FAQs

We look forward to seeing you for #SWELL2026 between 11 – 20 September, 2026.

The exhibition is open all hours so you can enjoy the sculptures at any time. There are Information Hubs along the 1.5km walkway where you can obtain information about the exhibition, what’s on, purchase raffle tickets, purchase a printed program and more. Information Hubs are open daily from 8am – 5pm.

A selection of sculptures will light up 5pm – 9pm to show an evening verve.

Dates for planning your visit:

SWELL Sculpture Festival at Currumbin Beach, 11 – 20 September

SWELL Kids Elements at Currumbin Beach, 11 – 20 September

SWELL Fringe Festival at Currumbin Beach, 11 – 20 September

SWELL Smalls Gallery at Currumbin Beach, 11 – 20 September

SWELL at Balter Taproom Currumbin, 13 August – 20 September

northerlySWELL Helensvale, 21 August – 21 September

SWELL at Oasis Shopping Centre Broadbeach, 1 – 30 September

SIGNATURE EXHIBITION

SWELL Sculpture Festival (SWELL) – Pacific Parade & Teemangum Street, Currumbin, Queensland 4223 AUSTRALIA

Sculptures will be curated from Currumbin Alley, along Currumbin Beach and down to Flat Rock, Tugun.

ALSO VISIT POP UP EXHIBITIONS

SWELL Smalls Gallery – Upstairs from Kinship Cafe at Currumbin Vikings Junior Surf Life Savings and Activities Club – 766 Pacific Parade, Currumbin Beach, Queensland, 4223

SWELL Kids Elements – Len Wort Park, Teemangum Street, Currumbin Beach, Queensland, 4223

SWELL Fringe Festival – Wallace Nicoll Park, Pacific Parade, Currumbin Beach, QLD, 4223

SWELL at Balter Taproom – 14 Traders Way, Currumbin Waters QLD 4223

northerlySWELL – Helensvale Library and Cultural Centre Helensvale Plaza, Corner Lindfield Road and, Sir John Overall Dr, Helensvale QLD 4212

SWELL at Oasis Shopping Centre – 75 Surf Parade, Broadbeach QLD 4218

The annual SWELL Sculpture Festival and SWELL pop-up exhbitions are free for all to attend!

Explore the SWELL program for free and ticketed events, including workshops, live music, artist talks, wellness and more.

Information Hubs are located throghout the exhibition along the beachside pathways, Wallace Nicoll Park and Len Wort Park. Information Hubs are open daily from 8am – 5pm.

Visit a SWELL Information Hub to:

• Purchase the $6 exhibition program – buying a program supports SWELL with all proceeds of sale reinvested into presenting the following year’s exhibition. Buy a SWELL program to be informed! Learn about the Artists, Artworks, What’s On, to vote for SWELL People’s Choice and Smalls Gallery People’s Choice Awards and more.
  Obtain information about the SWELL Kids activities, SWELL Fringe, SWELL Smalls, workshops, guided sculpture walks, artist talks and more.
• Purchase SWELL Sculpture Festival annual raffle tickets
• Vote for your favourite sculpture in the People’s Choice Awards – Vote by filling out the form inside your printed program available to purchase with the SWELL Information Hubs.
• Enquire about purchasing a sculpture.

FOR THE EARLY BIRDS, purchase your $6 SWELL program at the Currumbin Beach General Store at 784 Pacific Parade from 6am.

You are most welcome to bring a blanket and a packed picnic lunch, sit among the sculptures and enjoy the exhibition! The walk is 1.5km in length so a bottle of water is a good idea for each member of the family. There are several cafes along the sculpture walk and the Currumbin Surf Club, along with delicious food trucks located at the Northern and Southern end of the exhibition.

• Currumbin Vikings Surf Life Saving Club
• Kinship Cafe
• The Salt Mill Cafe
• Barefoot Barista Currumbin
• Tommy’s Italian
• Sanctuary Cafe at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
• Ice Cream Trucks at SWELL
• Food Trucks in Wallace Nicoll Park at SWELL: The Spanish Catering, The Banger Bar, Seaviche, La French Crepe, Balboa Pizza, Daisy Days Coffee, G Free Donuts.
• Food Trucks in Len Wort Park at SWELL: Rotary Sausage Sizzle, Anderson’s Ice Creams, Sir Float Coffee.
• Currumbin Village Store

Public toilets are located in Wallace Nicoll Park at the northern end of Pacific Parade along with temporary toilets in Wallace Nicoll Park. Additional public toilets are located at the Currumbin Junior Activities Club/Kinship Cafe. Public Toilets at the southern end of the exhibition in Kropp Park, Currumbin.

