Every four years, the best bowlers on the planet converge on one city, and the Gold Coast has earned that honour three times: in 2008 as a watershed moment for the sport, then again in 2016, and most recently in 2023 when 700 athletes from 40 nations rolled bias bowls on the greens at Broadbeach. The World Bowls Championships is less well known than other major sporting events, but the atmosphere is genuine. Spectator entry is free, the competition is fierce, and if you’ve never watched bowls at international level, the precision on display will surprise you.
The next Gold Coast edition is yet to be confirmed — check worldbowls.com for future dates and locations. The Broadbeach Bowls Club has been the primary venue for all three previous Gold Coast championships and will be again when the event returns.
Event Details
Next Gold Coast Edition: Dates to be announced
Venue (when held on Gold Coast): Broadbeach Bowls Club, Broadbeach QLD (primary venue)
Entry: Free for spectators
Official website: worldbowls.com
Always confirm dates and details at the official website before you visit.
Getting There
Broadbeach Bowls Club is a 5-minute walk from the G:link Broadbeach South station, making it very easy to reach by public transport. If driving, Pacific Fair shopping centre offers parking close by. Broadbeach is well connected to the rest of the Gold Coast via the G:link tram.
What’s Nearby
Kurrawa Beach is steps from Broadbeach Bowls Club for a post-match swim. Pacific Fair shopping centre is right across the road, and Surf Parade and Oracle Boulevard have excellent restaurants, cafes and bars. The Star Gold Coast entertainment complex is also in Broadbeach, with gaming, live shows and fine dining.
Event Background
The World Bowls Championships began in 1966 in Victoria, when bowls was still very much a sport rooted in the Commonwealth nations. For decades, the championship rotated among traditional bowls heartlands — England, Scotland, Australia, South Africa. Then in 2008 something shifted: the Gold Coast became the first city outside those traditional strongholds to host the world’s best bowlers. That single edition opened the sport to a genuinely global audience.
The infrastructure was solid, the venues were accessible, and the local clubs had the technical knowhow to run world-class competition across multiple sites. When the 2023 championships rolled through, the Gold Coast was no longer an anomaly. It was a natural host. Seven hundred competitors, 40 nations, the Broadbeach Bowls Club running at full operational stretch.
The Gold Coast has now hosted three editions in fifteen years. Whether the next Gold Coast edition lands in 2027 or 2031, the expectation within the sport is that the Coast will host again. Check worldbowls.com for announcements when the bidding process opens.
Nearby Accommodation
Broadbeach has excellent accommodation options within walking distance of the primary venue, from beachfront resorts to serviced apartments. Surfers Paradise is a short G:link ride away with a wider choice of price points, and Southport offers quieter, more affordable alternatives nearby.