The iconic Australian rite of passage, Schoolies Week, has once again drawn thousands of school leavers to the Gold Coast for a week of celebration, marking the end of their secondary education. The 2025 festivities in Surfers Paradise showcased a unique blend of hedonistic energy and remarkably improved safety outcomes, illustrating a significant evolution from the event's origins in the 1970s.
The Final Night Festivities
On the final Friday evening, approximately 15,000 school leavers descended upon Surfers Paradise beach, where a DJ pumped out club mixes including Reel 2 Real's I Like to Move It as teenagers wearing sunglasses danced enthusiastically on the sand. The night's official costume theme of "good, evil, iconic" saw creative interpretations ranging from The Lorax to a Christmas tree.
Brendan, an 18-year-old from Brisbane, extended his trip by three extra nights because he was enjoying himself so much. "You meet so many, just going up to randoms and saying hi," he explained. "Everyone's the same age, and everyone's just here to have a good time." His Thursday night featured a "party animal" theme that left him with a novelty plush snake around his neck, which he affectionately called his "emotional support snake."
Enhanced Safety Measures Show Results
The Queensland government's formal Schoolies hub, established in 2003 to manage safety responses, has dramatically improved outcomes. For two weeks, central Surfers Paradise roads close each evening from 7pm until midnight, creating a controlled environment described as resembling "the party version of an open air prison."
Teenagers wearing identical fluorescent pink lanyards are contained behind fencing that separates them from tourists, locals, and "toolies." Within this alcohol and drug-free zone, tents provide water, emergency assistance, welfare checks, and guided walks home, with posters reminding attendees to "Be safe and watch your mates."
The results speak for themselves. Acting District Director of the Queensland Ambulance Service, Justin Payne, reported that only 18 patients required hospitalisation throughout the entire week, mostly for intoxication or minor injuries from dancing falls. "A decade ago we'd have to transport around 40 people a night to the hospital system," he noted, calling the current figures "extremely positive."
Similarly, Acting Chief Superintendent Brett Jackson confirmed only 20 arrests for drug possession and disorderly conduct, attributing the decline to a "changing culture" of "kids looking after each other" and the event's image transformation.
Daily Rhythms and Unconventional Traditions
The Schoolies experience follows a distinct daily pattern. Mornings see alarmingly quiet streets as most participants sleep until midday. By afternoon, sunburnt teenagers emerge to enjoy kebab shop deals specifically created for Schoolies and plates of fried chicken, or to frolic in the sea.
Mia, 17, staying at the Hilton, described the daily routine as "low-key chill" - waking up, going to the pool, watching TV, then preparing for evening activities. The Hilton hosts exclusive "pool party" events, with upper-level penthouse parties costing $1,500 for the week being the most coveted invitations.
As night falls, the atmosphere turns increasingly unconventional. McDonald's becomes the centre of festivities, where local teen Kane, 18, offers free haircuts to school-leavers. Will, 18, from Brisbane, received a checkered skullet (a mullet with checks shaved into the sides), explaining: "I made a bet with my friends three years ago that if I got a checkered skullet they all had to get it. Hopefully the ladies love it."
Religious groups attempt conversions while Hare Krishnas attract crowds with live music. Piper, 18, and Maddie, 17, arrived from Brisbane for one night only, planning to visit clubs despite having nowhere to stay. "We're broke as," Piper explained happily, suggesting they might "sleep on the beach."
Commercialisation and Safe Sex Messaging
Shopfronts capitalise on the event with neon signs promoting Schoolies specials, from singlets reading "eat, sleep, schoolies repeat" to bucket hats encouraging "be a flirt, lift your shirt." Condom Kingdom offers Schoolies "survival kit" showbags containing g-strings, condoms, and lubricant, while staff outside use microphones to promote a "Spin to Win" game with prizes ranging from handcuffs to "boobie water bottles."
Viral sex workers Annie Knight and Lily Phillips promoted safe sex at Schoolies-affiliated venues after Knight and fellow content creator Bonnie Blue were removed the previous year for attempting to film with "barely legal" adults. Meanwhile, the Queensland government's safe sex messaging appears throughout the hub, with the main stage displaying: "Everyone has the right to feel safe. Groping without consent is assault."
Mia, 18, emphasised that her group prioritised friendship over hook-ups. "We just want to be with our friends," she said. "We're for the girls."
The Celebration Continues
Seven officially affiliated clubs across Surfers Paradise attract approximately 1,500 school leavers each night, with queues snaking around streets after 10pm. Until then, hundreds gather at the beach hub where the music transitions from dance mixes to AC/DC's Thunderstruck.
In a touching moment, volunteers including the SES team in full uniform received cheers from the crowd before starting a dancefloor on the sand to an electronic version of Life is a Highway. School leavers and emergency service workers waved their arms in the air together, bonding over the shared sentiment of the song and the power of music.
Despite growing competition from overseas destinations like Fiji and Bali, and smaller beachside towns like Byron Bay and Lorne, Surfers Paradise remains the largest Schoolies destination since the first parties began on Broadbeach in the 1970s. The 2025 event demonstrated how this tradition continues to evolve, balancing celebration with safety in Australia's most famous teen pilgrimage.
