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What’s On in Brisbane: August 2026
Find out what’s on in Brisbane this month in our August events guide.
This month in Brisbane (August 2026) there is a festival for every occasion to help you get through the last month of winter. Choose from medieval re-enactment at Southern Realm Festival, annual cultural highlight Brisbane Festival and Queensland’s largest fashion event Brisbane Fashion Festival.
All about food? South Bank’s Midweek Magic is serving affordable eats and Brooki has dropped a limited edition cookie that we can’t wait to get our hands on.
Read on for the rest of our August picks of things to do in Brisbane, curated specially by our Brisbane editor.
In This Guide
Editor’s Picks
Score a Limited Edition Brooki x Lungi Mhlanga Honey Butter Croissant Cookie
This week-only collab is a dream come true. Brooki’s chunky New York-style cookie meets UK baker and recipe developer Lungi Mhlanga’s comfort cooking, culminating in a honey butter croissant cookie. Available at all Brooki Bakehouse stores, pre-orders are recommended.
In an extra special twist, Brooki fans can look forward to a meet and greet with Brooke Bellamy and Lungi Mhlanga at the new Fish Lane store on Monday 3rd August between 10am and 12pm.
Where: All Brooki Bakehouse stores
When: Monday 3 August to Sunday 9 August
Cost: $45 per box
Best For: Foodies, Locals, Weekend plans
Night Feast
Returning for its fifth year, Night Feast is back bigger and better than ever. This free entry festival is championing cooler nights with immersive art, live music, and, of course, plenty of tasty festival-exclusive eats. We’ve got our eye on the luxe nuggs from Wine & Dine’m Catering, Donna Chang’s crispy pork kebab and Ruby, My Dear’s Japanese Carbonara Udon.
Where: Brisbane Powerhouse
When: Wednesday 29 July to Sunday 23 August
Cost: Free
Best For: Foodies, Locals, Markets, Families, Group catch-ups
Need To Know: This year, the festivities will culminate in an exclusive shared table dining experience, Better Off Red, on Sunday, 16th August.
Festivals & Major Events
Ekka: The Royal Queensland Show
Always an annual highlight, this year’s Ekka is even more special as Queensland’s largest annual event is celebrating its 150th birthday. You can expect the usual draws, from agricultural competitions and fireworks displays to showbags, kids’ activities, wood chop and carnival rides, alongside seasonal specials from local cafes, restaurants and bakeries.
Where: Brisbane Showgrounds
When: Saturday 8 August to Sunday 16 August
Cost: From $40.95 for an adult ticket
Best For: Families, Weekend plans, Kids, Foodies, Cultural experiences
Brisbane Fashion Festival
Gear up for spring and summer with the latest drops from Queensland and Australia’s best emerging and established talent. This year, on top of nightly runways, the Brisbane Fashion Festival is offering exclusive access to Queensland Ballet’s costume workshop, a fashion-forward luncheon, a Carla Zampatti runway, the Hancock Prospecting Next Gen Group Show and W Brisbane Fashion Show.
Where: Brisbane City Hall
When: Monday 24 August to Saturday 29 August
Cost: From $62
Best For: Festival season, Unique experiences, Girls’ night
Eat & Drink
Midweek Magic at South Bank
Keen to ensure you don’t miss date night with the cost of living rises, South Bank has introduced a series of Midweek Magic dining deals for two. You’ve got an entire month to sample your way through these bargain dinners, which will take you from burgers, drinks and dessert at Brooklyn Depot to oysters and wine at River Quay Fish. There are eight deals in total, so start pencilling in those catch-ups.
Where: South Bank
When: Monday to Thursday, 27 July to 27 August, from 6pm
Cost: $50 per meal for two
Best For: Date night, Girls’ night, Food lovers
The Curated Plate
The Sunshine Coast turns winter into a full-table affair when The Curated Plate returns for ten days of fire-led feasts, seafood by the water, orchard picnics, river lunches and chef-led dining across the coast and hinterland. From Island Fire at Alsahwa Estate to Mooloolaba Seafood Market Day, Glasshouse Country Long Lunch and one-off farm, distillery and producer events, this is the food festival worth building an entire winter escape around. Tickets are limited, so choose your headline feast early.
