June often gets a bad rap, conjuring up thoughts of overcast weather, wintery temperatures and not a whole lot going on. If you thought winter on the Sunny Coast was going to be a bit slow and boring—think again. This is the season of strolling through wintery markets, snuggling up listening to live music and warming up with delicious food.
Cheer up Sunshine Coast, we’re here to keep the good times rolling with your ultimate to-do list for June. Whether your winter vibes are food and drink related, or you’re keen for some art, culture and tunes, this month is looking mighty fine.
Grab your diary ‘cause we’ve got a busy month planned for you with all of the best things to check out on the Sunshine Coast in June.
Mexican Fiesta
Mexican is, hands down, our favourite cuisine. Tacos, nachos, churros and tequila are some of the best things in life. If you’re as passionate about Mexican food as we are, then you’ll want to head to this Mexican-inspired sundowner event, which will showcase Mexican cuisine, get the good vibes flowing with live acoustic music and keep things low key with a laid back, community atmosphere. All of the delicious noms are vegan and gluten-free (winning) and include deliciousness like pulled Mexican shiitake mushrooms, spiced charred corn and black beans and housemade corn tacos. We recommend saving your valuable stomach space to squeeze in the trio of desserts—think chilli chocolate lava brownie, pineapple, cinnamon-spiced churros with caramel sauce and a lime and coconut raw dessert. Tickets are selling fast, so secure your place at this Mexican feast, stat
Where: Rosebed & Finch, 15 Rosebed Street, Eudlo
When: Saturday 19 June, from 4pm to 7pm
Cost: Ticket prices vary
Empower Aerial Concert
Death-defying stunts, gravity-defying routines and stunning aerial artists precariously swinging through the air. This might not sound like your typical weekend antics, but you can live vicariously through the talented performers who will be dazzling you with their skills at the Absolute Aerials Empower Concert, which hits Flinders Performing Centre this month. This local concert showcases local talent, students, coaches and professional aerialists, who are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat with their breathtaking circus acts. Mix it up with a bit of good ol’ razzle dazzle this weekend and grab your tickets here.
Where: Flinders Performance Centre, Stringybark Road, Buderim
When: Sunday 27 June, from 12pm to 6:30pm
Cost: Adults: $41.50; Under 18’s: $31.50
Ignite Chilli Festival
Calling all chilli-lovers and spice fiends—you’re in luck. Turning up the heat on the Sunshine Coast, the annual Ignite Chilli Festival is hitting our shores this month and is designed to test even the hottest of chilli fiends. Highlighting the exciting world of chillies, herbs and spices through a fusion of food, music and people, the 2021 Ignite Chilli Festival is almost too hot to handle. Burning through Downtown Caloundra this food fiesta includes cooking demonstrations, roving entertainment, food, music and artisan stalls.
When: Saturday 12 June, from 10am to 4pm
Where: Bulcock Street, Caloundra
Cost: Free entry
Solstice Fire Weekend
The Solstice Fire Weekend is all about heating things up—with everything from fire pits to fire-breathing and twirling to flame-grilled eats, this is set to be one spicy night. Get rugged up in your winter woollies and be awed by fire breathing and twirling displays, snuggle up by roaring fire pits and warm up with delish goodies like chilli hot chocolate and flaming cocktails. On Friday night, boogie with Mismo Tempo and Harris, while Saturday night will feature Mo’Swagger along with Tyler Hammill. A three-person fire show and roving fire twirlers will also roam the night market, so get ready to fire things up.
When: Friday 18 June & Saturday 19 June, from 4pm to 10pm
Where: NightQuarter, 201/8 The Avenue, Birtinya
Cost: Adults: $5.00, 13-17 years: $4.00, children: $2.00
Teeth And Tails Tour At Sea Life
Stuck on how to keep the little ones entertained these school holidays. We’ve got you covered. Discover the teeth and tails of incredible aquatic animals as you journey through the underwater word at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium. From Saturday 26 June to Sunday 11 July, kids will receive an activity booklet and the Aquarium’s marine experts will take guests on a deep dive into the form and function of sea creatures body parts on a special Teeth and Tails tour. SEA LIFE is always buzzing during the holidays, so we recommend booking your tickets, stat.
When: Saturday 26 June to Sunday 11 July, from 9am to 2pm
Where: SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium, Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba
Cost: Ticket prices vary
Secret Oasis Festival
If you’re anything like us, you’ve been loving the return of live festivals and have been going to every single festival possible. Well, lucky for us, we’ve got another one to pop into the diary. The Secret Oasis Festival is the newest in town and is bringing us music, dance, workshops, interactive art, storytelling and so much more. Groove to the talented artists, boogie in the mosh pit and connect with like-minded individuals. Described as a ‘utopian world to explore ideas, to grow, stimulate our brains into creative cognition through sound, visuals & community connection’, this is definitely a festival like no other. Text the group chat, round up your pals and get the good vibes flowing at this spiritual festival.
