Events · 6-15 November 2026
Pan Pacific Masters Games 2026
Over 16,000 athletes, more than 40 sports, and the party hub right here in Broadbeach. Dates, the entertainment lineup, and where to stay.
The Pan Pacific Masters Games returns to the Gold Coast from Friday 6 to Sunday 15 November 2026 – ten days, more than 40 sports and over 16,000 athletes, making it one of the biggest participation sports events on the Australian calendar. It’s the 14th edition of the games, and the 2024 edition was named Gold Coast Sporting Event of the Year.
Here’s the part that matters for this site: the games’ entertainment hub, Pan Pacs Central, is at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre – right here in Broadbeach. Six themed party nights run across the ten days, headlined by The Screaming Jets on opening night and The Potbelleez to close. For a week and a half in November, Broadbeach effectively becomes the games’ social capital.
And unlike elite competition, this is a come-one-come-all event. There are no qualifying times or standards – the only entry criteria is meeting the minimum age for your sport (mostly 30 or 35 plus). Whether you’re competing, supporting a team, or just visiting Broadbeach that week and wondering why there are thousands of very fit over-35s everywhere, here’s the full picture.
Pan Pacific Masters Games 2026 at a Glance
- Dates: Friday 6 to Sunday 15 November 2026 – ten days across the Gold Coast
- Scale: over 16,000 athletes and more than 40 sports, from athletics to dragon boats to pickleball
- Entry: no qualifying standards – just minimum ages per sport (mostly 30+ or 35+); overseas competitors welcome
- Pan Pacs Central: the entertainment hub is at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Broadbeach
- Entertainment: The Screaming Jets (opening, Sat 7), Casey Barnes (Tue 10), The Killer Queen Experience (Thu 12), The Potbelleez (closing, Sat 14)
- In Broadbeach: distance running at Kurrawa Beach, with the ocean swim next door at Mermaid Beach (Sun 15)
- Accommodation: ten days and 16,000 visiting athletes – book as early as you can
| Night | Theme | Headliner |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 7 November | Opening Night | The Screaming Jets |
| Sunday 8 November | Disco | Artists announced soon |
| Tuesday 10 November | Country | Casey Barnes |
| Thursday 12 November | Rock | The Killer Queen Experience |
| Friday 13 November | 80s Night | Artists announced soon |
| Saturday 14 November | Closing Night | The Potbelleez |
What Are the Pan Pacific Masters Games?
The Pan Pacific Masters Games is a biennial masters sports festival held on the Gold Coast – a full-scale, multi-sport games for everyday athletes rather than professionals. The 2026 edition is the 14th, running more than 40 sports across world-class venues, including five venues from the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
The defining feature is that anyone can enter. There are no qualifying times, no selection trials and no minimum standard – if you meet your sport’s minimum age (typically 30 or 35, though the ocean swim is open from 18), you’re in. That philosophy is exactly why the event pulls over 16,000 athletes, many returning edition after edition, and why the organisers’ slogan is ‘where legends come to play’.
Competitors pay a one-off Games Fee plus a Sport Fee for each sport they enter – and yes, you can enter more than one sport if the schedule allows. Travelling supporters, coaches and team officials can register too, with a single entry fee and no sport fee. Entries opened in March 2026; check mastersgames.com.au for entry status and fees for your sport.
The sports list runs from track and field, swimming and cricket through to lawn bowls, dragon boat racing, tenpin bowling, powerlifting and taekwondo – with padel and badminton new for 2026.
Pan Pacs Central: The Party Is in Broadbeach
Every games needs a village, and for the Pan Pacific Masters Games that village is Pan Pacs Central at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre – on the Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach, with the Broadbeach North tram station directly out the front.
Six themed entertainment nights run across the ten days: opening night with Aussie rock veterans The Screaming Jets (Saturday 7), a disco night (Sunday 8), country with Casey Barnes (Tuesday 10), rock with Queen tribute powerhouse The Killer Queen Experience (Thursday 12), an 80s night (Friday 13), and closing night with dance act The Potbelleez (Saturday 14). More artists are still being announced – access arrangements and any night-by-night details are on the official site.
What this means for Broadbeach: for ten days the suburb fills with thousands of athletes and supporters celebrating within walking distance of Broadbeach’s restaurants and bars. If you’re visiting that week for other reasons, expect a buzzing, friendly, sports-mad crowd – and book your dinner tables ahead.