Where: Across the Sunshine Coast
When: 24 July to 2 August, 2026
Cost: Various prices, with select free events
Best For: Foodies, Weekend plans, Families, Locals, Visitors
Sirromet Signature Fire Pit Experience
Treat someone special to a private fire pit experience at one of the region’s finest wineries this winter. All you have to do? Show up! Sirromet have done all the hard work and will have your fire blazing when you get there, with a picnic rug (for you to take home) and a picnic hamper basket stacked with a generous antipasto spread. Your ticket also includes two glasses of mulled wine or a bottle to share, as well as two Sirromet keep cups as a memento of your experience. Now this is living!
Where: Mount Cotton
When: Saturdays and Sundays until 30 August 2026
Cost: $189 for two
Best For: Date night, Wine lovers, Foodies, Weekend plans
Taste Western Australia’s Best Wine at Howard Smith Wharves
Fancy sampling some of WA’s finest wines without having to step foot inside an airport? Exhilarating Wines is bringing 30 producers straight to Brisbane for an evening of sipping and sampling. You can expect to find icons Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Cullen Diana Madeline and Vasse Felix Tom Cullity, as well as plenty of small-batch producers, all ready and waiting to chat wine.
Where: Howard Smith Wharves
When: Tuesday 18 August
Cost: From $75
Best For: Date night, Wine lovers, Locals, Unique experiences
Need To Know: Your ticket includes tastings, grazing items and a take-home RIEDEL glass.
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Art, Culture & Performance
Southern Realm Festival
Hear ye, hear ye! Southern Realm Festival is back for another year of medieval markets and armoured combat and you’d be mad to miss it. Live out your wildest medieval fantasy as you weave your way through the historic village, filled with re-enactors bringing traditional crafts and skills to life right before your eyes. Shop for mead, salves and period clothing, before securing a pork knuckle and settling in to watch a battle.
Where: Boonah
When: Saturday 22nAugust to Sunday 23 August
Cost: From $25
Best For: Families, Group catch-ups, Unique experiences, Weekend plans
Horizons of Khufu
There’s no need to jump on a plane to have an almighty adventure this winter. The immersive VR experience Horizons of Khufu invites you to take a trip to the Giza pyramids. Journey underground into secret chambers and sail along the Nile, as you move about freely, exploring the shared virtual reality space.
Where: Fortitude Valley
When: Sessions throughout August
Cost: From $40
Best For: Cultural experiences, Families, Locals, Visitors, Weekend plans
Straddie Arts Trail
Spend your weekend meandering your way through three townships of North Stradbroke — Goompi, Pulan Pulan and Mooloomba — on the hunt for locally made art. Over 90 artists will be displaying their work along the Straddie Arts Trail route, which will also be lined with cultural experiences, open studios, workshops, music, feasts and more.
Where: North Stradbroke Island
When: Friday 14 August to Sunday 16 August
Cost: Free
Best For: Locals, Visitors, Weekend plans, Art lovers
Markets & Shopping
Gathaa Markets
Head down to South Bank’s cultural forecourt for a day spent shopping for goodies from some of Brisbane’s greatest Indigenous makers and producers. Pick up everything from bush foods to ceramics, and indulge in a workshop, or watch on as a cooking demo takes place. There will also be live music, and face painting and crafts for the kids.
Where: Cultural Forecourt, South Bank
When: Saturday 1 August to Sunday 2 August
Cost: Free
Best For: Markets, Weekend plans, Cultural experiences, Families
Suitcase Rummage
A favourite amongst fashionistas, the Suitcase Rummage is the spot to secure a bargain! Hugely popular amongst Brisbane’s thrifty and environmentally conscious shopaholics, there’s always someone new selling their wares.
Take your time poking through overflowing luggage at these Brisbane markets and don’t be afraid to have a chat (or a haggle) with the seller, you might just make a new and fellow-minded friend.
Where: Redcliffe Place, Queen Street, Brisbane City
When: Sunday 2 August, 12pm to 5pm
Cost: Free
Best For: Markets, Free events, Weekend plans, Budget-friendly
Free Things To Do
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
Wildlife photography is amazing as is, but comedy wildlife photography? Even better. After collecting submissions from all over the world, the 60-image showcase will feature a range of winning images and finalists from across the years, as well as this year’s winner.
Where: Redcliffe Museum
When: Until 16 August 2026
Cost: Free
Best For: Families, Art lovers, Cultural experiences
Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose, Brisbane City
Exclusive to the Museum of Brisbane, this exhibit connects audiences with the world’s oldest living culture through wearable art. Curated in collaboration with sustainable and Aboriginal-owned label Magpie Goose, the collection features First Nations creatives from across the country, with a particular focus on South East Queensland. Journey through the stories, textures and processes of different communities, whilst learning more about sustainability and fashion in Australia.
