There are few events on the Brisbane calendar that cut across generations quite like the Ekka. For 150 years, the Royal Queensland Show has been doing exactly that — drawing families, farmers, foodies, and first-timers through the gates of the Brisbane Showgrounds for nine days of something that is genuinely difficult to replicate anywhere else.
This year’s milestone — the 150th anniversary — runs from Saturday 8 to Sunday 16 August 2026, with the Brisbane Show public holiday falling on Wednesday 12 August.
For those living in Newstead, Teneriffe, and the inner north, the Showgrounds isn’t just a venue — it’s a neighbour. And that proximity is one of the quietly underrated advantages of life in this precinct. The RNA Showgrounds at Bowen Hills sits moments from the suburb boundary, meaning residents can walk, ride, or take a short Uber rather than navigate cross-city traffic.
What to Expect in 2026
The 150th brings an expanded entertainment program, with headline performers, a renewed focus on Queensland agriculture and produce, the beloved woodchop, the iconic strawberry sundaes, and showbags that somehow never go out of fashion. The fireworks display this year is expected to be one of the most significant in the show’s history.
A Note on the Showgrounds’ Future
The Brisbane Showgrounds precinct is also one of the most significant urban renewal sites in the city’s Olympic pipeline. Selected as one of the Athletes’ Villages for the 2032 Games, the site will ultimately be converted into thousands of new homes and community spaces — a transformation that further cements Bowen Hills and its surrounding suburbs as one of the most consequential growth corridors in southeast Queensland.
For residents of our buildings — One Oak, Lucent, Le Bain, The James, Luminare, and the soon-to-complete Fontana — that’s not just a good reason to enjoy the show this year. It’s a reminder of why where you live is only becoming more valuable.
From all of us at Cavalé — enjoy the show.
