Unleash your child’s imagination at the Kids Take Over Festival this September 2026 at HOTA. Designed for Brisbane and Gold Coast families, this dynamic festival offers hands-on workshops, circus performances, dinosaur adventures, free daily activities, and interactive installations, giving kids of all ages endless opportunities to explore, create, and play.

Kids Take Over Festival 2026

Step into a world of imagination where things are wonderfully strange and delightfully unexpected. Running from 14 to 26 September 2026, the festival brings an awesome program of performances, free daily activities, immersive installations, and hands-on workshops to HOTA, with something new to discover every day, so one visit is never quite enough.

Highlights across the festival include circus fun with A Bee Story, the glow-in-the-dark wonder of Glow and Tell, dinosaur adventures with Erth’s Dinosaurs, and plenty of hands-on creativity through workshops like Draw Like an Artist and Write Like an Author.

Families won’t want to miss the Lake Party on Sunday 20 September, a free morning of bubbles, paddle boarding, Hip Hop Jam, and lakeside fun, or the free Movie Under the Stars on Friday 25 September for a relaxed evening under the sky.
With both free and paid activities on offer, there’s something to suit every young adventurer ready to imagine, explore, and play.

Plan your visit

When: Monday 14th September – Saturday 26th September, 2026.

Where: HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Rd, Surfers Paradise 4217,

Holiday workshop/activity/meet-up

Creativity & Expression: Children discover and express their unique ideas through art, writing, dance, and play — building confidence to imagine, experiment, and create without limits. Cultural Understanding : Through Indigenous storytelling, international music & performance, and community activities — children gain respect, appreciation, and connection to diverse histories, traditions, and peoples. Physical & Practical Growth: Hands-on activities, movement workshops, and outdoor exploration build coordination, balance, resilience, and confidence in trying new things. Social & Emotional Growth: Shared experiences, group activities, and public participation teach teamwork, patience, empathy, courage, and respectful community engagement. Curiosity & Critical Thinking : Through stories, science-themed themes, and open-ended play — children are inspired to ask questions, explore possibilities, and develop a lifelong love of discovery.