26 things to do in Brisbane on the Easter long weekend

Not much gas in the tank? Maybe skipping town for four days over Easter is off the table for you this year. Happily, Brisbane is a better place than ever to spend time, even on public holidays.

From bustling markets and thrilling exhibitions to a chance to experience Brisbane’s new $184 million theatre, the city has plenty to offer over Easter 2026 – whether you’re a fancy-free adult, or a parent in desperate need of a new distraction for the kids after their chocolate-egg sugar crash.

For ease of use, we’ve divided the highlights into four days and a night, but most of these are available for more than one day – check the website links to be sure.

Things to do on Thursday evening, April 2

Ballet: Messa da Requiem
This massive production of Verdi’s awe-inspiring funeral mass features Queensland Ballet dancers, the QSO and Brisbane Chorale and Canticum Chamber Choir – 110 performers on stage.
Glasshouse Theatre, QPAC, March 27-April 4, $116-$221.

Sport: Lions v Magpies
Brisbane takes on Collingwood in round 4 of the 2026 AFL premiership season.
The Gabba, Thursday, April 2, 6.30pm, various prices.

Film: The Drama
Zendaya and R-Patz star in a dark comedy-drama in which a couple’s wedding plans go off the rails after some uncomfortable truths are revealed.
In cinemas from April 2.

Festival: Bluewater Festival
Head to Shorncliffe Pier for food trucks, bands, fireworks, markets and (on Good Friday) the official start of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race.
Moora Park, Shorncliffe, Thursday, April 2, 4-8pm and Friday, April 3, 9.30am-8pm, free.

Things to do on Good Friday, April 3

Family: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
The world’s oldest and biggest koala sanctuary just welcomed a new resident who could give the tree-huggers a run for their money in the cute stakes: Quincy the Quokka.
708 Jesmond Road, Fig Tree Pocket, daily 9am-5pm (open all weekend), $42-$59pp.

Family: Easter on the Esplanade
Find eggs, chocolate, market stalls and the Easter Bunny down by the beach on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.
Surfers Paradise Esplanade, Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4, 4-9pm.

Film: Father Mother Sister Brother
A new movie from indie great Jim Jarmusch tells three family stories in three cities, linked by a Rolex watch, and stars Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling and Cate Blanchett.
In cinemas from April 2.

Markets: Redcliffe Markets Easter Extravaganza
Instead of shutting down for Easter, the market is opening on both Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Find more than 250 artisan stalls and street eats as well as the Easter Bunny and Easter craft.
Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe, Friday, April 3, and Sunday, April 5, 8am-2pm, free.

Activities: Project Immersive Escape Rooms
The old paint factory in Yeronga hosts three evocative escape challenges: The Portal (find a missing scientist), Nuclear Enrichment (prevent a meltdown) and A Quiet Game (avoid a monster with super-hearing).
The Paint Factory, Yeronga, daily (closed Easter Monday), $49-$60pp.

Things to do on Easter Saturday, April 4

Sport: Queensland Reds v Western Force
Round 8 of the Super Rugby Pacific Season sees Les Kiss’ Reds clash with Perth’s finest and their new not-so-secret weapon, Zac Lomax.
Suncorp Stadium, Saturday, April 4, 6.35pm, $25-$245.

Markets: Powerhouse Farmers Markets
Created by the late Jan Powers, these markets have fresh produce and tonnes of delicious street foods to sample. Take a walk in New Farm Park while you’re there.
Brisbane Powerhouse, Saturday, April 4, 6am-12pm, free.

Film: Taxi Driver
Martin Scorsese’s dark masterpiece about an alienated misfit (Robert De Niro) has never been more pertinent, and the film is on the big screen for its 50th anniversary.
Dendy Coorparoo, Thursday, April 2, 6pm, and Saturday, April 4, 3pm, $9-$18.50.

Concerts: Wolters + Lammer
Melbourne electronic music star Wolters plays his first headline show in Brisbane with support from Amsterdam house DJ Lammer.
The Triffid, Saturday, April 4, 7pm, $49.90.

