Cooly Rocks On is Australia’s biggest nostalgia festival, held annually on the Gold Coast each June. In 2026 it runs 3–7 June at Coolangatta. The event draws more than 150,000 people for a weekend of classic cars, rock ’n’ roll, and everything in between. The main Show ’n’ Shine features 900-plus cars parked and polished, with owners on hand to talk about their builds. It’s a great show — but tucked within it is something altogether different.
Kustomville is a dedicated kustom-culture precinct operating within Cooly Rocks On. Joel Archard, a Gold Coast builder who runs Deathwish Hotrods out of Nerang, Queensland, has been organising Kustomville for six years. He is a ten-year member of the Beatniks — the US-founded kustom car club and cultural movement — and operates Kustomville under the Kustomville Worldwide banner. Under his direction, the precinct has become one of the most discussed spaces on the Australian car show calendar.
We asked him to tell us about it.
NZV8: For NZV8 readers who haven’t been to Cooly Rocks On, how would you describe Kustomville — and what makes it different from the main Show ’n’ Shine?
Kustomville has become the beating heart of Cooly Rocks On. It isn’t your typical ‘park it and polish it’ car show. It’s an active, living space full of noise, art, and hands-on craftsmanship. Each day brings something fresh — live airbrushing from Beatniks artists like Little Mick, Jayboy, and Kyle Smith from Smith Concepts, with Scotty Makin working the pinstripes while we’re out in the car park chopping cars and building hot rods. Mogi-san from Japan paints live, and there’s rocker-cover racing for the kids, which grows every year. Best of all, it’s completely free, and all about sharing the passion behind the culture.
NZV8: You run Kustomville under the Kustomville Worldwide banner, connected to the Beatniks. How did that come together?
The Beatniks have been showcasing their kustoms and artwork in Coolangatta since the old Wintersun Festival days. When Cooly Rocks On was established, Experience Gold Coast approached me to expand our involvement, and we’ve been working together ever since. This year marks my tenth year as a Beatnik and our sixth year running Kustomville at Cooly. It’s grown bigger and better every year — a dedicated kustom-culture precinct celebrating everything from standout builds to the talented people behind them.
When American Beatnik legend Dennis McPhail first came out to see what we were doing, he couldn’t believe the level of creativity happening here. He took the Kustomville concept back to Wichita, Kansas, and that’s where Kustomville USA was born. It’s pretty cool seeing the idea we started here in Australia now connecting Beatniks right around the world.
NZV8: The live build is central to what Kustomville does. Where did that idea come from?
It came from wanting to show people what we actually do — the real work behind kustom culture. Over the years, we’ve built hot rods, chopped my ’51 Merc, Steve’s coupe, a Buick, and run demos on everything from frenching headlights to building a Carson top. Being a Beatnik means being surrounded by creativity every day — from Little Mick’s airbrush work up in Brisbane to the wild projects happening in Canada, the US, and Japan. Kustomville is our way of packing all that inspiration into three days for everyone to see.
NZV8: What does the live build add to the event — for the crowd and for the people doing the work?
For the crowd, it’s a chance to see something they’d normally only find on YouTube or TV. Live, up close, sparks flying. We do live interviews throughout the weekend with the Beatniks and provide running commentary as we work through each build, chop, and paint job. It’s also a great opportunity for the everyday, at-home hobbyist to ask questions and learn new things. For us, it’s a reunion — members come from Japan, the US, and across Australia to hang out, build together, and show what this lifestyle is all about.
NZV8: Dennis McPhail is part of the original US Beatniks. What does it mean to bring that American lineage into what you’re doing here?
Honestly, having Dennis as part of our show still blows my mind. He’s kustom royalty, and to have Beatniks flying all the way from the States to be part of Kustomville really shows how strong and respected this scene has become.
NZV8: Kustom culture has a distinct identity — lead sleds, lowbrow art, pinstriping, hand-built fabrication. Is it growing in Australia?
I wouldn’t say it’s growing fast, but there’s still plenty of great stuff coming out of Aussie sheds. What we’re trying to do at Kustomville is inspire the next wave — show young builders and artists that they can have a crack. Try something, mess it up, fix it, and keep going. It’s not a cheap hobby anymore, but if you use your own hands, anything’s possible.
NZV8: Are many New Zealand builders or cars making the trip over? How does the Kiwi scene compare?
We’ve had a few Kiwi builders and owners involved over the years, but no cars have made the full trip across the ditch just yet. Our only New Zealand-born Beatnik is Big Aussie Steve, who’s been a huge part of the crew for years. He always brings a few killer builds to the show and keeps that Kiwi flavour alive in Kustomville.
NZV8: What’s new for Kustomville 2026?
This year we’re doing something different — a full-blown hot-rod build-off. Two piles of parts, two teams, and three days to turn them into running hot rods during the timed sessions. It’ll be chaos, a heap of laughs, and the crowd’s going to love every minute. That’s about all I can say. The rest you’ll have to see in person.
NZV8: If a Kiwi wanted to bring their car to Kustomville, what should they know?
We’d love to see some Kiwi cars here. What we’re after are pre-’64 kustoms and hot rods that get driven — chopped, channelled, sectioned, slammed, sitting in the weeds, wild paint, one-off stuff you can’t buy off a shelf. We’ve had everything from rods with $24 backyard paint jobs to six-figure show cars. Doesn’t matter how shiny or rough — if it’s built, not bought, it belongs at Kustomville.
