lifestyle

Wellness Businesses Replace Souvenirs on Gold Coast's Cavill Avenue Strip

The main strip is replacing souvenir outlets with yoga studios, health cafes and extended pedestrian zones under the city council’s current upgrade plan.

By Gold Coast Lifestyle Desk · Published 9 July 2026

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Work crews began replacing 180 metres of footpath paving along Cavill Avenue between Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue on 3 July, part of the Gold Coast City Council’s 2025-2027 streetscape renewal that also added bike racks and shaded seating.

The changes arrive as visitor numbers to the Gold Coast rose 14 per cent in the year to March 2026, pushing more day-trippers and short-stay guests into central Surfers Paradise instead of staying only at beachfront resorts.

New tenants replace older outlets

Three leases signed in May converted former T-shirt shops into a Pilates studio at 12 Cavill Avenue and a plant-based cafe at 27 Orchid Avenue, both backed by the Surfers Paradise Business Association’s small-business incentive program. Pacific Fair shopping centre, two blocks south, opened a 400-square-metre wellness pop-up in April that runs until September and features local nutritionists running free workshops on Saturday mornings.

These additions sit alongside longstanding landmarks such as the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club on the beachfront and the nightly market stalls that still occupy the southern end of Cavill Avenue from Thursday to Sunday.

Numbers behind the shift

Council records show average weekly foot traffic on Cavill Avenue reached 148,000 people in the June quarter, up from 119,000 in the same period last year. New tenancies report fit-out costs between $85,000 and $120,000, with rents listed at $1,150 per square metre, roughly 18 per cent higher than 2024 figures for the same strip.

Shoppers wanting to see the changes can join the free guided walk organised by the business association every Saturday at 10 am, starting at the Cavill Avenue entrance to Pacific Fair and ending at the new seating area near Elkhorn Avenue.

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