Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018: What to Expect in Coolangatta

It will be the biggest sporting event Australia has seen in the last ten years and the largest ever seen on the Gold Coast. It will attract 17 times the number of visitors that come for the Supercars and will be seen by a global audience of approximately 1.5 billion people.

Yes, that’s right! The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) is coming to the Gold Coast and Coolangatta will be part of the action as it hosts the Beach Volleyball at Coolangatta Beachfront.

On April 4, more than 6,600 athletes and team officials from 70 different Commonwealth territories will converge on the Gold Coast for an 11-day sporting spectacular featuring 18 different sports and 7 para-sports at a range of world class venues.

What sports are in the Commonwealth Games 2018?

Sports being contested include athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, diving, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby sevens, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, weightlifting, and wrestling.

Which Gold Coast venues will host the Commonwealth Games 2018?

And the lucky Gold Coast venues include Broadbeach Bowls Club, Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre, Carrara Stadium, Coolangatta Beachfront, Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast Hockey Centre, Nerang Mountain Bike Trails, Optus Aquatic Centre, Oxenford Studios, Robina Stadium and Southport Broadwater Parklands.

Along with a huge range of sporting events, GC2018 will feature a vibrant multi-arts program known as Festival 2018, with 12 days of free public performances, events and activities encompassing music, theatre, circus, dance and film.

The Festival comprises more than 160 events being held along the length of the Gold Coast from Coomera to Coolangatta, including two sites in Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise which will provide continuous entertainment throughout the 12 days.

Beach Volleyball at Coolangatta

Beach Volleyball will be held on Coolangatta Beachfront at Queen Elizabeth Park for the first time in Commonwealth Games history and it’s going to be an exciting spectacle for those lucky enough to have a ringside seat.

Featuring teams of two players in both the men’s and women’s events, the competition will be fierce and the stakes will be high, with teams competing for gold for the first time ever.

Commonwealth countries represented will include Australia, Scotland, Grenada, Cyprus, Canada, England, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Singapore, Rwanda, St Kitts and Nevis, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone and Mozambique.

Preliminaries will take place from Friday 6th to Monday 9th April, followed by the Quarter Finals on Tuesday 10th April, the Semi Finals on Wednesday 11th April and the Finals on Thursday 12th April.

Just two Beach Volleyball medals will be awarded – the Men’s and Women’s Gold, so be there to cheer our Aussies on in what promises to be a highlight of the GC2018.

Coolangatta road closures

Obviously, an event of this magnitude can’t be organised without some inconvenience to locals, so if you’re heading out during the Games (and who won’t be?), you’ll need to be patient on the road and be aware of the following Coolangatta road closures:

• Marine Parade will be closed between the Pizza Hut roundabout and McLean Street and between McLean Street and Warner Street.

• McLean Street will be closed between Marine Parade and Griffith Street from April 4th – 18th.

• Oceanway pedestrian cycle path around the headland will be closed until mid-April.

Planning ahead

Every day will see different traffic and pedestrian hot spots on the Gold Coast during the GC2018, when conditions will change dramatically from the norm, so if you’re travelling to an event, it pays to plan ahead.

Allow plenty of time for travel, for queuing up at transport hubs and for passing through security checks. Public transport is free with your GC2018 ticket, so leave the car at home and catch the bus or train.

If you’re travelling locally to the Beach Volleyball, the easiest way to get to Coolangatta Beachfront will be walking or cycling and there’ll be parking for bikes available near the venue.

When passing through the airport style security points at the venues, you’ll get in quicker if you don’t have a bag. And be aware that there are size and quantity limits on water and sunscreen, so check the CG2018 app for all the details before you go. This free app also has a Journey Planner which includes transport and accessibility options.

Make the Strand Coolangatta your CG2018 home base

Whether you’re headed for the Beach Volleyball or some other CG2018 event on the Gold Coast, The Strand Coolangatta is a great place to start and end your journey.

We have a big range of retail and specialty stores with everything you could need for your day at the Games and everything for relaxing and refuelling when you get back, from cafes and restaurants to entertainment for the whole family.

We’re open every day throughout the CG2018 from early for breakfast until late for dinner and drinks.