Where: Level 3, City Hall
When: Until 5 October 2026
Cost: Free
Best For: Art lovers, Cultural experiences, Budget-friendly, Free events, Families
Coming Soon
Cirque Du Soleil Kooza
There’s nothing quite like a night at Cirque du Soleil, watching on as performers in sparkly costumes showcase their incredible skills. This year’s tale is told through the eyes of an innocent character who has been transported to an exotic kingdom and must navigate a maze of comic characters along the way. The two-hour show explores the themes of fear, identity, recognition and power through unicycle acts, contortion, teeterboard, highwire and more.
Where: Eagle Farm
When: Saturday 1 October until Sunday 4 October
Cost: From $79
Best For: Families, Kids, Unique experiences
Bigsound
One of Australia’s biggest music events, Bigsound is back for another week of industry conferences and festival gigs. This annual event, a significant networking opportunity for industry folk across the land, is the very same place that the likes of Flume and Rufus Du Sol got their starts. If you’re just looking to hear some great music, you can score music festival tickets to gigs throughout Fortitude Valley, from intimate venues to large stages. In the industry? The conference is the place to be.
Where: Fortitude Valley
When: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 4 September
Cost: From $50
Best For: Live music, Locals, Festival season
Brisbane Festival
The festival that celebrates our city, Brisbane Festival will be taking over throughout September, with events spanning dance, theatre, exhibitions, fireworks and drone shows, kicking off with everyone’s favourite event, Riverfire.
View our full edit of best Brisbane Festival events to book this year.
Where: Across the city
When: Throughout September
Cost: Various prices
Best For: Families, Festival season, Weekend plans, Locals
What’s On This Month in Brisbane: FAQs
August in Brisbane is stacked. Ekka celebrates its 150th birthday at Brisbane Showgrounds from 8–16 August, Night Feast brings immersive art and festival food to Brisbane Powerhouse until 23 August, and the Southern Realm Festival transports you to medieval times in Boonah on 22–23 August. The Brisbane Fashion Festival also wraps up the month with nightly runways and exclusive experiences from 24–29 August.
South Bank’s Midweek Magic offers set dinners for two at $50 a head, running Monday to Thursday until 27 August — a great cost of living hack. Wine lovers can head to Howard Smith Wharves on 18 August for an evening sampling 30 Western Australian producers at the Exhilarating Wines event, while Sirromet Winery’s Signature Fire Pit Experience offers a cosy private picnic with mulled wine or a bottle to share on weekends until 30 August. Brooki Bakehouse also has a limited edition honey butter croissant cookie available until 9 August, with pre-orders recommended.
Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose at the Museum of Brisbane is a free exhibition connecting audiences with First Nations wearable art, running until 5 October. The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards is also free, showcasing 60 images at Redcliffe Museum until 16 August. For something more immersive, Horizons of Khufu in Fortitude Valley offers a VR journey through the Giza pyramids, with sessions running throughout August from $40.
Night Feast at Brisbane Powerhouse pairs live music with immersive art and festival food, running until 23 August with free entry. The Straddie Arts Trail on 14–16 August includes music alongside open studios, workshops and feasts across North Stradbroke Island. If you’re after markets and cultural performance, Gathaa Markets at South Bank on 1–2 August feature live music alongside Indigenous makers and producers.
Ekka at Brisbane Showgrounds (8–16 August) is the classic family outing, with showbags, carnival rides, fireworks and kids’ activities all part of the 150th birthday celebrations. Night Feast at Brisbane Powerhouse offers free entry and is well suited to families, with immersive art and festival food on offer until 23 August. The free Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards at Redcliffe Museum and Gathaa Markets at South Bank, which include face painting and crafts, are also great low-cost options for a day out with little ones.
Night Feast at Brisbane Powerhouse is free to enter and runs until 23 August, with immersive art and live music throughout. The Gathaa Markets at South Bank (1–2 August) and Suitcase Rummage in the city (2 August) are also both free to attend. The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards at Redcliffe Museum and Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose at the Museum of Brisbane are also free and running throughout the month.
Bigsound returns to Fortitude Valley from 1–4 September, bringing industry conferences and festival gigs to intimate and large venues alike — the same launchpad that helped break Flume and Rufus Du Sol. Brisbane Festival follows throughout September, taking over the city with dance, theatre, exhibitions, fireworks and drone shows, opening with the much-loved Riverfire event.
Looking for more fun things to do in Brisbane this month? See what’s happening on the foodie scene with our food news, or explore what’s on around our beautiful river city.