When: Saturday 3 July to Sunday 4 July, from 8am to 4pm
Where: Location to be announced, near The Big Pineapple
Cost: Costs vary: $155 to $33
Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show
An agricultural show? We weren’t too sure what that meant either, but trust us, it’s pretty cool. The Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show is embracing all things country, showcasing horse stunts, monster trucks, show jumping, car racing, freestyle motocross, speedway bikes and so much more. Get an adrenaline rush watching the daredevil riders, be stunned by the magnificent horses and belly laugh your way through the hilarious roly-poly car routine. Let the kids go wild on the showground rides, while you chow into some delicious street food. Bring the whole family together for a jam-packed weekend of action at the Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show.
When: Friday 11 June to Sunday 13 June, from 8am to 8pm
Where: Nambour Showgrounds, Bli Bli Road, Nambour
Cost: Adult: $14.40; Student: $10.00, Under 5: Free
Hinterland Craft Beer Festival
Attention all beer lovers! Good news: a festival dedicated entirely to beer is coming to the Sunny Coast this month. Held in Eumundi, the family-friendly Hinterland Craft Beer Festival will bring together top brewers, breweries and beer lovers for a spectacular day out. Learn about the science of beer making, with top breweries sharing insights into how they master their craft, chat to fellow beer lovers and, of course, quench your first with plenty of beer tastings. To accompany the sensational brews, there will be some seriously tasty street food on hand, and a program of live music and grooves throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Don’t worry if gin is more your thing, ‘cause you’re covered with a funky new Gin Bar serving up a selection of local Folktale gins. We’ll cheers to that!
When: Saturday 26 June, from 12pm to 8pm
Where: Imperial Hotel Eumundi, 1 Etheridge Street, Eumundi
Cost: Free entry
San Cisco At NightQuarter
We’ve been embracing the return of live music and are absolutely thrilled that legends like San Cisco are gracing Sunny Coast stages this month. Their rise to fame is thanks to indie-pop tunes like ‘Awkward’, ‘Too Much Time Together’ and ‘About You’, but they’ve certainly secured their spot as one of the most loved indie Aussie bands with their latest album, Between You and Me. The talented Jaguar Jonze will be accompanying the trio on stage, so settle in for a big night. This is their first national tour since 2019, so you can expect big things and a big turnout. We reckon it’s time you grabbed your pals and got your hands on tickets, ASAP.
When: Saturday 12 June, from 6pm
Where: NightQuarter, 201/8 The Avenue, Birtinya
Cost: $55.85
No Scrubs Party
Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Britney, ahhh the oldies but goodies. We love getting our groove on to some classic old school bangers and backstreet's back at the No Scrubs: 90’s and Early 00’s Party, held at O’Malley’s Irish Bar this month. Expect some popping tunes and good vibes only at this epic throwback party, where the dancefloor is guaranteed to be bustling. Start practising your dance moves ASAP, ‘cause Destiny’s Child brings out the inner dancing queen in all of us.
When: Saturday 12 June, from 9pm onwards
Where: O’Malley’s Irish Bar, 19/20 Upper Level, 1 Venning Street, Mooloolaba
Cost: $14.30
Riverside Vibes
Grab the picnic rug, stock up on nibbles and settle in for a balmy afternoon of riverside live music. Sounds like heaven, right? Located in the scenic Charles Clark Park, Riverside Vibes is set to be a chilled-out afternoon of live music, sunshine and summer vibes. This much-anticipated show is set to be a big one. Relax to the tunes of homegrown Sunny Coast artist Karlou + The Lyrical, who will be gracing the stage with their originals and classic songs you love and know.
When: Sunday 20 June, from 2pm to 5:30pm
Where: Charles Clark Park, Mooloolaba
Cost: $5.00
Downunder BeachFest
The much-loved BeachFest is returning to Caloundra and it’s set to be bigger, bolder and better this year. Caloundra Hotel will come alive with a huge lineup of vintage cars, live bands, foodie trucks and market stalls. Classic and hot-rod cars are the star of the show, and will be competing over the weekend to take out the best themed ‘Cruiser’ prize (trust us, it’s a big deal). If cars aren’t your thing, the annual Miss Downunder Beachfest Pinup Pageant is another big competition that gets the crowd going. The energy will be buzzing late into the night, with DJ BOP kicking off from 10pm. Weekend plans = sorted.
When: Thursday 9 June to Sunday 13 June, from 10am onwards
Where: Caloundra Hotel, 12 Bulcock Street, Caloundra
Cost: Free entry
Your month might be jam-packed full of exciting events, but you’ve still got time to indulge in some wanderlusting. Plan your next adventure and check out everything you need to know about Queensland’s stunning Cobbold Gorge.
Image credit: Alex Alvarez