The fun will start sooner for passengers flying out of Gold Coast Airport on their way to a getaway, with live music now a permanent feature in the departure lounge on Friday afternoons.

Live music commences from today following the success of the airport’s Commonwealth Games entertainment program, which saw the terminal come alive with pop-up theatre, music, wildlife presentations, indigenous performances, roving mascots and stilt walkers.

It will include a line-up of local musicians performing weekly, as well as exclusive preview sets from Blues on Broadbeach and Buskers by the Creek performers in the lead up to the local events, which the airport is sponsoring.

Gold Coast Airport Chief Operating Officer Marion Charlton said live music transformed the airport experience.

“We had such wonderful feedback from the entertainment during GC2018 that we wanted to make it a regular feature on Friday afternoons, which is a peak time for locals jetting off for the weekend,” she said.

“While Friday entertainment will be a regular fixture, we plan to increase the frequency of performances in peak travel periods, like school holidays and Christmas.”

Ms Charlton said passengers would be treated to preview sets for Blues on Broadbeach and Buskers by the Creek, which the airport recently signed up to sponsor.

“We think bringing a taste of the events to the airport is a great way to celebrate and promote the partnerships,” she said.

“These performances will take place in the domestic arrivals area, to capture visitors flying into the city and hopefully encourage them to attend and support the events.

“People flying in these school holidays may see performers from Buskers by the Creek, which is on in October.”

Live music is part of an increased customer-experience focus at the airport, which recently launched its life-sized mascot, Goldie.

“Between live music and appearances from our friendly mascot Goldie, there’s plenty of things happening in the terminal that surprise and delight our passengers.”

Gold Coast Airport had its busiest August on record, growing 1.5 per cent on the prior year, and there are signs of a bumper summer holiday season, with additional domestic and international capacity already confirmed in December and January.

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