Tim Minchin, Neil Finn and Laurie Anderson Headline 2018 Program For Gold Coast's New Home Of The Arts

Home of the Arts (formerly The Arts Centre Gold Coast) today unveiled a new name, a spectacular new $37 million outdoor stage, and its first outdoor program.

Kicking off the 2018 outdoor program is Australia'sbrilliant showman and provocateur, the internationally acclaimed Tim Minchin. This special free concert to officially launch the HOTA outdoor program will be held on Saturday 17 March; Minchin's first in Australia for years.

Other highlights of the program include celebrated Crowded House front man Neil Finn performing with an orchestra, The Spirit of Churaki - an epic music production inspired by the story of an Aboriginal man heralded as the Gold Coast's first surf lifesaver, under the musical direction of Brian Ritchie (Violent Femmes) and cultural collaborator Kyle Slabb (Banaam) - and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra performing the music of five-time Academy and 23-time Grammy Award Winner, John Williams. In a major coup for the region, multi-award winner and pioneer, musician and film director, Laurie Anderson will leave her home in New York to take up residency at HOTA, creating five separate events including a Concert for Dogs.

On being handed the keys to the door of HOTA, Tim Minchin said: I've just moved back to Australia after 12 years living overseas, and the first stage I get to play on is a spanking new, world-class amphitheatre on the beautiful Gold Coast! It's a hugely exciting venue in a part of the country I've not been in years. Can't frickin wait."

Tickets for Tim Minchin can be secured by subscribing at hota.com.au, with the rest of the program on sale from 9 February.

• Tim Minchin IN CONCERT, 17 MARCH. FREE (tickets required)
• CONCERT FOR THE PLANET, 24 MARCH. FREE
• DANCING ON THE GREEN, 21 APRIL (then monthly). FREE
• CLASSIC FLOW LIVE: YOGA BY THE LAKE, 12 & 13 May. FREE (registration required)

• THE SPIRIT OF CHURAKI, 26 MAY.FREE
• Laurie Anderson IN RESIDENCE, 18 - 24 JUNE.
• QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - FROM JAWS TO JURASSIC THE MUSIC OF John Williams, 16 JUNE.

• NEIL FINN WITH ORCHESTRA: OUT OF SILENCE, 30 JUNE. TICKETS Adult $59 / Child $49 + booking fee
• CORROBOREE,ON THE FIRST DAY OF EVERY MONTH. FREE

Also unveiled today was a spectacular new mural by New York based street artist MOMO on the walls of the tower at HOTA. Best known for his huge, playful, complex and brightly coloured abstract murals, the internationally famed MOMO was chosen from more than 120 submissions to create a spectacular piece that heralded the coming of HOTA.