Everything you need to know for Ekka, 2023, Royal Queensland Show
From all the rides to the best discounts and how to get to the show, this is your ultimate guide to the Ekka.
Lifestyle
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With Ekka quickly approaching, here is the ultimate guide of everything that you need to know before the grand show.
From the rides that are coming back to the best shows to see, this guide has it all covered.
WHEN IS THE EKKA 2023?
The Ekka will run from Saturday August 12 until Sunday August 20, 2023 this year.
WHAT TIME DOES EKKA OPEN?
The Ekka opens at 9am.
WHAT TIME DOES EKKA FINISH?
Different areas like attractions and pavilions have different closing times.
The Courier-Mail Showbag Pavillion closes at 9pm, RACQ Animal Nursery closes at 5pm and the Gourmet Plaza closes at 9.30pm.
The B105 Sideshow Alley is open til late.
WHAT DAY IS THE EKKA PUBLIC HOLIDAY?
The Ekka public holiday also known as People’s Day is on Wednesday August 16 for the city of Brisbane. Other parts of Queensland that celebrate the holiday such as Logan and Scenic Rim will have the public holiday on Monday August 14.
WHAT TIME DOES THE EKKA SHOW START?
Each night of the Ekka the Main Arena puts on a spectacular show called EkkaNITES presented by Brisbane City. The show starts at 6.30pm.
WHAT HAPPENS ON EKKA DAY (PEOPLE’S DAY)?
Multiple events will take place on People’s Day with quite a few highlights that brings many Queenslanders together.
The main one is the Grand Parade which takes place at 4.30pm in the Main Arena.
The parade will feature more than 500 animals and competition winners including goats, dairy cattle and horses.
WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE EKKA?
The First Ekka was held on 1876.
This year will be the shows 144th anniversary.
The show was first started by a group of colonists who joined together to showcase the development of some industries.
■ See 100s of historic Ekka photos here
HOW TO GET TO THE EKKA?
Public Transport is always one of the most popular ways to get to the Ekka.
However, this year Exhibition Station won’t be operating because of the construction of Cross River Rail. There are still options via bus and train.
Train:
People can catch a train to Fortitude Valley and follow the signs to get to the show gates which is about a seven minute walk.
Bus:
Commuters can get to the Herston busway station and walk about a seven minute walk to the gate.
HOW TO GET CHEAPER TICKETS AND RIDES?
There are multiple ways to get cheaper tickets and rides to the Ekka.
The first is to subscribe to ekka.com.au to get special discount offers including a 15 per cent discount on tickets until Ekka Eve.
Once the Ekka starts those who have subscribed can get a 10 per cent discount.
There is also 20 per cent off tickets during four days - Monday 14 August, Tuesday 15 August, Thursday August 17 and Friday August 18.
There are also deals around rides.
This year there will be a 2 for 1 deal on rides from 9am to 10.30am at the B105 Sideshow Alley and Kids Carnival Area.
RACQ members also get special subscriber discounts to the Ekka.
HOW DO EKKA RIDE CARDS WORK?
Ride cards are not valid for games they are only valid for carnival rides. Ride cards are valid at the B105 Sideshow Alley and Kids Carnival area.
Those who decide to use a digital only ride card can get 20 per cent off $150 ride cards, 15 per cent off $100 ride cards.
WHAT IS NEW AT EKKA THIS YEAR?
Isaiah Firebrace:
Pop artist Isaiah Firebrace will perform at the Ekka for the first time this year.
He will be performing at the Multicultural Plaza Music Stage on August 16 at 3pm.
Singles Mingles Monday:
There will be a special event at 8pm on August 14 at Stockmen’s Bar and Grill where men and women can go and do speed dating to find the love of their life at the Ekka.
It won’t be the first time people have found love at the Ekka and hopefully won’t be the last. The event will be hosted by ex-Bachelorette contestant Apollo.
Co-Comelon:
Melon Patch Academy will bring CoComelon to Ekka’s main stage for the first time.
Children can sing, play and dance everyday with JJ at 10am.
Duelling Magicians:
Christopher Wayne and Josh Norbid will perform their ultimate magic showdown on the Main Stage at 1pm, 3pm and 4.30pm.
Ultimate Dog High Jump:
Canines will jump a vertical wall that keeps increasing and will reach about 3m. Big Brother’s Dave Graham and The RuffTRACK kids will perform this at 12.30pm and 3pm every day.
Sheep Shearing and Working Dog Demonstrations:
Jonathan and Vineta will showcase their dogs Kelly and Hazel, while showing the audience how to shear a sheep at 10am, 11.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm every day at the Sushi Hub Cat Prencinct.
Loren Ryan:
Loren Ryan, of Tamworth, will perform on August 16 at the Multicultural Plaza Music Stage about 4.15pm.
Australian Whipcracking Championships:
Whipcrackers from across Australia will compete in the championships on August 20 from 10am in the Woodchop Arena.
There will be multiple classes including PeeWee (8 and under), Juvenile (12 and under), Junior (16 and under), Ladies, Mens, Over 45s and the hotly contested World Bullock Whip Titles.
WHAT IS THE BEST SPOT TO CATCH THE FIREWORKS?
The best spots to watch the fireworks are from the main arena including Machinery Hill or Heritage Hill.
WHAT ARE THE RETURNING FAVOURITES RIDES?
There are six favourite rides returning this year.
Rock Star
This is a family friendly ride with v360 degree views of Brisbane. It will be stationed at the Kids carnival.
Freestyle:
This is an extreme ride for those dare devils out there. It sits about 40m in the air and it is a spinning gondola that moves back and forward.
The Beast:
It is an extreme ride that is 25m tall with a swing of 45m high.
It reaches speeds of about 120km an hour. It is located in the B105 Sideshow Alley.
Pirates Nest:
It is a family friendly show at the B105 Sideshow Alley. It’s a four-level pirate themed funhouse with 35 interactive obstacles including a water play zone.
*This guide will continue to be updated as more information from Ekka is released
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