stage for crowds.
Mr Howard said the event was on track to match last year’s crow of 201,971 people across the weekend.
It comes after organisers also announced plans for another new feature at this year’s event.
Drift racing will be held at twilight on the Surfers Paradise street circuit on the Friday and Saturday evenings of the annual three-day motorsports carnival after the end of the Supercars race programs.
It is the latest addition to the event, as organisers work to revitalise it for a new generation.
GC500 Supercars event manager Matt Ramsden said some of Australia’s top drifting specialists will compete in the event. The drifting will occur on a portion of the street circuit, including the final corner.
The 2024 weekend marks 30 years of Supercars racing on the Gold Coast, which initially began as a curtain raiser for the then-Indy Carnival.
It’s understood that organisers will review the success of the drifting event, which could open the door to a full night-racing program at future.
‘Great spectacle’: Huge change coming to GC500 weekend
Drift racing will be held at twilight during this year’s Gold Coast 500.
The late afternoon/early evening sessions of the Pro Drift Slam will occur on the Surfers Paradise street circuit on the Friday and Saturday evenings of the annual three-day motorsports carnival after the end of the Supercars race programs.
It is the latest addition to the event, as organisers work to revitalise it for a new generation.
GC500 Supercars event manager Matt Ramsden said some of Australia’s top drifting specialists, including champion Rob Whyte, will compete in the event, which will be announced on Thursday morning.
“Having Australia’s best drift drivers on the famous Surfers Paradise Street Circuit is going to be a great spectacle,” he said.
“Drifting is a perfect complement to the trademark energy the GC500 is known for.
“It’s a unique opportunity to see these skilled drivers up close, and we’re thrilled to offer something new and exhilarating for our 30th-anniversary celebrations.”
The drifting will occur on a portion of the street circuit, including the final corner.
The 2024 weekend marks 30 years of Supercars racing on the Gold Coast, which initially began as a curtain raiser for the then-Indy Carnival.
It’s understood that organisers will review the success of the drifting event, which could open the door to a full night-racing program at future.
Jason Haynes, CEO of event name sponsor Boost Mobile said it would “push the envelope to deliver fresh and exhilarating experiences” for the race.
“As we celebrate Supercars’ 30th anniversary on the streets of Surfers Paradise, we’re thrilled to introduce the Boost Mobile Pro Drift Slam, which promises to inject even more energy and excitement into an already incredible weekend,” he said.
“The addition of the Pro Drift Slam is a testament to our dedication to delivering more action and entertainment.
“We aim to make each year unforgettable for both attendees and viewers, and with the Pro Pro Drift Slam, we’re elevating the experience to new heights.”
THE PLAN FOR NIGHT RACING
A company which has worked with Supercars for decades is backing calls for the GC500 to become a night race, saying it’s critical to revamp the city’s events offerings.
Arundel-based EventElec, claiming to be Australia’s largest temporary electrical distribution company, worked on the inaugural Indy race in 1991 - and has subsequently been involved for decades with Supercars.
Amid city leaders’ calls to refresh the GC500, EventElec general manager Adam McCann has revealed his company was tapped in 2019 to draw up plans for a night race.
He’s now backing calls from the Gold Coast Combined Chamber of Commerce and Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek to revamp the motorsports event before the 2032 Olympic Games.
“There is an enormous opportunity to take the GC500 to a new and exciting level and for it to be the first night street race in Australia. Any event held at night under lights takes a whole new feel, appeal, and level of experience,” Mr McCann.
“Anyone lucky enough to visit the Singapore Grand Prix would agree.
“The state government, council and tourism bodies have such an opportunity to show not only the rest of Australia but the world (we are) serious about thinking outside the box in creating and showcasing major events in the lead up to the 2032 Games.
“The industry needs a strategy of revamping or establishing long-term major events that will bring tourism and showcase us on the roadway to the 2032 Games.”
Mayor Tom Tate earlier this week confirmed a game-changing plan would be unveiled on Thursday - which the Bulletin can reveal will be a twilight drift car racing showcase.
