GC600 fills Gold Coast bars with VIPs Tomic, Cummins, Bradbury

GLITTER Strip nightclub bosses say the GC600 gave the party scene a rev up this year, with venues packed and VIPs out to play — And guess who joined the Honey Badger on the Glitter Strip?

Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins at The Avenue during GC600.

GLITTER Strip nightclub bosses say the GC600 has given the party scene a rev up this year, with venues packed and VIPs out to play.

Broadbeach rooftop venue Nineteen at the Star drew big names on Saturday hosting Wallaby-turned-reality-TV icon Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins, tennis pro Bernard Tomic and speed skater Steven Bradbury.

Bradbury famously won Winter Olympics gold when opponents all crashed a final corner pile up. Tomic, fresh from reviving his tennis career with his first ATP title in three years and surging back inside the top 100, was out marking his 26th birthday.

I ALWAYS DREAMT OF BEING A GRID GIRL

Tiffany Lawrence, 26, from Biggera Waters, and Tamika Wilson, 26. Picture Mike Batterham

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Nineteen at the Star partner Billy Cross said it was “the place to be”.

Love Night-life nightclub owner Elliott Wicks said his only regret was not planning to open his Broadbeach venue last night too: “We have been flat out the whole weekend. What was great was everyone starting earlier — our club was packed from 10pm Friday and Saturday.”

Sin City and The Bedroom general manager Tim Martin said it was well worth getting late 5am licences for Saturday night: “There was a bigger buzz than usual, we had a lot more locals out and about.

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The crowd — estimated to be 10,000-plus — for Saturday night's GC600 concert at Broadwater Parklands, with Live, Foreigner and Sheppard on the bill Picture: MARK HORSBURGH

“Surfers Paradise is revitalising and coming back with the offerings there now and they’re starting to coexist with the family side of things.”

Hollywood Showgirls strip club owner Craig Duffy said his Surfers Paradise venue on party strip Orchid Avenue had its “best GC600 ever”.

“It was not as good as when Indy cars were last here in 2008. But this was the busiest GC600 we have ever had.

Last year at the GC600, Alex Rullo was 17 so would have to have a quiet night post-race while other drivers could party on. Now 18, he's keen to check out the Surfers Paradise night-life and GC party vibe. Photo of Alex at Bedroom nightclub with Renata Algodoal (L) and Alex Webb. Photo by Richard Gosling

“With talk about possibly NASCARs — which I think would be tremendous for the Gold Coast and a coup if the powers that be can pull it off — the future looks even brighter,” Mr Duffy said.