Peacocks, Karaoke and a YMCA Finish at Sunshine Beach Surf Club

Sunshine Beach Surf Club, peach-pink sky outside, peacocks lined up on every easel inside, and 120 ladies who came for a paint and sip and accidentally ran the karaoke night. We hadn't even finished the first painting step before there was a queue forming for the mic. That's the short version. The long version involves a YMCA, a Macarena and one very polite mic-grab to wrap things up.

The view didn't hurt either

If you've been to Sunshine Beach Surf Club on Duke Street you already know the deal. Lifts to the upstairs function space, big windows aimed straight at the Pacific, and a sunset that does most of the work for you before anyone picks up a brush. We had the room set up by the time the sky did its thing, easels in rows, paint pots ready, aprons on the chairs, and a soundcheck that already had the staff laughing.

Sunshine Beach itself is a quiet little stretch tucked behind Noosa, the kind of place where the locals walk dogs along the sand at sunset and the surf club is the meeting point for absolutely everything. It's a bit out of the way, which is exactly why guests love it for a paint and sip night. You're at the beach, you're not in a strip-mall function room, and the venue actually has personality.

120 guests came through the door. Hens groups, birthday tables, a few who'd clearly seen a Facebook ad and just trusted the process. Wine in hand within five minutes. Whole room buzzing before we'd said a word.

The peacocks were the warm-up act

Peacocks were the painting of the night. Big bold tail feathers, jewel tones, a lot of teal and gold and that one show-off purple that makes everything else pop. The kind of painting that looks like you've spent six months at art school and actually takes three layers, a few cheeky shortcuts and a singalong-sized break in the middle for the paint to dry.

The colour palette is the bit that does the heavy lifting. Deep navy background to make the bird sing. Metallic gold for the eye of every feather. Emerald and teal layered into the body. Hot pink fingerprint dots on the very last step that nobody thinks will work and everybody loves once it's on. By layer two, the room had stopped second-guessing themselves and started getting cocky. By layer three, there were group photos happening and easels being spun around for show-and-tell.

This is where the format earns its keep. Paint a layer, step back, sip something cold, sing something loud, come back to a dry canvas and keep going. Nobody's hunched over a brush in silence. Nobody's frozen because they "can't paint." We coach the whole room through every step, line by line, so even the guests who turned up convinced they'd ruin theirs walked out with a peacock that genuinely looks like a peacock, plus the kind of sore-cheek smile you only get from laughing for three hours straight.

Then somebody grabbed the mic

Lotti was on for the singalong moments, which is normally the bit where guests sing along from their easels. At Sunshine Beach the guests had other plans. Before we'd even finished the first painting step there was a line of ladies waiting their turn on the mic. Not waiting politely, more sort of vibrating in place and giving Lotti the eye like "you can sit this one out, love."

Lotti, to her credit, handed it over. So did the next person. And the next. Half the room had taken a verse before we'd touched the second layer of paint. Everyone from the hens crew at the front through to the birthday table on the back wall had a go. There were duets nobody planned. There were group choruses the whole room jumped into without prompting. There was one rendition of a Tina Turner number that we are pretty sure shook the windows.

The peacocks did get finished, eventually, in between numbers.

A Macarena, a YMCA, and a polite mic-grab

By the time the peacocks were drying for the final time, the room had basically become a singalong with painting on the side. The big finish was YMCA, then a full Macarena, with the entire room on their feet, paintbrushes abandoned, easels pushed back, somebody's hens crew leading the front row.

We had to gently steal the mic back to wrap it up. There was no signal that the energy was running out. We could've gone another two hours easy. Big cleanup at the end (120 guests will do that) but the venue staff were absolute legends and the team had the room sorted in no time.

So what is a Paint Juicy night, exactly?

Three hours, one canvas, a lot of singing, no art school energy. We bring everything: easels, canvases, paints, brushes, aprons, the lights, the sound, the lot. You bring your group, your favourite drink and a willingness to belt out a chorus when the moment calls for it. We're 100% mobile, which means we come to the venue, set up around you and pack down at the end.

Most of our regulars come back two or three times a year because the painting changes, the playlist changes, the room changes, and the company changes too. Sunshine Coast guests in particular tend to lock in a session around birthdays, hens weekends, or the Christmas party scramble in November.

Most public sessions are $59 per person. Bottomless sessions at licensed venues are $99 and the venue handles the food and drinks. Most events are 18+. A handful are 12+ with a paying guardian along for the ride. Nude life drawing and bottomless are strictly 18+ for obvious reasons.

Want this for your hens, birthday or team?

Private bookings start at $700 flat for the first 10 guests, then $65 per extra head. Minimum 10 paid seats. We do hens parties more than anything else, then birthdays and team building rounding out the top three. Christmas parties, baby showers, bridal showers, fundraisers, corporate nights, all in the mix too. Smaller groups under 10 are best off joining a public session, which is usually more fun anyway because you get the full room energy.

Want the artwork matched to your crew? Easy. Tell us when you enquire and we will tweak an existing design to your vibe.

Three states, one mobile paint and sip team

Paint Juicy is a 100% mobile paint and sip business covering Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. We've hosted 42,000+ guests, we're a Best of Queensland Experience winner every year since 2022, and we hold a 4.8 rating on Google. Sunshine Beach is one stop on a very long list. If you're elsewhere, find your nearest session below.

Sing loud, paint loose, see you at the next one.
Trent & James