Winter is fast approaching for us Kiwis, which means it’s nearly time to jump ship in search of warmer weather. What better place to do just thathan in Coolangatta, where they’re getting ready to crank up the heat with Cooly Rocks On.
CLASSICS ON THE COAST
We’ll put money on there being no better place to spend this winter than by the beach in the presence of over 900 classic cars, hot rods, and muscle machines — the centrepiece of this year’s festival. We’re of course talking about the legendary Show ‘N’ Shine, proudly presented by Autoglym, featuring six dedicated zones along the iconic beachside precinct, which you can explore at your own pace. While much of the event is dedicated to cars made on or before 1979, Cooly will see the return of a zone reserved solely for the vehicles from the ‘80s, bringing the bold colours and brash lines of 1980–1985 to the Gold Coast. Saturday night is when the whole festival fires up for one of its biggest attractions, the Saturday Night Car Cruise, which will see a spectacular parade of classic cars take to the streets.
There’s even more to look forward to with a handful of exciting new additions to this year’s show, including a live ‘build-off’ of two completely disassembled hot rods over three days in the Kustomville precinct, as well as an official swap meet, where attendees can buy, swap, and sell motor-related parts and collectibles.
BOOGIE BACK IN TIME
The music never stops at Cooly, and this year is no different, with ticketed feature and tribute shows that lean hard into the rock side while keeping true to the festival’s retro soul. Expect to sing your heart out and dance your feet off to the Elvis: Live at Madison Square Garden tribute show, Tusk: The Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show, The Bee Gees Revival Tribute Show, and The Queen Rhapsody Tribute Show, among many more talented throwback acts.
There will also be a whole host of non-ticketed international and local artists putting on a show across the many stages and venues of Cooly, with plenty of rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll acts bringing the festival atmosphere to life.
VINTAGE MARKET, PIN UPS, AND MORE
The cars and the tunes are only half the story at Cooly. Wander through the nostalgia markets, and you’ll find the kind of stalls that deliver treasure hunting for people who think everything looked better before 1980. Add in the Pin-Up Pageant Finalists, bringing rockabilly and classic style to the mix, and the whole experience starts to feel less like a festival and more like a time machine.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Cooly Rocks On returns to the Gold Coast from June 3 to 7, 2026, for five days of hot rods, muscle cars, rock ’n’ roll, and everything in between. Ticketed events are selling fast, so make sure you book soon and start packing those thongs (that’s jandals to you and me).
What keeps drawing people back year after year, according to event producers Experience Gold Coast, is the festival’s rare ability to work on multiple levels — it’s as much about the feeling of those eras as it is the cars and the music themselves. Whether you grew up with this stuff or you’re discovering it fresh, that mood is apparently pretty hard to shake, and Cooly Rocks On gets our tick for a great mid-winter break across the Tasman.
Find out more and grab your tickets here.