The Gold Coast has established itself as a leading hub for sports in Queensland, with Australian rules football and rugby league being the city’s most popular sports. The Gold Coast Titans represent the city in the National Rugby League since 2007, while the Gold Coast Suns joined the Australian Football League in 2011. Locally, the Burleigh Bears compete in the Queensland Cup, securing four premierships in 1999, 2004, 2016, and 2019. Recreational activities are abundant, including surfing, fishing, cycling, boating, and golf, with premium golf courses at Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove, and The Glades.

The city boasts extensive sporting infrastructure to accommodate its growing population, including Carrara Stadium, Carrara Indoor Sport Centre, Nerang Velodrome, the Sports Super Centre, and newer facilities like the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, Runaway Bay Indoor Sports Stadium, Pimpama Sports Hub, and Gold Coast Sports Precinct. The region has also produced notable athletes such as Olympic gold medal swimmer Grant Hackett, tennis champion Samantha Stosur, and hurdler Sally Pearson. Despite its reputation as a “sporting graveyard,” due to past professional clubs struggling financially and performing poorly, the Gold Coast Suns reached their first AFL Finals series in 2025, demonstrating the city’s growing competitive presence.

The Gold Coast further cemented its sporting credentials by hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a landmark international multi-sport event from 4 to 15 April 2018. The Games featured over 4,400 athletes, including 300 para-athletes, representing 71 Commonwealth Games Associations. The event marked the first major multi-sport competition to achieve gender equality with an equal number of events for men and women. Key venues included Carrara Stadium, Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre, Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, Broadbeach Bowls Club, Nerang Mountain Bike Trails, Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, Oxenford Studios, The Gold Coast Hockey Centre, Southport Broadwater Parklands, Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Robina Stadium, Currumbin Beachfront, and Coolangatta Beachfront, showcasing the city’s capacity to host world-class sporting events.