Christmas in Broadbeach is warm, walkable and busier than you might expect, and staying with us at Boulevard Towers puts you a short stroll from most of it. This guide covers the December lights and events near us with their 2026 dates, where and when to book Christmas dinner, and exactly what is open on Christmas Day, so a festive stay runs smoothly from the day you arrive.
What Christmas lights and events are on near Broadbeach in December?
The one on your doorstep is Christmas in Broadbeach at The Oasis, about a five minute walk from us, running 15 to 21 December 2026. It is free, with cookie and craft decorating, Santa’s Post Office, a gingerbread village and elf meet-and-greets from 5pm to 8pm daily, and it is aimed squarely at families. On 17 December, Movies Under the Stars screens a Christmas film at Kurrawa Park, directly across Broadbeach Boulevard from our front door, so you can walk over with a picnic rug.
A little further afield, the Mayor’s Christmas Carols light up the HOTA outdoor stage on 6 and 7 December from 6pm to 8:30pm, about a ten minute drive away. The Surfers Paradise beachfront runs Christmas flicks and fireworks on 12 and 13 December, with screenings from 7pm and fireworks at 8:30pm, an easy hop north on the G:link tram. And for the theme-park version, White Christmas at Warner Bros Movie World runs nightly from 11 to 23 December, 5:30pm to 8:30pm, with a lantern parade and rides after dark.
These dates come from Experience Gold Coast’s festive program. Event dates can shift, so confirm the specifics closer to your stay, and reception can always point you to whatever is on the night you ask.
Where do you book Christmas dinner in Broadbeach, and when?
Book earlier than feels necessary. Christmas Day lunch is the single busiest restaurant sitting of the year in Broadbeach, and the good rooms are gone by early December. The Star Gold Coast, about a ten minute walk from us, runs Christmas menus across its restaurants and trades on Christmas Day itself, which makes it the most reliable sit-down option if you have not organised anything at home.
Here is the booking order we suggest:
1. For Christmas Day lunch out, reserve by late November. The Star and the Broadbeach dining rooms take Christmas bookings first and fill fast. 2. For the nights of 12 to 24 December, book a week or two ahead, as the pre-Christmas dinner rush overlaps with the events above. 3. If you are self-catering in your apartment, order fresh seafood from a Gold Coast supplier a few days out. Prawns and bugs sell out across the coast in the last days before Christmas.
Your Boulevard Towers apartment has a full kitchen, a private balcony and a barbecue area downstairs, so a self-catered Christmas seafood lunch on the balcony with the ocean in front of you is a genuinely popular choice with guests who would rather not fight for a table.
What is open on Christmas Day in Broadbeach?
The best thing about a Broadbeach Christmas is that the main event is free and open. Kurrawa Beach across the road is patrolled and open all day, so a Christmas morning swim is the local tradition, and our heated pools, spa and barbecue area are open for guests too. That covers most of the day without a booking.
For everything else, plan around the closures. Under Queensland trading law most shops close on Christmas Day, including Pacific Fair, which reopens for the Boxing Day sales, so do your grocery run on Christmas Eve. The Star is the main exception near us and trades through Christmas Day for dining and entertainment. Petrol stations and a handful of convenience stores stay open, but treat Christmas Day as a beach-and-home day rather than a shopping one, and you will not be caught out.
Christmas in Broadbeach: your questions answered
What is open on Christmas Day in Broadbeach?
The patrolled Kurrawa Beach across the road is open and free all day, and The Star Gold Coast trades on Christmas Day for lunch and dinner. Most shops, including Pacific Fair, close on Christmas Day under Queensland trading law and reopen on Boxing Day. Book any Christmas Day meal well ahead.
When should you book Christmas dinner in Broadbeach?
Book by late November for Christmas Day itself, and by early December for the busy nights before it. The Star’s restaurants and the Broadbeach dining rooms fill first for Christmas Day lunch. If you are self-catering, order seafood from a local supplier a few days ahead, as they sell out.
Is there a Christmas market or carols near Broadbeach?
Yes. Christmas in Broadbeach runs at The Oasis from 15 to 21 December 2026 with free festive activities, and the Mayor’s Christmas Carols play at HOTA on 6 and 7 December. Movies Under the Stars screens a Christmas film at Kurrawa Park on 17 December, right across the road from us.
What is there to do near Broadbeach on New Year’s Eve?
New Year’s Eve on the Gold Coast centres on the Surfers Paradise beachfront fireworks, a short tram ride north, with an earlier family display and a midnight one. Broadbeach restaurants run NYE menus that book out early. The beach itself is a free, easy vantage point close to Boulevard Towers.
A December stay in Broadbeach is really about proximity: the free family events, the beach and the big dinner options are all within a short walk or a quick tram of the apartment. When you are ready to plan your festive stay, book direct with us for our best rate, and keep an eye on what is on during your dates on our Broadbeach events page.
Image credit: Destination Gold Coast