Your on-leash dog is welcome at the outdoor SWELL exhibition. The majority of sculptures can be viewed from the path and beach areas with your dog by your side. There are exclusion zones at the northern end of Currumbin Beach so please refer to the map provided at the City of Gold Coast website. Dog are not allowed within 200 metres of the flagged patrol areas. Please pick up after your dog. For any other questions, please contact City of Gold Coast directly on 1300 465 326.

Please note dogs are not allowed in the SWELL Smalls Gallery, located upstairs at VIKA, 766 Pacific Parade, Currumbin Beach.

SWELL is a not-for-profit arts organisation firmly committed to nurturing and supporting artists and inspiring, amusing, uplifting, and capturing the hearts and minds of all who visit.

We invite you to become a part of the success of SWELL. If you share our love for inspiring people through art, nurturing artists, educating children through workshops and enriching culture on the Gold Coast, help us build a future for this extraordinary event. The generous support from our patrons has an enormous impact on the artists who exhibit and the community we live in.

As a SWELL Sculpture supporter, you are directly contributing to our ability to offer a free festival and ensure the event is accessible to all.

To discuss ways you can partner with SWELL, email enquiry@swellsculpture.com.au

Park & Ride from Currumbin RSL – Daily – 9.00am to 5.00pm

Look for Currumbin Valley Bus & Coach shuttle.
Bus will run on a continuous loop between festival and RSL.

HEADING TO SWELL:

Drop off and pick up across the road from  Currumbin RSL on the western bound side of Currumbin Creek Road.
RSL Address: 165 Duringan St, Currumbin QLD 4223.

FREE parking in RSL carpark (across the road) or park nearby and walk to the bus stop.

LEAVING SWELL:

Last bus back to Currumbin RSL will leave Currumbin Beach at 4.45pm from bus stop directly outside Wallace Nicoll Park, Pacific Parade, Currumbin. 

There are two TRANSLink local busses that pass through SWELL Sculpture Festival at Currumbin.

BUS Route Number 767
Heading South the Translink Bus number 767 starts at The Pines Shopping Centre, Elanora, QLD and goes to Tweed Heads NSW via Pacific Parade, Currumbin, QLD.
LINK TO TIMETABLE 

BUS Route Number 768

Heading South the Translink Bus number 768 starts at The Pines Shopping Centre, Elanora, QLD and goes to Tweed Heads NSW via Pacific Parade, Currumbin, QLD.
LINK TO TIMETABLE

Please note – buses are cashless.

Enjoy the beautiful Oceanway that runs all the way along beaches of the Southern Gold Coast

The Gold Coast Oceanway is a lovely way to get from A to SWELL! Park and cycle or walk along the Oceanway to come and visit SWELL.

Find, unlock and ride a Lime bike

For details on how to find, reserve, unlock and use Lime bikes, download the Lime App.

The bike share scheme is accessible and affordable to everyone with a smartphone. Once registered, users are able to unlock and lock their chosen bike using the Lime App. Lime can be contacted 24/7. Their staff will be travelling throughout the city replacing bike batteries, conducting general maintenance and moving the bikes to ensure optimal usage.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS ON GOLD COAST OCEANWAY

Travel by Public Transport

Use the Translink journey planner or download the MyTransLink app to help you reach your destination. Visit their website or call 13 12 30.

Bus stops in the area:

• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary stop at the corner of Tomewin Street and Teemangum Street
• Wallace Nicoll Park, at the northern end of Currumbin Beach
• Centrally at Kinship Cafe – 766 Pacific Parade, Currumbin Beach

Travel by Train:

From the Varsity Lakes Train Station, ride the 761 Bus to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. A short walk from the bus stop here will have you at the SWELL Sculpture Festival bus stop in no time.

Travel by car from the M1 Motorway

There is limited parking along the Currumbin foreshore. If you are traveling by car we strongly encourage you to use the FREE Park & Ride or park at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for $10 with proceeds going to the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation.

From Brisbane:

Heading south along the M1 Motorway, take exit 95 at Currumbin, follow this road and veer left at the traffic lights onto the Gold Coast Highway. Follow to the lights at the bottom of Currumbin Hill, turn right into Tomewin Street. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Car Park is on your left with a short walk to Pacific Parade, Currumbin.

From NSW:

Heading north along the M1 Motorway, take exit 95 at Currumbin, turn right at the lights, follow this road and veer left at the traffic lights onto the Gold Coast Highway. Follow to the lights at the bottom of Currumbin Hill. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Car Park is on your left with a short walk to Pacific Parade, Currumbin.

Travel by car from the Gold Coast Highway

From the North:

Follow the Gold Coast Highway to the bottom of Currumbin Hill, turn left into Tomewin Street. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Car Park is on your left with a short walk to Pacific Parade, Currumbin.