“Supercars will announce their 2024 music line-up this Thursday and I believe there will be another major announcement which will draw in even more spectators for 2024,” he said.
Mr McCann said there were issues with holding a GC500 night race but all could be overcome.
“There are many challenges and considerations to designing a temporary night street circuit for broadcast quality, from lighting glare and spill not only to driver’s eyes but also residents,” he said.
“The design must be un-intrusive, cost effective and efficient to be installed and removed quickly each year and not put additional strain or risk onto the local grid.
“Our company was engaged back in 2019 to prepare a design and estimates on providing a night street race. Those designs were completed, however the Covid pandemic hit and it was shelved, so we are actually 80 per cent there.”
The GC500 remains one of the city’s biggest drawcards but business and tourism leaders say a revamp is overdue.
They argue it needs fresh drawcards in order to put it front of mind beside to newer events such as the successful Pacific Airshow.
Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce board member and immediate past president Martin Hall said the time was right to take stock of it and look at ways of revving it up in coming years to put it back in pole position for tourism.
The 2024 race will mark 30 years since Supercars debuted as part of the then-four-day motorsports festival and 15 years since it became the main attraction after the withdrawal of Indycars and the failed A1GP launch.
Crowd numbers are this year tipped to be around 200,000 across the now-three-day event, and injected $55m into the economy, both far below the Indy heyday of the late 1990s and early 2000s when the crowds routinely swelled beyond 350,000 on the weekend.
‘Refresh button’: Why Gold Coast 500 needs a revamp
The organisers of the Gold Coast 500 Supercars street race are promising fresh additions as calls mount to rev up the long-running weekend’s appeal.
The motorsports event remains one of the city’s biggest drawcards but business and tourism leaders say a revamp is overdue.
They argue it needs fresh drawcards in order to put it back at the front of mind in comparison to newer events such as the successful Pacific Airshow.
Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce board member and immediate past president Martin Hall said the time was right to take stock of the event and look at ways of revving it up in coming years to put it back in pole position for tourism.
“It is time to take any opportunity to press the refresh button to make sure it is fit for purpose because, as widely discussed, the allure the airshow has brought to the city is a new dimension we haven’t had before,” he said.
“As GC500 rose from the ashes of Indy (15 years ago), it is naturally time to have a look again at the offerings to drive tourism into the city to ensure it endures and is relevant as ever.
“When it was discussed some years ago, the idea of night racing was wildly exciting and is something we should explore again.”
The 2024 race will mark 30 years since the Supercars debuted as part of the then-four-day motorsports festival and 15 years since it became the main attraction after the withdrawal of Indycars and the failed A1GP launch.
Crowd numbers are this year tipped to be around 200,000 across the now-three-day event, and injected $55m into the economy, both far below the Indy heyday of the late 1990s and early 2000s when the crowds routinely swelled beyond 350,000 on the weekend.
Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek said he was glad the city had retained the race after it was cancelled during the pandemic but said it, like all other events, needed a periodic refresh.
“Compared to the newness of the Pacific Airshow, it does underline that all events at times need to have a renewal of their offerings,” he said.
“It’s not at all a criticism of GC500 but (at one point) we were going to have night racing and races under lights but that just disappeared.
“I’ll be interested to see what Supercars are proposing.”
Mayor Tom Tate said there was “no doubt supercars remain a tier one event for our city, along with the Magic Millions and Pacific Airshow” but foreshadowed a “major announcement” this week.
“Supercars have spent the past six years broadening their appeal with more family-friendly activities inside the race precinct as well as amending their ticket pricing to attract more families,” he said.
“At the same time, supercars officials understand their diehard motorsports audience and this has seen an escalation in the quality of music acts on offer during the three-day race schedule.
“Supercars will announce their 2024 music line-up this Thursday an I believe there will be another major announcement which will draw in even more spectators for 2024.”
GC500 manager Matthew Ramsden said he expected this year’s race would be bigger than ever despite confirmed there had been “no real changes” to the set-up or track configuration which has been in use since 2009.
“We’re on track to deliver a bigger event than what we have previously, so we had a record crowd of 201,000 people last year.
