1-11 August 2024  View all  2023 events

General information

BLEACH* is the Gold Coast’s annual contemporary arts festival. The festival has a growing national and international reputation for creating experiences and telling stories that are out of the box, authentic and uniquely connected to place. 

BLEACH* is proudly local, celebrating the city’s best artists, welcoming renowned Australian and international artists and engaging a broad audience through a range of experiences with the magnificent coastline of southern Queensland as a backdrop. 

In BLEACH*’s 12-year history they have premiered more than 70 commissions, won the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Group Award and played a pivotal role in curating and delivering the ambitious 2018 Commonwealth Games Cultural program. 

We are the presenters of BLEACH* Festival. Just as our centrepiece project has grown and evolved over time, so too has our company. Bleached Arts Ltd was formed in 2015 to facilitate the growth of the Festival and sector. Our ability to adapt and respond to this growth continues as we evolve from Bleached Arts to Placemakers* Gold Coast.

Placemakers* Gold Coast started as a small Fringe Festival alongside the World Championship Tour Quiksilver Pro surfing event, held on the Southern Gold Coast. This festival, Bleach* Surfing the Fringe, launched in 2012 as a pilot with a budget of $40,000 and attracted an audience of 30,000 over the 16-day duration. The founding director was Louise Bezzina. Its early success demonstrated the strong demand for the performing arts in the Gold Coast region and led to a commitment of ongoing funding and support from the City of Gold Coast. From humble beginnings, BLEACH* has become one of Australia’s leading and most exciting place-based contemporary arts festivals and has attracted close to one million people.

Our 12th anniversary will be 3 – 13 August 2023.

BLEACH* Festival 2023 will be held across five locations including North Burleigh, Broadbeach Cultural Precinct, Gold Coast Botanical Gardens, HOTA, Home of the Arts and Currumbin Valley, with additional city-wide activations.

We love our printed program as much as you do, but this year we are only printing a limited run and encourage everyone to view the program online. Program Guides will be available at various cultural hubs across the city throughout August. However, all programming information, including any updates and changes can be found here on this very website. We encourage this site to be your go-to source for festival information.

Stay Covid Safe

More than ever before it is our priority to ensure the health and safety of our community, staff, volunteers and visitors. We need your support to keep our events COVID Safe whilst attending Festival events. 

Most importantly—stay at home if you’re feeling unwell.

There are things you can do to help reduce the risk of you catching and spreading COVID-19. For the most up to date information on COVID-19 in Queensland visit the Queensland Government Health Advice website.

Click here for more information about our COVID Safe measures at BLEACH* 2023.

ticketing - General

Tickets are purchased via the BLEACH* website.

If you need help booking you can phone our office Monday – Friday during office hours on 07 5525 6468 or email [email protected]

  • You will receive your tickets by email after payment is complete and details are saved to the tickets.
  • Tickets will be emailed to you from our ticketing partner, iwannaticket as pdf attachments
  • If your ticket details are not complete, you will receive emails asking you to complete your ticket details from [email protected]

Please allow up to 20 minutes for tickets to land in your inbox.

If you cannot find your tickets in your inbox please use this link and we will resend your tickets.

https://iwannaticket.com.au/contact-us#resend

Also check your junk folder as the ticketing email may have filtered there.

Tickets can be displayed on your smartphone, no printing required. Tickets will be scanned at entry.
Please bring identification along with your electronic ticket that is easily accessible for scanning at the venue. If possible please avoid bringing a printed copy of your e-ticket.

BLEACH* is generally a family-friendly festival. However, please carefully check any age restrictions on the event page of the website when purchasing tickets. Music, lights, pyrotechnics and certain artistic content can unsettle infants. Both in and outside of licensed areas, children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Some events may have age restrictions or recommendations for some areas of the venues including general admission standing areas.

All persons under 16 must be accompanied by an adult whilst at the venue. This includes all bar areas and dining rooms where alcohol is served. Proof of age may be required by the venue.

Generally children aged three years and younger who are able to sit on their parent or guardian lap do not require a ticket.

For most events a Family ticket will admit 2 Adults and 3 children (under 16 years).

Children under 3 years are admitted free of charge.

Companion card holders are entitled to free companion ticket to BLEACH* events, experiences and performances. You can call us to book your tickets Monday – Friday during office hours on 07 5525 6468 or email us at [email protected].

Please contact the BLEACH* Team at:

Placemakers* Gold Coast

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 07 5525 6468 between 9am – 5pm (EST) Monday – Friday

Group & MultiPack Discounts

BOOK 5 OR MORE EVENTS TO SAVE UP TO 20%

  • 10% off when you book 3 events
  • 15% off when you book 4 events
  • 20% off when you book 5 or more events
 
Multipack discounts apply to most ticketed BLEACH* events. Allocations are limited so book now!
 
Multipack discounts are not available on ticketed events for Acoustic Life of Sheds.

Book 6 or more tickets for any one event and receive $5 off each ticket.

Group booking discounts apply when you purchase 6 or more tickets at any one time. A discount of $5 off each ticket will apply. This group booking discount does not apply to Acoustic Life of Sheds.

Multipack discounts can be booked online through the BLEACH* website. Discounts will be applied at the end of your booking. You must book all events in the one transaction in order to qualify for your multipack discount; prior purchases do not count.