From the South:

Follow the Gold Coast Highway to the bottom of Currumbin Hill, turn right into Tomewin Street. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Car Park is on your left with a short walk to Pacific Parade, Currumbin.

Parking along the Currumbin Beach foreshore is limited and busy during SWELL.

Park at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Car Park – $10 ALL DAY PARKING*

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, a National Trust of Australia (Queensland) property, encourages visitors to use their car park – it’s just a short 400m stroll to SWELL.
*Proceeds from parking support the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Research and Conservation Projects. All National Trust of Australia (Queensland) members enjoy free parking. Join National Trust of Australia (Queensland) where you will be supporting us in protecting, conserving and celebrating Queensland’s environmental, wildlife, built and cultural heritage.

Other Parking Options

1. The Currumbin Alley car park at the northern end of Pacific Parade on weekdays
2. Palm Beach Parklands car park on the Palm Beach side of Currumbin Creek
3. Surrounding streets for parking include: Teemangum Street, Tomewin Street, Duringan Street, Thrower Drive
4. Park and catch the Translink Bus Route 767 or 768, use the Translink Journey Planner
5. Park & Ride from Currumbin RSL

Currumbin Valley Coaches – SWELL PARK & RIDE – FREE

Park & Ride from Currumbin RSL – Daily – 9.00am to 5.00pm

Look for Currumbin Valley Bus & Coach shuttle.
Bus will run on a continuous loop between festival and RSL.

HEADING TO SWELL:

Drop off and pick up across the road from  Currumbin RSL on the western bound side of Currumbin Creek Road.
RSL Address: 165 Duringan St, Currumbin QLD 4223.

FREE parking in RSL carpark (across the road) or park nearby and walk to the bus stop.

LEAVING SWELL:

Last bus back to Currumbin RSL will leave Currumbin Beach at 4.45pm from bus stop directly outside Wallace Nicoll Park, Pacific Parade, Currumbin. 

Come & see for yourself!

Plan a creative getaway to the beautiful Gold Coast around SWELL Sculpture Festival.

Have your own adventures during the 10-day festival, 11 – 20 September 2026.

Whether you’re visiting the state’s only surf museum, taking a dip in the postcard perfect Currumbin Creek Estuary, or getting up close and personal with Mother Nature at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, there’s never a dull moment at Currumbin.

Local accommodation providers in Currumbin and surrounding areas can be found on Experience Gold Coast’s website.

Book to stay & play on the Gold Coast!

Each year SWELL Sculpture Festival calls for entries from artists and collaborators around the country and the world, working in all mediums, from emerging to professional.

Entries for the following festival year open 1st December, and close 31st January.

The best way to stay informed about applications and artist opportunities is to subscribe to the SWELL newsletter and follow us on socials, which can be found at the bottom of this page.

If you fall in love with an artwork at SWELL you can make it your own!

Buying art at SWELL is easy, just email us at enquiry@swellsculpture.com.au or head to the SWELL Smalls Gallery at 766 Pacific Parade, Currumbin Beach and ask our team.

Buying art can be tax deductible, add vibrancy to your life and value to your portfolio while supporting artists to have sustainable careers and make the world a better place.

Vote for your favourite sculpture in the People’s Choice, Kids’ Choice and Smalls Gallery People’s Choice Awards by filling out the form inside your printed program – available to purchase for $6 from the SWELL Information Hubs.

The People’s Choice Award winners will be announced on the final Sunday of SWELL, 4.00pm at the Fringe Pavilion in Wallace Nicoll Park. Winners will also be announced on SWELL social medias and newsletter.

Yes, exhibiting artists must provide their Public Liability Insurance.

Flying Arts provides affordable, specialist insurance designed specifically for visual artists and installers across Australia. Cover includes Public Liability, Professional Indemnity and Personal Accident insurance, backed by trusted service and support from an organisation that has championed artists for 55 years.

As one of Australia’s most competitive and cost-effective insurance options for visual artists, Flying Arts is the preferred choice for many SWELL Sculpture Festival participants each year, offering peace of mind so artists can focus on creating and exhibiting their work with confidence.

If you become unable to attend an event, refunds are available up to 7 days prior to the event and tickets are transferable. You may pass your booking to other family or friends and they can update the contact details of people attending on the night. Please email enquiries@swellsculpture.com.au to amend your details.

While you’re visiting SWELL, photos and video are used to capture the event.

SWELL Sculpture Festival uses professional photography to promote the Artists, the event and the organisation and may publish these images and videography in electronic and print media.

For all other enquiries please contact enquiry@swellsculpture.com.au