Brisbane home goes viral for ‘outrageous’ Christmas display

A Brisbane Christmas light display so “bonkers” it needed approval from the Aviation Authority and has its own Facebook page has gone viral, amassing nearly 190 million views on TikTok.

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One of the biggest and brightest Christmas displays in Brisbane has now gone viral worldwide, with one video amassing nearly 190 million views on TikTok.

‘Merry Strickland’ in Burpengary East has become a favourite among the Christmas lights community, with the lights getting brighter, inflatables getting higher and a display you can apparently see from space.

David Strickland has decked out his home each Christmas for four years and he said the popularity of the display in 2023 has “gone next level”.

Thousands of visitors from far and wide come to check out the display each year. Picture: Danica Clayton

“Aside from all the sacrifice, time and money, it really is the joy it brings - I mean what else can you create that is so magical and brings in so many people,” he said.

‘Outrageous’, ‘extravagant’ and ‘absolutely bonkers’ are just some of the words used to describe the display on 12 Bedarra Crescent and now the residence has gone viral on social media.

The Burpengary East display certainly stands out. Picture: David Strickland

“It’s pretty crazy, our Facebook page has nearly 10 thousand followers and there's been TikToks with millions of views. We’re building a bit of a profile now,” Mr Strickland said.

Just this year, Mr Strickland said the house gained an additional 10,000 lights to their already 50,000-strong display, as well as an 11m inflatable Santa, a 3D holographic fan and moving beam lights.

David Strickland has lit up his Burpengary home for Christmas since 2019. Picture: Danica Clayton

The family have also worked with their local council to create a safe parking area down the road from the property due to the amount of people flocking to the street.

“I’m pretty much out doing traffic control every night until Christmas Eve…I think it’s a small price to pay to bring thousands in and I’m happy to do it,” Mr Strickland said.

An aerial photo the display, which needed approval from the Aviation Authority. Picture: David Strickland

Mr Strickland even had to get approval from the Aviation Authority for his 380 watt moving head beam lights which shoot up approximately 600 metres into the sky.

“I mean, look, I think we’re closer to space than we were last year…definitely bigger and brighter, I’ll say that,” he said.

One of the new additions to the display in 2023 is this inflatable Mario. Picture: Danica Clayton

As a child, Mr Strickland said he loved to decorate his own parent’s home and continued to do so when he moved out for the first time and now with his own family.

“It’s always been a passion and it’s grown into something even bigger than I could have ever imagined,” he added.

The display is award-winning, taking out this year’s North Side winner for 97.3’s KISSMAS competition and is a contender for the people’s choice award.

The Strickland family describe the street as “crazy scenes”, with thousands of visitors flocking hours to witness the display.

The Merry Strickland display is now in the tens of thousands of lights. Picture: Danica Clayton

Despite the craziness, Mr Strickland said he wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Honestly, it’s four weeks of the year and just hearing the joy and the screams and the excitement...people are just blown away by the scale of it and it’s a lot of fun.

“People can definitely expect next year to be just as big, if not bigger - we want to take it to the next level,” he said.