Carnival 2026 creates community on the Gold Coast and beyond
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
BY SIMONE WORTHING
More than 300 people representing 28 teams from around the Australia Territory took part in The Salvation Army Interstate Basketball and Netball Carnival on the Gold Coast earlier this month. The carnival has been running since 1971, and is held in a different location each year.
The Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre at Carrara hosted this year’s event, which ran from 5-11 July. There were four game days, with Wednesday a rest day, and a presentation night after finals on the Saturday.
Teams came from across the five divisions of the territory – NSW/ACT, Queensland, South Australia/Northern Territory, Tasmania and Victoria.
The competition included Men’s A, Men’s B, Women’s, Under 18’s Boys & Under 14’s mixed basketball and Netball A & B. Teams played either 10 or 11 games and finals.
Major Ben Johnson, Cairns Corps Officer and host state representative for the carnival, led the Opening Night at Tweed Salvos, just across the NSW-Queensland border from the Gold Coast, on Sunday night 5 July.
Guest speaker was Jeremy Kendle, a former Brisbane Bullets NBL player and a committed Christian.
“Jeremy shared some of his story,” said Ben. “It’s always helpful to have someone with a profile like that who has played professional basketball and shares how their faith engages with and is critical to, their life and career.”
Ben shared that, although the carnival is about good competition, that competition is not the end point. “This is about sharing our faith and encouraging people to put their faith in Christ,” he said. “It’s about the conversations you have on the sidelines or when you’re sharing meals together, travelling, and you have an opportunity to deepen relationships and ask the bigger questions of life as well.”
Ben and his team also introduced some fun activities for the week – a dance to get the whole carnival involved, and the ‘Cinderella Moment’ competition. “We’ll call out a shoe size and two people will come out, try on the shoe and the first person to tie up the laces, wins the shoes.”
Teamwork
Carnival Coordinator Marj Rava, Youth and Young Adults Secretary (Tasmania) and National Sports Ministry Coordinator, has been coming to the carnival for many years and now coordinates the event and “brings it all together with my team”.
“Sport is really important to Australians, and the opportunity to create a community based around like-minded people who love sport is an easy way to gather people,” she said.
“This community gives participants the opportunity to meet new people, feel a part of something and be included, valued, loved and accepted. From that, there’s the potential for conversations and an opportunity to share a bit more of who Jesus is and why we do what we do.
Teams from across the country played competitively and encouraged each other throughout the matches.
“There are people from all around The Salvation Army and across the generations playing in this event – including from corps, a few from Doorways and Fairhaven (Gold Coast Recovery Services) – and this is a great place for people of all abilities, ages and backgrounds to play basketball and netball, build community and friendships, encourage one another and have a good time.”
Some of the special moments from Carnival 2026.
Devotional times
Daily devotions took place each game day at 11:40am. Different people shared their testimonies – including Jan and Haraga, two young women from Papua New Guinea who had completed the Gold Coast Marathon on 4 July as part of The Salvation Army’s Hope and a Future program.
Jan (left) and Haraga from Papua New Guinea, part of the Hope and a Future Program, share how faith has impacted them during their lives, and in the recent Gold Coast Marathon.
Jacob Browning from Shire Salvos (NSW) spoke on Monday, and the Papua New Guinea team on Tuesday. On Thursday, Marj spoke on encouragement and everyone was asked to take a provided note that said, ‘You are awesome’ and a chocolate and give it to someone from another state.
The Friday devotion featured an interview with Ella Hobbs (VIC) and a farewell to Major Trevor Nicol.
Major David Collinson, Executive Officer, Mission - Salvos Stores, thanked Trevor for his “incredible organising and administration of the NSW/ACT basketball and netball teams and Carnival since 1997. Amazing service over 30 years! Enjoy your retirement, you will be missed.”
Presentation night
Majors Ben and Emma Johnson emceed the carnival’s final celebration and Presentation Night. Major Brett Gallagher, Head of Integrated Mission and Resourcing, assisted with grace and presentations.
Finals, Most-Valued Players, Best & Fairest and All-Star teams were also awarded during the evening.
The ‘Coaches Award’ introduced at the carnival last year in Wollongong to recognise a coach for their positive attitude, support of their team, and overall character during the week, went to Phoebe Johnson (QLD) for coaching the Under 14’s basketball team.
Major Ben Johnson also presented Cairns player, Kal-El Badham, the ‘Lazarus Award’ – “a play on the gospel narrative expressing our love for people and our joy that they made a ‘come-back’ to Carnival,” Ben explained. Last year, after returning from Carnival in Wollongong, Kal-El was taken to hospital after a cardiac arrest. He has undergone treatment for a heart condition and is now planning a professional basketball career. His next step is playing for three months, beginning mid-September, in Phoenix, Arizona with AUS Prep Hoops.
Results:
Men’s A: SA/NT def QLD
Women’s Bball: SA/NT def NSW/ACT (66-30)
Men’s B: NA1 def QLD (46-35)
Netball A: NA3 def TAS (34-18)
Netball B: SA/NT def NA1 (36-19)
Under 18 Boys: NA1 def NA2 (75-36)
Under 14 Mixed: SA/NT def NSW/ACT (85-29)
For more images from Carnival 2026, click on the arrow below.
More info:
For more information and team photos from the carnival, click here
For more photos and videos, check out the Instagram account at
@Salvos_BNCarnival
Personal impressions
Nyssa (TAS): “I just love seeing everyone playing together and it’s been so much fun to support the opposing team and other teams as well. It’s sportsmanship. The camaraderie is just lovely. It’s so good to come around everyone and give people a great experience.”
Major Nicole Snead (Hobart Corps Officer): “I just love coming and seeing everyone working and playing together across the generations, families. I love playing with my daughter.”
Jackie Soper (Shire Salvos, NSA): I'm here because I just love sports and I love building friendships, relationships, and through sport is a great way to do it. We all cheer each other on no matter what, and that’s really important. It’s a safe place for everyone to be themselves, to play and the competition is good, and fair. It’s a great environment and a great place to bring friends from outside church.”
Major Emma Johnson (Corps Officer, Cairns): “I loved the people, I loved the game, it’s just been an awesome, awesome experience.”
Carnival quotes
On presentation night, several participants answered the question, ‘What did you love about carnival this year?’
“Hanging out with our friends and meeting new people.”
“I liked making it to the grand final and having fun versing South Australia.”
“I loved how, even though we were very competitive, it was bigger than just a game. We were all very friendly and the competition was very good.”
“I loved actually being a fan more than a player. We got to watch our state play and just getting behind them and cheering them on was just the best.”
Our favourite bit was the friendship circle at the end when you all went ‘hooray, hooray, hooray’.”
“I would say cheering on the other teams.”
“I just really liked playing with the Tribe girls during netball. The environment on the court was just immaculate and second to none. It was such a great vibe playing with them and their improvement over the time and the connection we made with them; there was just a whole carnival vibe.”
“Catching up with old friends and chanting and dancing on the court.”
“I liked it because it was good! People, fun, the vibe of the whole thing, and it wasn’t just people ball hogging the whole time. It was people giving the ball to everyone. I loved carnival.”
“I really loved getting to see familiar faces that I’ve seen in previous years and just getting back on the court.”
