Gold Coast Schoolies parties in Surfers Paradise - according to Schoolies.com and Billy Cross
Those on the frontline of the Schoolies celebrations in Surfers Paradise have unveiled some stunning insights on the class of 2023 - and country’s future leaders. Read the reality
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Schoolies commercial operators say entertainment attendance and accommodation bookings were “in line with last year” despite overall Schoolies numbers down an estimated 4000.
About 20,000 school leavers were expected on the Gold Coast for week one of graduate parties, centred in party precinct Surfers Paradise.
The State Government said at the weekend these numbers totalled 16,000, whilst Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response has about 15,500 Schoolies hub wristbands had been issued, 10,000 less than anticipated.
Despite the lower numbers Schoolies.com CEO Matt Lloyd said accommodation nights “were very much the same” as 2022.
“From our point of view our accommodation numbers were almost identical to last year, so we haven’t seen a drop off in that regard,” Mr Lloyd said.
“Our parties and events went really well for the week, we had all ages events and also 18-plus options in about eight of the different nightclubs throughout Surfers.”
He added: “We ran four events at Cali Beach Club which were really well received. The biggest thing is every night there’s some type of event on at one of the nightclubs. The Cali Beach Club events was a new thing for this year and it was extremely well received.”
Mr Lloyd said the Schoolies Nation festival at Doug Jenning’s Park was also “well attended” drawing in seven to 8000 Schoolies.
Events and hospitality guru Billy Cross, whose company Cross Promotions ran the Schoolies Nation activation, said the behaviour of revellers was changing the perception of the week-long rite of passage.
“We did Schoolies Nation again this year and it was just as busy as previous years, if not more so,” he said.
“I didn’t notice a downturn but the kids were just amazing, enjoyed it and were really well-behaved.
“The culture of the kids has changed. They really look after themselves now and while they party, it’s not the messy kind we used to get.
“They’ve embraced the feel-good culture and like to have fun rather than waking up with a hangover, but overall I’d say it was one of the best years we’ve ever had.”
Mr Lloyd added the state’s official numbers “wasn’t a concern” for the operator “at this stage”.
“Our numbers are still really steady and we haven’t seen any evidence the Gold Coast is losing its appeal for Schoolies as a destination,” he said.
“We offer Fiji as a Schoolies destination and numbers are the same as last year at around 600. Those packages start from around $2,800 whereas the lowest package on the Gold Coast starts from around $560 for seven nights.”
Mr Lloyd said as a Schoolies.com destination the Gold Coast still proved the premier destination for school leavers attracting 90 per cent of the market.
A top cop gave Schoolies an “A+” for behaviour in week one, with 17 arrests, the lowest in six years.
Authorities quizzed on stiff penalties for crude vandals
Authorities have been pressed on what consequences await the vandals behind the shocking defacement of trees along Burleigh’s Oceanview track, which drew a larger-than-usual crowd on Sunday morning.
‘The last of the method artists’: Tributes to renowned Coast painter
Tributes are being paid after the death of a Gold Coast artist whose works were collected by the likes of Jackie Kennedy Onassis and former PM Sir Robert Menzies.