In Australia, graduates will pay to enter Schoolies Hub — ABC News Australia

In Australia, Year 12 graduates will pay $75 on November 22 to enter Schoolies Hub, a fenced entertainment area on Surfers Paradise beach on the Gold Coast. Previously, holders of official wristbands could visit the space free of charge throughout the celebration week.

A ticketed festival as an experiment

As ABC News reports, the Queensland state government, as part of an experiment, allowed the private operator Schoolies.com to hold a paid music festival at Schoolies Hub. The state Department of Housing and Public Works said the first such event is intended to diversify the programme and help plan future celebrations.

Schoolies Hub was opened in 2003 as a safe space for graduate celebrations. It is a fenced area free of alcohol and drugs. Those who do not wish to buy a ticket will have access to free events on the Esplanade waterfront, including a Ferris wheel, which will be a new feature of this year’s celebrations and is funded by the state government.

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The mayor’s objections

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate told ABC that he did not know about the decision and does not support an additional charge for graduates. According to him, young people already spend significant sums on accommodation: seven nights can cost up to $1,000. The mayor believes that an admission fee could harm young visitors’ goodwill towards the resort.

Schoolies.com stressed that the paid festival does not mean a move towards charging for entry to the hub. Free entertainment, the operator said, will be available on the other six nights of Schoolies Week, which will run from November 21 to 27. Organisers estimate that about 12,000 graduates celebrated on the Gold Coast in 2025, down from nearly 20,000 in 2022.