Nugget Armageddon, robot dogs: Top 10 wildest Ekka experiences
They’re the unique oddities that keep hundreds of thousands coming back to the Ekka year after year. And we’ve compiled 10 of the wackiest.
Lifestyle
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Since 1875, when 15,000 Queenslanders made their way by horse, foot or carriage to experience the very first Ekka, people have been drawn by the show’s weird and wonderful.
In 2024 the RNA expected 400,000 people to walk through the Brisbane Showground gates equally attracted to the Ekka’s unique oddities ranging from decadent food to robots, and The Courier-Mail has the list of the wildest.
Human Cannonball
Australia’s only human cannonball Warren Brophy soars over the main arena for each EkkaNITES show but the seventh generation circus performer, and one of only 12 human cannonballs in the world, would not reveal how the 1.2 tonne cannon propelled him over a mustering helicopter’s spinning propeller.
Nugget Armageddon
It is less of a biblical armageddon and more of the fried food kind with Nugg Shack’s famous Nugget Armageddon. While at McDonalds you can get 40 nuggets for $24.55, at the Ekka you can get 2kg of nuggets served with chunky fries, bacon, cheese sauce and spring onions for $100 can be found nestled in between the top of King Street and the James Squire Plaza Bar.
Smashing Bumpkins
With roots in local punk and rock’n’roll bands the members of The Smashing Bumpkins, Ben King, John Gynther and Liz Young play their unique sound of traditional bush dance calling with riffs and hooks from well-known rock, pop songs while their stage is drawn around the main arena by a tractor.
Flower beard
While the Ekka brings the country to the city, florists will bring the pretty to the rugged as they decorate Queensland’s best beards in a People’s Day tradition where approximately 15 men will undergo a facial fuzz floral transformation to impress the judges.
Country music showdown
Far from the highly produced TV singing competitions Queensland’s next big thing in country music will be found at the Ekka in a showdown for more than $70,000 in cash prizes and the opportunity to perform at Ekka 2025.
Foot-long Bahn mi
In the category of weird and wonderful things show goers can put in their mouth, Xin Chao will be serving up 44cm banh mi making it over double the length of a traditional baguette for $42, a bit more than the 50 cent versions in their country of origin Vietnam.
Produce displays
In the Ekka tradition of exhibiting Queensland’s industries and produce the Youth Agriculture Display, young Queenslanders put together large produce displays, some with moving animatronic parts and lights and all with Queensland fruit, vegetables, grasses and grains and it still draws impressed crowds.
Robot dogs
Agricultural technology has evolved well past the days of a horse-drawn carriage and a sheepdog. At Agtech Alley on Wednesday and Thursday showgoers can pet a Boston Dynamics Robot Dog that can traverse uneven terrains, climb stairs, avoid obstacles, autonomously navigate and even dance.
Goat yoga
Flexible show goers were nibbled, nuzzled by bleating goats in sessions by Karmably Goat Yoga who guided people to ‘compassionately observe the chaotic beauty provided by the baby goats – embrace the present madness and flow with the moment’.
Doughnut burger
If kilos of nugget and a foot long baguette have not his the spot Gold Coast father and son run business Boom Burger present their new Doughnut Burger with two beef patties, bacon and cheese between two Krispy Kreme doughnuts to gorge on.
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