The neon has gone down on BLEACH Festival 2026. Its 1 to 11 October run has ended, after a cheerful mix of music, theatre and art at HOTA, with an opening performance on Surfers Paradise Beach. Eleven days left room for a beach morning between outings, which suited a stay on Breaker Street.
Under Artistic Director Felix Preval, the festival moved into spring. This is a look back at that programme. The official BLEACH page at HOTA has not announced 2027 dates or performances.
BEACON gave the evenings some colour
BEACON, by Morag Myerscough and Everybody NOW!, occupied HOTA’s Lakeside Precinct for the full eleven days. Hand-painted gateways and Holly Ringland’s poetry gave visitors plenty to look at before the neon took over after dark.
A community choir opened the festival on Thursday 1 October 2026. After that fixed opening, the installation offered a more flexible way into the programme. Its 2026 exhibition has finished, so there is no current walk-through to plan around.
Two nights on the Outdoor Stage
Lady Blackbird & Electric Fields played the Outdoor Stage on Friday 2 October, with free tickets requiring registration. SIX60, supported by Sub-Tribe, followed on Saturday 3 October. The two nights gave music fans quite different reasons to head across to HOTA.
Elsewhere, THAW brought a performer and melting ice to the beachfront and HOTA. The Farm’s No One Gets Out of Here Alive closed the final weekend at Theatre 1 on 10 and 11 October. Those performances and ticket arrangements belonged to 2026, and have ended.
Main Beach between the outings
The Crest’s Main Beach G:link station is 300 metres from the door. For future HOTA visits, check the venue’s transport guidance for the onward journey, including any walk or connection. The tram is part of the trip, rather than a stop at HOTA itself.
Back on Breaker Street, Tedder Avenue is about two minutes away on foot. Coffee before heading out, a late lunch on a day without a booking, or dinner close to the apartment all fit without moving the car again.
The morning after a show
The Crest has two heated pools, one indoors and one outdoors. The outdoor pool is heated to 28°C year-round. There is also a sauna, gym and covered BBQ area, so a day between arts outings can stay close to the building.
The apartment kitchen and separate laundry handle breakfast and the practical jobs. One-bedroom apartments suit a couple; the two-bedroom choices give families or friends two bathrooms and more room. Interiors and outlooks vary because apartments are individually owned and furnished.
Another stay, once the dates are known
The 2026 festival is over. Keep an eye on the organiser for a new announcement rather than using its old programme to choose a future weekend. In the meantime, Main Beach still has the sand, Tedder Avenue and two heated pools.
Browse The Crest’s apartments or ask about a stay. Check-in runs from 2 to 5 pm; after-hours arrival can be arranged with reception.