Please note the Multipack discount do not apply to multiple tickets purchased at one event. They need to be different events. Free events do not qualify as part of the multipack discount, but you can still include these in your order.

Group bookings can be booked online through the BLEACH* website. Discounts will be applied at the end of your booking. You must book all tickets to the same event in the one transaction in order to qualify for your group discount; prior purchases do not count.

Multipack and group discounts will be applied at the end of your booking. You must book all events in the one transaction in order to qualify for your multipack and/or group discount; prior purchases do not count.

Multipack and group discounts are not available on ticketed events for Acoustic Life of Sheds.

Multipack and group discounts apply to most ticketed BLEACH* events. Allocations are limited so book now! Multipack and group discounts are not available on ticketed events for Acoustic Life of Sheds.

When checking out, enter your discount code in the box  and when ready to proceed, click ‘Book Now’. Your discount should automatically apply to the relevant tickets in your cart when you click through to the next step. 

If you are having issues using a booking code, you can contact our Ticketing team via email or phone: [email protected] / (07) 55 256 468

All discount codes are subject to allocation limits and once the allocation is exhausted, the code is no longer able to be used. Get in early to avoid disappointment.

Discount codes are subject to a maximum number of tickets per transaction. Please contact our team if you are unsure about the maximum limit for your code.

Discount codes cannot be applied to group ticket bookings or Multi-buy ticket purchases. Any discounts are exclusive and cannot be applied multiple times or combined with other offers.

Discount codes can only be used when booking online or over the phone – tickets purchased at on-site Box Office outlets are not eligible. 

Any tickets purchased with a discount code are subject to the BLEACH* Festival Ticketing Terms & Conditions, available here.

Accessibility

BLEACH* is committed to providing inclusive and accessible experiences wherever possible. To do this, we work hard to provide as much information as possible about each event, so that patrons can make informed decisions about whether attending an event is right for them.

Each year we aim to offer a range of access options for our patrons, including Auslan-interpreted and relaxed performances, audio description, quiet spaces and access to sound reinforcement technologies.

Each event has a specific Accessibility section that includes any particular access accommodations for that event and a short description of the event.

General information on access for the Festival can be found on our Accessibility page.

If you require further information about a specific event, have questions, or specific needs you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly team during office hours, Monday – Friday, via the following methods:

Email: [email protected]
Call: (07) 5525 6468
Text: 0429 489 696

You can find out more information on accessibility by visiting our Accessibility Page.

filming & photography

We encourage festival-goers to share their favourite moments with us on social media and tag @bleachfestival – However, professional video and audio recording equipment is strictly prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.

By attending BLEACH*, you may inadvertently be filmed or photographed by Festival staff and contractors who document performances and events for promotional purposes. By entering the event premises, you consent to photography, audio recording, video recording and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for promotional purposes, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media, or any other purpose by BLEACH* and its affiliates. Images, photos and/or videos may be used to promote similar events in the future. You release BLEACH*, its officers and employees, and each and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitizing, or publication and use of such content.

venues

Festival precincts are smoke-free. 

North Burleigh Hub, Broadbeach Hub, Botanic Gardens, HOTA

These venues have terrific, local vendors or outlets with offerings that will make your mouth water. If these options are not suitable for you, you are welcome to bring along your own food.

Currumbin Valley

A picnic hamper offering is available for purchase when buying your ticket – otherwise you are able to bring your own food along for the journey (but not alcohol please!).

BLEACH* is generally a family-friendly festival. However, please carefully check any age restrictions on the event page of the website when purchasing tickets. Music, lights, pyrotechnics and certain artistic content can unsettle infants. Both in and outside of licensed areas, children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Standard venue licensing laws apply. Outside of the festival licensed areas council laws regarding pets will be in effect.

Get Involved

BLEACH* is a curated Festival with events and artists selected by the Artistic Director. The festival does not accept unsolicited applications.

In 2023 the are opportunities for the community to participate in BLEACH* performances for Looks Like A Tourist and Encounter Gold via the Masterclass with Emma Saunders and WE ARE HERE Company. Go to the event pages for information on how to get involved. 

In previous years, BLEACH* has been lucky to have many amazing individuals volunteer with us as part of our Ambassador program. After careful consideration, in 2023, we are retiring the Ambassador program and moving to create a fully paid team of equally excellent BLEACH* champions!

If you have previously been an Ambassador, or are interested in joining the BLEACH* front-of-house team, please email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch.

BLEACH* is not accepting applications for internships from the public in 2023.

Keep an eye out for the yearly City of Gold Coast Professional Placement Program here.

Support BLEACH*

If you or your organisation would like to join the BLEACH* family, please inquire via email to [email protected]—we look forward to working together. 

BLEACH* welcomes philanthropic donations that support our organisation as a whole or donors who wish to support specific projects we undertake. In each case donors are seen as valued partners and we welcome the opportunity to work together to develop forms of support tailored to each individual case and circumstance.

Miscellaneous

If you are at a BLEACH* venue, please report lost items to the Information Tent staff. Alternatively, email the BLEACH* team at [email protected].

Please email [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Yugambeh Language Region and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People of the Gold Coast. We recognise their continuing connection and contributions to country and culture. We pay respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. 

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