Ultimate guide to 2022 Gold Coast Show at Broadwater Parklands from August 26-28

Jump on a new ride, pet some cute animals and vibe to live music – here’s your guide to the 2022 Gold Coast Show.

The Gold Coast Show starts Thursday and locals Ayla Shephard 8, Van Taurima 8, and Pippa Tucker 8, with Showbags. Picture Glenn Hampson

The highly anticipated Gold Coast Show is back again with more rides, showbags and a range of attractions to see.

Whether you’re a seasoned local or a curious visitor, this year’s show promises three days of agricultural delight starting this week Friday, August 26 and ending Sunday, August 28.

BAG A BARGAIN: LIST OF SHOWBAGS AT GOLD COAST SHOW

From live music from hit musicians to all the rides you need to try – here's the ultimate guide to the 2022 Gold Coast Show:

RIDES

This year, the Gold Coast Show boasts more rides than ever before – making this year’s festivities the biggest ride-show in the country.

Family-favourite – the Big Whizzer – is back at the Gold Coast show. Picture: Scott Radford-Chisholm

Showroom’s Guild of Australasia representative Tyrone Miller said Broadwater Parklands will be jam-packed with rides, with something for everyone to enjoy.

“We have a couple of returning favourites that haven’t been seen for a while like the Big Whizzer – a great family attraction that’s been here for a long time. I think even the grandmothers and the grandfathers remember it,” Mr Miller said.

“It’s like an age old tradition to ride the Big Whizzer at the Gold Coast Show.

“And we haven’t forgotten about the kids – we’ve got the bumper boats coming back this year which we haven’t had for about four years.”

Other rides include the Skywalker, Hurricane, Waveswinger, Soundwave, Slide, Speed Boats, Haunted, Dark Ride, Super Fun Slide, Boot Camp and more.

New Rides

And on top of fan favourites returning to the Parklands, there’s an array of exciting new rides to try.

The Gold Coast Show starts Thursday and locals Pippa Tucker 8, Ayla Shephard 8, and Van Taurima 8, get an early ride in on the Teacups. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“We’ve got the Matterhorn which is a great family ride it’s also Australia’s fastest family ride,” Mr Miller said.

“We also have the Ultimate Party Machine which is a thrillseekers attraction … there’s plenty of new rides coming this year … I think it’s going to be a big shock.”

And it’s not just new rides that will be shocking showgoers – but the number of large attractions to show-off the Gold Coast city scape os sure to dazzle.

“The ferris wheel is 35 metres tall and is one of the largest travelling Ferris wheels in the country. The Beast is also really tall and swings to 45 metres – so the big rides are really impressive,” he added.

With the sheer number of rides available, Mr Miller said that this year’s event was likely to be just as big if not bigger than last year’s.

“I don’t think there would be a better location in Australia to put on a show or an event than down here at Parklands,” he added.

“It’s a beautiful view for everyone and even while we’re setting up the park bike riders and skateboarders are still going down the footpath and are mesmerised.”

ENTERTAINMENT

For three days, there’s a myriad of live entertainment and competition exhibitions to explore along the Parklands.

Ayla, Van, and Pippa are excited to choose some showbags from the massive range up for grabs at the Gold Coast Show. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Music

After nabbing a showbag, venture down towards the live music stage to catch performances from Gold Coast Music Awards finalist Chutney and other local musicians.

Animals

And it’s animals galore at the agricultural festival where you can ride a camel, and alpaca, and a pony if you wanted. Or simply head over to the animal nursery to cuddle some cute animals.

Competitions

The Gold Coast Show is where you can catch the talented efforts of its local residents including incredible pieces of art from primary school children.

From indigenous artworks to the whackiest and spookiest scarecrows, you can take a look at all the Gold Coast’s creative community have to offer.

The Gold Coast Show runs for three days with entertainment, rides, showbags and more scheduled for the event. Picture: Supplied

One competition to look out for will be the range of scarecrows on display, designed and hand crafted by local primary school students.

The Gold Coast Show starts Thursday and locals Ayla Shephard 8 checks out a scarecrow in the Arts and Crafts Pavilion. Picture Glenn Hampson

All art competitions will be held at the Art & Craft Marquee section of the show where attendees can also pick up a creative skill or two at the demonstration classes.

FOOD

The classic dagwood dogs will be available along with fresh strawberries and a range of other food stalls and beverages from 10am to 6:00pm.

CWA judges Maree Harvey, Linda Ashton and Averial Mahony get down to business in the Arts and Crafts Pavilion. Picture Glenn Hampson

To meet your local beekeepers and taste their honey you can visit them from 9am to 3pm.

TICKETS

Entrance is free for all, but make sure to rock up with some spending money if you want to enjoy the rides, food and showbags.

GETTING THERE

Light rail: For those planning to use public transport to get to the show, make sure to use the TransLink Journey Planner to know which bus, train or tram service is available to get you to and from Broadwater Parklands.

Tram goers can stop at the Broadwater Parklands station and take a short walk to the showgrounds. And if you’re driving part of the way, Parkwood Light Rail station is a designated ‘park and ride’ station, with parking available free of charge. Standard G:Link travel costs apply.

Parking: If you’re planning on driving to the show, parking is available at Carey Car Park which can be accessed via Marine Parade, Southport at $10 per vehicle. Cash payment is preferred. Accessible parking has been made available for free.

Parking is also available at Australia Fair with standard car park rates.

Taxi/Rideshare: The pick up and drop off zone for taxis and rideshare services like Uber is located on the Gold Coast Highway between Marine Parade and Ada Bell Way.

Originally published as Ultimate guide to 2022 Gold Coast Show at Broadwater Parklands from August 26-28