The Sport In and Around Broadbeach
Most of the 40-plus sports run at venues spread right across the Gold Coast – Carrara, Coomera, Southport, Nerang, Miami, Pimpama and beyond. But Broadbeach gets a share of the action itself.
Distance running is held at Kurrawa Beach – the beach at Kurrawa Park, a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Broadbeach. The ocean swim is one suburb south at Mermaid Beach on the final day, Sunday 15 November, and is the games’ most accessible event age-wise with entry from 18 plus.
For everything else, Broadbeach works as the natural base rather than the venue: it’s central to the coast, sits on the G:link tram line for venues to the north, and – most importantly – it’s where the games’ social life is anchored each evening. Check the sport schedule on the official site for your event’s exact dates and venue before booking anything.
Why Broadbeach Is the Base for the Games
If you’re travelling for the games – competing or supporting – Broadbeach is the obvious place to stay, and not just because we’re biased.
You can walk home from Pan Pacs Central. The Convention Centre sits on the edge of the Broadbeach dining precinct, so entertainment nights end with a stroll back to your hotel rather than a taxi queue. Our hotels near the Convention Centre guide covers the closest options, from apartments to 5-star.
All TransLink fares – tram, bus and train – are a flat 50 cents, so getting to venues along the tram line, or connecting further afield, costs next to nothing. And after a decade of hosting this event and the Commonwealth Games before it, Broadbeach knows how to feed hungry athletes: the restaurant scene is the best on the coast for a recovery meal.
The one warning: ten days of games plus 16,000 visiting athletes plus supporters is a serious accommodation squeeze, and November is already a busy month on the coast. Book the moment your sport’s schedule is confirmed. The official travel provider is All Sports Travel if you want a packaged option, or browse Broadbeach accommodation for the full local picture.
With over 16,000 athletes across ten days, Broadbeach accommodation fills well ahead of the games. Book early with free cancellation, then refine once your sport’s draw is published.
Each sport runs its own window inside 6-15 November: netball 8-13, golf 8-12, basketball 8-14, ocean swim on the 15th, and so on. Confirm your dates on the official sports schedule before locking in travel.
The G:link runs right past Pan Pacs Central (Broadbeach North station) and connects north through Surfers Paradise to venues and the heavy rail line. All TransLink fares are a flat 50c – cheaper than parking at any sports venue.
Opening night (Sat 7), country night (Tue 10), rock night (Thu 12) and closing night (Sat 14) will be the big evenings at Pan Pacs Central – and the busiest nights in Broadbeach restaurants. Book dinner ahead on those dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 2026 Pan Pacific Masters Games run from Friday 6 to Sunday 15 November 2026 on the Gold Coast – ten days of competition across more than 40 sports. It’s the 14th edition of the biennial games.
Pan Pacs Central, the games’ entertainment hub, is at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, with the Broadbeach North tram station directly outside. Six themed entertainment nights run there across the games, headlined by The Screaming Jets (opening night, Saturday 7 November), Casey Barnes (country night, Tuesday 10), The Killer Queen Experience (rock night, Thursday 12) and The Potbelleez (closing night, Saturday 14).
No. There are no qualifying times or standards – the only entry criteria is meeting the minimum age for your chosen sport, which is typically 30 or 35 plus (the ocean swim is open from 18). Competitors pay a one-off Games Fee plus a Sport Fee per sport, and overseas participants are welcome.
Distance running is held at Kurrawa Beach in Broadbeach, and the ocean swim is next door at Mermaid Beach on Sunday 15 November. Most other sports run at venues across the Gold Coast – but the games’ entertainment hub, Pan Pacs Central, is at the Convention Centre in Broadbeach, so the social side of the games happens here every night.
Broadbeach is the natural base: you can walk home from Pan Pacs Central at the Convention Centre, the dining precinct is on your doorstep, and the 50-cent G:link tram connects you to venues up the line. With over 16,000 athletes visiting across ten days, accommodation fills early – book as soon as your sport’s schedule is confirmed, and consider free-cancellation rates.
Coming for the Games?
Broadbeach accommodation fills fast when 16,000 athletes hit the coast. Lock in your stay near Pan Pacs Central early.
Written and maintained by a Broadbeach local. I update this guide regularly to keep it accurate.