Ekka – Royal Queensland Show (2026)

The biggest annual event on the Brisbane calendar, the Ekka, is ready for a massive exhibition in 2026 with lots of exciting attractions just for Brisbane Kids!

The show, with a proud tradition in farming and bringing people together, will run over 9 days from Saturday 8th to Sunday 16th August 2026 and includes People’s Day on Wednesday 12th August 2026, which is the Ekka public holiday for residents within the Brisbane City Council area.

What’s on at the Ekka in 2026?

Celebrating its 150th year in 2026, The Ekka will again take place at the Brisbane Showgrounds in Bowen Hills. This year’s program is impressive, and is jam-packed full of fun events and entertainment to ensure that everyone, regardless of age or interest, has a great day out!

More than 70 per cent of the Ekka is dedicated to free family entertainment and activities including the EkkaNITES night show, 10000 animals, Ekka Children’s Day, and live performances by a number of family favourites. This year, there are hundreds of free things to see and do at the Ekka!

From traditional displays like farm animals, wood chopping, and horse jumping, to the more modern fashion shows, laser shows, and live performances by some of the top Australian recording artists, families will be entertained and thrilled every day of the Ekka.

On top of the full calendar of events and entertainment, the Ekka also features all of the traditional show favourites, including the Kids Carnival area with rides for younger children, B105 Sideshow Alley with the bigger rides and showbags, along with dagwood dogs, lots of roving performers, amazing food, the famous strawberry sundaes, and a fireworks spectacular!

Ekka Showbags 2026

One of the most popular parts of the Ekka has to be the Courier-Mail Showbag Pavilion in Sideshow Alley, which is jam packed full of goodies.

There is no doubt part of the fun is actually trawling the guides and choosing which bag you want before you go, so head to the Showbag Guide for 2026 (available soon) to plan your haul!

Showbags at the 2025 Ekka ranged in price from $2 for the Rainbow Freeze showbag, to $36 for merchandise-style showbags such as AFL teams and magazine sample bags, so you can expect the offering to be much the same in 2026. Some of the showbag categories from previous years included:

• Celebrity (musician merch, etc.)
• Chips (snack food varieties)
• Chocolates (favourite brands such as Bertie Beetle, Mars, Nestle and Cadbury)
• Confectionery (lollies such as Zappo, Allen’s, Chupa Chups and Hubba Bubba)
• Costumes (great dress-ups for kids)
• Lifestyle (body care, cosmetics, homewares, and more)
• Magazines (Better Homes & Gardens, Marie Claire, The Australian Women’s Weekly, Total Girl, and more)
• Movies (blockbuster merchandise from movies such as Avatar, Avengers, Harry Potter, and The Fast & The Furious)
• Novelty (gags and games)
• Pets (pet samples such as food and toys)
• Preschool (Bluey, Paw Patrol, Barbie, and more)
• Sport (AFL and other sporting team merchandise)
• TV Shows (Friends, Game of Thrones, Gabby’s Dollhouse, and more)

Don’t forget – Book Week will take place two weeks after the Ekka this year (22nd – 28th August 2026), so perhaps you could buy a showbag which can double as a book week costume!

Explore the large range of Ekka Showbags here.

Animals at the Ekka 2026

Without a doubt, the animal experiences are a big drawcard at the Ekka each year. From the prize winning roosters, cows, and horses to the baby animals, a visit to the Animal Pavilion is a must see at the Ekka every year.

This year the whole family will be able to get up close to all the animals, which could include the chance to milk a cow, see a chicken hatch and feed the baby animals. The family favourite is always the Ekka Animal Nursery, where you can purchase food to feed the animals including goats, lambs, ducks, chickens, piglets, calves, and many more.

Don’t forget to visit the dogs, cats, fish and horses, plus can check out the best animals Queensland has on show at the daily competitions.

The Ekka Daily Live Entertainment Program 2026

Every year, the Ekka daily program has impressed everyone with its line up of high quality family focused entertainment. And this year is no different, as the 2026 line up is looking to include some pretty impressive entries!

The best bit is that all the shows and entertainment are included in the entry ticket price at the gate.

Ekka events include:

• Grand Parade
• Queensland Country Life Showgirl Award Parade
• Dagwood Dog Eating Competition
• Country Music Showdown
• Ekka’s Line Dancing Hoedown
• Australian Strongman Competition
• Queensland Armwrestling Championships
• AWPA Australian Whipcracking Championships
• Live music and poetry performances

View the full Entertainment Program here.

The Ekka Night Program: EkkaNITES

Every year, the EKKA night time program, EkkaNITES, gets better and better. In previous years, the EkkaNites program has included death-defying stunts, extreme sports, high-speed action, equestrian skill, dazzling visual effects, and, of course, the breathtaking fireworks finale.

The 2026 EkkaNITES program to celebrate 150 years of the Ekka is set to dazzle, entertain, and amaze!

Stay tuned for the full program.

Map of the Ekka 2026

To help you get around and find what you are looking for at this years Ekka, check out the Ekka Map.

The Ekka Dates and Times 2026

The 2026 Ekka will run from Saturday 8th August to Sunday 16th August 2026, with gates opening at 9am each day and closing at 8:30pm.

EkkaNites starts at 6:30pm each night.

The Ekka Public Holiday ‘People’s Day’ will be held on Wednesday 12th August 2026.

The Ekka Ticket Prices 2026

In 2026, tickets will only be available online, there will be no tickets available at the gate.

The 2025 Ekka ticket prices were as follows (single entry prices) [NOTE: WE WILL UPDATE THESE PRICES FOR 2026 AS SOON AS THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE]:

• Adult – $40.95 (ages 15+)
• Child – $26.95 (ages 5-14)
• Concession – $30.95 (full-time students, seniors and other concessions)
• Little Ekka – $0.00 (children aged 4 and under)
• Family – $90.95 (2 x Adult and 2 x Child)
• Adult & Child – $54.95 (1 x Adult and 1 x Child)
• Twilight – $26.95 (ages 5+, entry after 4pm)

Please note: These are online ticket prices and the Ekka offers value packs and add-ons each year at the Ekka. To find a full range of ticket prices please click here.

Discounted Ekka Tickets and Super Savings

From time to time the Ekka will run limited time discounts on their social media pages and for email subscribers, so keep an eye out and join their mailing list so you are emailed the discounts straight into your inbox.

Another good source of up-to-date information is the Ekka Facebook page. You can also be ekka-nomical and visit on a Super Saver Day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) to get discounted entry prices.

Getting to the Ekka in 2026

The great news is that the new Exhibition Station will be open again for the Ekka in 2026! Temporarily opening only for large events such as the Ekka, the Exhibition station will drop visitors off right in the heart of the Ekka precinct at Brisbane Showgrounds – you can’t find an easier way to get to the Ekka than that!

If trains don’t work for your starting location, there are plenty of buses so you can avoid parking. We recommend using the Translink Journey Planner to plan your route on the day.

If driving to the Ekka is more your thing, the closest car park to the Ekka is the King Street Car Park, with entry via Machinery or Alexandria Streets in Bowen Hills.

We’ve put together a full guide to getting to the Ekka in 2026, which you can view here.

The Ekka is always a fun family outing, but it pays to be prepared, so check out our Tips for Attending the Ekka as a Family. For additional information on the Ekka click here.