“The 2023 event saw a record crowd of 201,971 over three days and achieved an economic impact to the Gold Coast of $58.05m, a growth of $2.12M from the 2022 event,” he said.
“We’re really on track to beat that this year, we’re expecting three massive days of entertainment, both day and night.
“We’ve been doing the overall Gold Coast event since 1991 so it’s a very well-oiled machine.
“It’s around about a five-and-a-half-week build with a three and a half week bump out period so a very well oiled machine and night works commence tonight on the Gold Coast Highway.
“We’re working off an identical program to what we have for the past couple of years so the impacts are minimal.”
Most of the road works will be done at night.
Local businesses, including Main Beach mainstay Domanis are looking forward to the economic boost of the weekend.
Owner John Kaz said the race always brought in more customers.
“It involves the community, even prior to the race you’ve got the trucks on Tedder, it just involves the families and encourages people from outside the area to look around,” he said.
“We get a lot of foot traffic … with the inclusion of the trains now, people can travel freely … you can get off into the track or come into the restaurant precinct.
“It can only be positive and the more we embrace it the better it will be … it’s a really good weekend and we get a lot of return tourists.
The Gold Coast 500 race weekend will run from October 25 to October 27.
General admission, grandstand and corporate hospitality ticketing options, including the Marriott Bonvoy Lounge are on sale now via the Supercars website.
Tickets range from $66 to $346.
ROAD CLOSURES, TICKETS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR’S GC500
The “well-oiled” Supercars machine is preparing to roll into town, with Gold Coast 500 organisers predicting the three-day event will surpass the success of 2023.
With this year marking the 30th anniversary since the Supercars debuted on the famous Surfers Paradise street circuit, event manager Matthew Ramsden was excited for the 2024 campaign, which will run from October 25 to October 27.
“The 2023 event saw a record crowd of 201,971 over three days and achieved an economic impact to the Gold Coast of $58.05m, a growth of $2.12m from the 2022 event,” Mr Ramsden said.
“We’re really on track to beat that this year, we’re expecting three massive days of entertainment, both day and night.”
With track works to get under way, Mr Ramsden said there were no real changes to the set-up of the circuit.
“We’ve been doing the overall Gold Coast event since 1991 so it’s a very well-oiled machine.
“It’s around about a five-and-a-half-week build … and night works commence tonight on the Gold Coast Highway.
“We’re working off an identical program to what we have for the past couple of years so the impacts are minimal.
“We really do like to work mostly at night, just to be minimise that impact, particularly during the day,” he said.
Mr Ramsden encouraged motorists to check the Supercars website for updates on road closures and delays.
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates said the event was a key economic driver for the local economy.
“It’s going to be fantastic, I think we’ll get way above 200,000 people this year,” she said.
“I’d like to remind residents to be careful as we head towards race day. Just be alert to the changed traffic conditions.
“The whole city thrives when we have people of that multitude coming in … we always hope people will spend a little more time on the Gold Coast and visit our fabulous theme parks, and see all that the Gold Coast has to offer.”
John Kaz, owner of Main beach hotspot Domanis, said the GC500 brings a positive impact to local businesses.
“It involves the community, even prior to the race you’ve got the trucks on Tedder (Avenue), it just involves the families and encourages people from outside the area to look around.
“We get a lot of foot traffic … with the inclusion of the trains now, people can travel freely … you can get off into the track or come into the restaurant precinct.
“It can only be positive and the more we embrace it the better it will be … it’s a really good weekend and we get a lot of return tourists,” he said.
General admission, grandstand and corporate hospitality ticketing options, including the Marriott Bonvoy Lounge are on sale now via the Supercars website.
Tickets range from $66 to $346.
Access to Main Beach during construction and Event Week
– Tedder Ave will be open for business as usual for the duration of construction and
throughout Event Week
– Main Beach is best accessed via Waterways Dr during Event Week (Monday October 21 – Monday October 28)
– During Event Week, Tedder Ave from Cronin Ave south is accessible by local traffic
only
– Further information including a full list of streets affected and the construction schedule is
available on Supercars.com
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