BRISBANE

[ THINGS TO DO ] A REAL VIETNAM WAR BOMBER IS MOUNTED ON POLES BESIDE A QUEENSLAND HIGHWAY AND IT IS FREE TO VISIT Drive west out of Brisbane on the Cunningham Highway and a full sized jet bomber appears above the fence line at Willowbank. It is a Canberra, serial A84-238, built in Australia in 1956 and flown by the RAAF’s 2 Squadron on bombing operations from Phan Rang Air Base in Vietnam. It is not a replica and it is not a museum piece behind glass. It has been sitting on those poles beside t

[ THINGS TO DO ] A SECRET FAIRY VILLAGE IS HIDDEN INSIDE THIS FREE BUSHLAND SANCTUARY 30 MINUTES NORTH OF BRISBANE Kumbartcho Sanctuary in Eatons Hill is one of the easiest free family days out on Brisbane's northern edge, and the best part is the secret. At the end of a short bush trail, behind a tiny magic door, is a handmade fairy village filled with miniature houses, gnomes and animal figures. The whole place is run by volunteers in partnership with the City of Moreton Bay, it sits on protec

[ MUST TRY ] THIS PIRATE THEMED TIKI BAR SERVES A GIANT GRILLED MEAT FEAST ON A WOODEN SHIP, WITH TWO SECRET ROOMS HIDDEN BEHIND A CUPBOARD DOOR 🏴‍☠️ The Fourth Monkey is a Caribbean, pirate themed tiki bar and grill that took over the old Three Monkeys coffee house, a West End institution of more than thirty years. Its signature Smuggler's Feast arrives at the table as a wooden ship packed end to end with grilled meat, built to share with a group. And for anyone who wants to disappear for the n

[ MUST TRY ] THIS ITALIAN RESTAURANT IS SERVING AN ENTIRE BURRATA BANQUET, AND YES THERE IS A BURRATA DESSERT Osteria Epoca in Yeronga has gone all in on Brisbane's favourite cheese with the Burrata Showtime Experience, a set menu where burrata turns up in every single course. It only needs two people to book, which makes it dangerously easy date night material. THE BURRATA SHOWTIME EXPERIENCE 🧀 The starter: Fresh burrata with Modena vinegar roasted grapes, prosciutto, pistachio, thyme and cocco

[ EVENT ] THOUSANDS OF HANDMADE LANTERNS JUST LIT UP SOUTH BANK FOR ONE OF QUEENSLAND’S BIGGEST MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATIONS The LUMINOUS Lantern Parade took over South Bank Parklands tonight, marking the official start of Multicultural Queensland Month. What began in 2007 as a small lantern walk to welcome newly arrived families now draws more than 13,000 people to the riverbank every year. Free, all ages, and run by Multicultural Australia. THE LANTERN PARADE 🏮 The lanterns: Most are handcrafted

[ THINGS TO DO ] YOUR FULL GUIDE TO WHAT IS ON IN BRISBANE & BETOND THIS AUGUST The Royal Queensland Show hits its 150th year from 8 to 16 August, and it anchors one of the busiest months on the calendar. Around it you have got a free after dark food festival at the Powerhouse, an airshow over Surfers Paradise, country music in the Gympie scrub and a stack of free exhibitions in South Bank. Here is what is on and when. 🎭 The Gospel According to Paul, 18 to 23 August, QPAC 🎤 There’s Nothing Like

[ EVENT ] AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST CAKE SHOW RETURNS TO BRISBANE 🎂 The International Cake Show Australia is back at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August, and this year marks its tenth birthday. Billed by organisers as the largest cake, cookie and sugar craft show in the southern hemisphere, it packs three days of live competitions, towering sugar sculptures and hundreds of stalls into the one venue. Kids 16 and under get in free, so it doubles as a prop

[ MUST TRY ] THIS ITALIAN BAR HAS A GIANT CANNOLI CAKE AND A $75 BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH ON THE RIVER Bar Pacino sits above the Riverside boardwalk on Eagle Street with a straight shot view of the Story Bridge, and it is quietly serving one of the most dramatic celebration cakes in the city: a giant cannoli shell stacked with mini cannoli. Add a Saturday bottomless brunch and a $20 corporate lunch deal, and this riverfront Italian has earned a spot on your list. THE BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH 🥂 Two hours botto

[ EVENT ] BRISBANE POWERHOUSE HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A GLOWING WINTER VILLAGE WITH 20 KITCHENS AND GIANT ART INSTALLATIONS Night Feast is back for four weeks, and for the first time it has landed in winter. The riverside precinct is now a neon lit village with 20 kitchens, giant art installations, live music every night, fire pits with marshmallows and hot chocolate on the go. Entry is free until Sunday 23 August. THE PROGRAM 🔥 IGNITE: A towering interactive bonfire activated by seesaws that grow

[ EVENT ] A FREE ALL AGES BLUES FESTIVAL IS TAKING OVER DISTILLERY ROAD MARKET THIS AUGUST 🎸🎶 Blues on the Bayou is back at Distillery Road Market in Eagleby for its second year, and getting in is completely free. The all ages festival runs from 3pm to 9.30pm on Saturday 1 August, with local and national blues acts playing across the market’s live music space. It is the second event in DRM’s 2026 free festival series, sitting between Reggae by the River and Indiefest. About 40 minutes south of B