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BLEACH* Festival Is Back This Spring With Six60 And A Giant Floating Block Of Ice

16th Jul 2026
Written by:
Harmony Lee
Contributor | Urban List Gold Coast

The Gold Coast's premier arts and cultural festival, BLEACH* Festival, is returning for 2026 with a fresh seasonal twist, shifting from its usual winter slot to a vibrant spring celebration for its 14th year.

Running from Thursday 1 to Sunday 11 October, BLEACH* is promising 11 days and nights of music, performance and large-scale public art installations across both free and ticketed events.

In what's shaping up to be the festival's biggest footprint yet, HOTA will be taken over entirely for the duration—bringing the precinct to life both indoors and out in a landmark moment for the festival's history.


Image Credit: BLEACH* | Supplied

With Artistic Director Felix Preval at the helm, BLEACH* continues its tradition of ambitious, site-responsive work that transforms the Gold Coast into a hub of contemporary culture. "Bringing Bleach Festival into spring opens new creative possibilities for the festival and for audiences. It's a time of energy and renewal on the Gold Coast, and this year's program reflects that," said Preval.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate is equally enthusiastic: "Make a date with Bleach this October and be prepared to be amazed by the raw talent on show over 11 magical days."

BLEACH* Festival Highlights At A Glance

Musical Highlights

  • A free opening concert that will see internationally acclaimed US soul vocalist Lady Blackbird make her debut, alongside award-winning electronic duo Electric Fields in a free, all-ages double-bill on HOTA's Outdoor Stage.

  • The New Zealand chart-toppers SIX60 will return to the Gold Coast on Saturday 3 October, bringing their signature blend of roots, soul and dubstep to HOTA's outdoor stage, joined by seven-piece dub-fusion outfit Sub-Tribe.

  • BEACON's free live music stage at the HOTA Lake Precinct, with sets from Tijuana Cartel, Blind Corners, Laurel Hill, Ella Fence, Karl S Williams and Super Massive, plus sunset performances from the BLEACH Festival Choir throughout the festival.

  • High Tide, the spectacular closing event, will feature live music, jetpack performers taking flight above the HOTA Lake, 100 giant jellyfish puppets descending on the parklands, and a family-friendly rave to close out 11 days of creativity.


Image Credit: BLEACH* | Supplied

Dance Highlights

  • THAW by Legs on the Wall, a monumental outdoor performance that will open the festival at dawn on 1 October and see a giant block of ice suspended by crane serve as a stage for an eight-hour durational work that unfolds as a meditation on climate, spectacle and metaphor.

  • Cuddle by Harrison Ritchie-Jones, a riotous dance work that transforms the Black Box Theatre into a wrestling ring, combining contemporary movement, martial arts, boot scooting and wildly inventive technology.

  • The Butterfly Who Flew Into the Rave by Oli Matheson, a dance performance paired with techno music, condensing three days at Berlin's iconic Berghain into a one-hour spectacle of non-stop choreography in the HOTA Basement—followed by Club Peroxide, a free club experience that keeps the rave going over opening weekend.

  • Kuramanunya by Karul, a solo dance theatre performance by Gold Coast First Nations dance company Karul, featuring Thomas E.S. Kelly in a tribute to ancestral strength, spirit and enduring legacy.

Theatrical & Performance Highlights

  • No One Gets Out Of Here Alive by The Farm, a brand new large-scale production weaving dance, voice, music, humour and pathos into a cathartic exploration of endings and letting go. Taking to HOTA's theatre stage for the festival's final weekend.

  • Awake by White Rabbit Theatre, a Gold Coast premiere exploring the surprising face of grief, backed by a live Irish folk band—with an extended folk music set and whiskey to follow, fitting for a wake.


Image Credit: BLEACH* | Supplied

Art & Installation Highlights

  • BEACON by Morag Myerscough, a large-scale immersive installation transforming the HOTA parklands for the full duration of the festival. The work shifts from a bold daytime landmark to a glowing nighttime hub after dark, complete with live choral performances of a poem by bestselling author Holly Ringland.

  • 100 Keyboards by ASUNA, a mesmerising sonic exploration from Japanese sound artist ASUNA, created through the accumulation of 100 toy keyboards in the HOTA Gallery.

Image of 100 keyboards in hexagon shape on the floor
Image Credit: BLEACH* | Supplied

  • VOICES by Pulsing Hearts, a large-scale light and sound installation at the HOTA Lake Precinct where participants spin 50 translucent tubes to activate a sculptural wall of light and choral sound that builds in intensity.

  • Hyper Temples by Melissa Gilbert, an immersive installation transforming the HOTA Gallery Foyer into a living ecosystem of play, participation and imagination.

The full 2026 program is available on the BLEACH* Festival site, where you can peruse the lineup and start arranging your spring itinerary.

Image Credit: BLEACH* | Supplied