Schoolies week is held at the end of November. It usually spreads over two or three weeks due to some states and schools finishing their school semester at different times.
Queensland school leavers celebrate schoolies first in week 1, with NSW and Victoria then generally being spread over the following 2 weeks. In 2026, schoolies is running for just 2 weeks instead of 3.
Some private schools finish their semester at different times and may hold their Schoolies festivities at different times.
Schoolies flock to a variety of locations throughout Australia and overseas. The overwhelming majority of schoolies choosing to stay on the Gold Coast, Qld. Other popular destinations include Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay, Lorne, Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu.
Schoolies Dates 2026
Schoolies runs over a 2 week period in 2026 – from 21st November til 6th December. In previous years it has run over 3 weeks total. Generally the first week is Queensland school leavers and the 2nd/3rd weeks are generally targeted by New South Wales and Victorian schoolies.
Schoolies Dates 2026
Queensland Schoolies Dates 2026
- 21st November 2026 til the 28th November 2026 for Qld students
New South Wales Schoolies Dates 2026
Most NSW Schoolies will choose to stay in Qld for only 1 week and this is generally the 2nd week of schoolies:
- 28th November 2026 til 6th December 2026 for NSW students
Victoria Schoolies Dates 2026
Most Victorian Schoolies will choose to stay in Qld for only 1 week and this is generally the 2nd week of schoolies:
- 28th November 2026 til 6th December 2026 for Victorian students
Where Schoolies Stay
Queensland’s official Schoolies celebrations are based on the Gold Coast.
Most Schoolies stay in units in Surfers Paradise. There are also many Schoolies that choose to stay in Broadbeach which is only 10 mins from Surfers (or miss out on booking Surfers Paradise accommodation). It is sometimes alot cheaper for Schoolies to stay in other suburbs such as Southport, Mermaid Beach, Miami or Burleigh. The Light Rail (called the G:Link) travels from Southport through Surfers Paradise and down to Broadbeach. The bus network also provides easy transport for partygoers in other suburbs. More info on the Gold Coast G:Link.
Some unit blocks will not allow Schoolies to stay or have strict regulations. Accommodation providers are not allowed to have special rules for Schoolies only and instead must implement the same rules that would apply to any other customer. All major hi-rises have additional security, restrictions on amount of people allowed in units to try to keep festivities under control. Management will kick Schoolies out if they attempt to break any of their rules and room bond will be kept if any damage to the unit occurs.
Getting to Surfers Paradise from the airport
Public transport has improved on the Gold Coast in recent years. Interstate arrivals will either land at Coolangatta Airport or Brisbane Airport.
Whilst Coolangatta Airport is closer to Surfers Paradise, it doesn’t have the convenience of a train network like Brisbane does. The cheapest transfer option would be to jump on a Bus for the 30 minute or so bus ride into Broadbeach / Surfers Paradise. Alternatively a taxi or Uber would be relatively affordable.
If landing at Brisbane Airport you can catch a combination of train and light rail to arrive in Surfers Paradise. The train departs Brisbane Airport regularly and you would then transfer onto light rail at the Helensvale Train Station. The light rail goes directly through Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach so you’re assured of a short walk to your accommodation.
What to do – Schoolies Activities
Schoolies Week is full of organised activities. There are fenced off Schoolies Only access areas on the beach where most of the activities take place during day and night.
Apart from that alot of Schoolies take advantage of the Gold Coast’s amazing tourist attractions such as:
- Relax on the beach – The Gold Coast has some of the world’s best beaches…and is a great recovery option after a big night out.
- Theme Parks – Dreamworld, Sea World, Movie World, Wet n Wild
- Bowling – There is a Strike bowling alley in Surfers Paradise that is open til late at night
- Timezone – There is a massive Timezone in Surfers Paradise full of arcade games and other games
- Nightclubs – For those that are over 18 there are heaps of clubs on the Gold Coast as well as organised Pub Crawls and Tours.