Film: Trenque Lauquen
Part of GOMA’s series of films with long running times, this four-hour 2022 Argentinian mystery centres on the strange disappearance of an academic named Laura. For ages 15-plus.
Gallery of Modern Art, Saturday, April 4, 12.30pm, free.

Family: Coochiemudlo Island Easter Family Fun and Markets
Easter Saturday is perfect for a family visit to Coochie. There’ll be craft (rock painting and bonnet making), a bunny visit at 10am, an egg hunt and markets.
Ferry from Victoria Point, Saturday, April 4, 9am-1pm, free.

Things to do on Easter Sunday, April 5

Exhibitions: Dearly Departed: Death in Life
Those with a taste for the macabre will gravitate to this exhibition of the Queensland way of death, with letters, photographs, mourning jewellery, undertakers’ ledgers and a sound art installation.
State Library of Queensland, daily 10am-5pm (closed Good Friday), free.

Exhibitions: Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose
View incredibly vibrant fashions by Aboriginal owned and led company Magpie Goose. While you’re there, check out the Precious exhibition of quirky collections, see the work of artist-in-residence Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, and take a clocktower tour up the ancient lift of City Hall.
Museum of Brisbane, until October 5 (closed Good Friday), free.

Markets: Nundah Farmers Markets
The formula here is simple: greengrocers and plant sellers, a fishmonger and some artisan butchers, some street eats like momos, banh mi and poffertjes, and a couple of pop-up cafes with plenty of seating.
Station Street, Nundah, every Sunday 6am-12pm, free.

Comedy: Speed: The Movie, The Play
Get on board the bus (for real) with this live-action adaptation/spoof of the 1994 movie that starred Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. It’s been a local comedy staple for over a decade, and there are performances on Saturday and Sunday.
Brisbane Powerhouse, March 26-April 19, $45-$48.

Theatre: Blanc de Blanc Encore and Late Night Vice
Be transported to a world of champagne and sin with long-running acrobatic burlesque comedy Blanc de Blanc Encore. Or catch their even naughtier new show, Late Night Vice.
The West End Electric, daily (closed Good Friday), various times, $91-$399.

Things to do on Easter Monday, April 6

Exhibitions: Croc! Lost Giants to Living Legends
Learn the story of crocodiles from prehistoric predators to cultural icons. There’s a live-size recreation of sarcosuchus, a giant extinct crocodilian, and a life-size cast of Sweetheart, a five-metre croc notorious for attacking boats in the 1970s. The show is ticketed but general entry to the museum is free.
Queensland Museum Kurilpa, daily 9.30am-5pm (closed Good Friday), $19.90-$29.90.

Concerts: The Black Crowes
Massive in the 1990s, Atlanta’s bar-room rockers will play hits including Hard to Handle, Jealous Again, Remedy and Twice As Hard.
Fortitude Music Hall, Monday, April 6, 7pm, $142.62.

Exhibitions: Aussie v Euro at Brisbane Motor Museum
It’s a year-round motor show at the Brisbane Motor Museum with collectors’ hot rods filling the Banyo showroom. Their latest collection brings together vehicles that were made in Australia and across Europe, from Valiants to Rolls-Royces.
959 Nudgee Road, Banyo, until June 7, daily 8am-3pm (closed Good Friday), $10.65-$25.

Art: Olafur Eliasson: Presence
See a rainbow suspended in mist, a rocky riverbed, and other things you never expected to see inside an art gallery.
Gallery of Modern Art, until July 12, daily 10am-5pm (closed Good Friday), $14-$33.

Film: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Mario-obsessed kids may be interested in the outer-space sequel to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie. And if you can get them to sit through a long-form narrative, that’s a win, isn’t it?
In cinemas from April 1.

Theatre: Andy Griffiths’ YOU & ME and The Land of Lost Things
Expect surreal comedy for kids in a stage adaptation of Griffiths’ novel featuring snapping turtles, flying socks, pirates and an anxious bull.
Playhouse, QPAC, April 4-12, 10.30am and 1.30pm (closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday), $45.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.