Trying to keep the family occupied but don’t want to spend a lot of money? There are lots of free activities at South Bank Parklands for all ages. It’s the perfect location to bring the whole family.
Here are 20 Free Activities at South Bank, for you and your family, that won’t cost a cent. Add South Bank to your Brisbane Bucket List Ideas today.
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Go for a swim at South Bank, Brisbane
Take advantage of Brisbane’s fantastic weather and pack your swimming togs on your next visit to South Bank.
Streets Beach at South Bank Parklands is Australia’s only inner city beach.
You can take your pick of Streets Beach, Australia’s only inner city beach or the Boat Pool, which has a ramp for easy access.
The Boat Pool at Brisbane’s South Bank Parklands is a popular swimming location for all ages.
Street’s Beach and the Boat Pool are free to use and are patrolled by lifeguards all year round.
Lifesaver Patrol Hours:
- Dec 1st – Jan 31st, 7am – 10pm
- Feb 1st – March 31st, 7am – 7pm
- April 1st – Sept 20th, 9am – 5pm
- Sept 21st – Nov 30th, 7am – 7pm
Have fun with Aquativity
Aquativity is an interactive water park that is designed for the whole family to have fun with water-play. It’s one of the most popular free activities at South Bank.
There’s plenty of shade for the kids to sit under while having fun at Aquativity.
Aquativity is open from 10am until 5pm on weekends and school holidays.
Play in the man-made creek at Aquativity.
Have a family picnic or BBQ
Have a BBQ or a picnic while you are at South Bank. Sit on the grass under the shade of a tree or sit at one of the many picnic tables. There are also free BBQ’s that are located throughout South Bank at Picnic Island Green, Riverside Green and Aquativity.
Enjoy one of the many free BBQ’s at South Bank Parklands, Brisbane.
Play on the swings
There are two playgrounds at South Bank for children of all ages to enjoy; the Riverside Green Playground or the Picnic Island Playground.
The Pirate Ship at Riverside Green Playground.
There are slides and a climbing wall at the Riverside Green Playground.
Play on the brightly coloured Mouse Wheel at Riverside Green Playground.
There is Climbing frame under a beautiful old Moreton Bay Fig tree at the Riverside Green Playground.
Visit Flow State
Flow State is a multi purpose performance space and includes JEM, the interactive structure that responds to movement with sounds and flashing lights.
JEM is an interactive structure that responds to movement with sounds and flashing lights.
Take in some art
Visit QAGOMA, the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery Of Modern Art.
Entry to most of QAGOMA is free, however there as some exhibitions that may incur an entry free.
Take a memorable Brisbane photo
The giant Brisbane sign is one of the more popular free activities at South Bank Parklands and a popular location with tourists for taking a memorable Brisbane photo. The Brisbane sign can be found on the Cultural Forecourt (between Victoria Bridge and the Wheel of Brisbane).
The Brisbane sign is a popular location for tourists to take a photo.
Visit the Queensland Museum
Visit the Queensland Museum. Entry to most of the museum is free, however there are some exhibitions and special events that may incur an entry free.
See the Nepalese Peace Pagoda
The Kingdom of Nepal brought the Peace Pagoda to Brisbane for World Expo ‘88. It was one of the only hand-crafted pavilions at the Expo.
The three-levelled Nepalese Peace Pagoda has a tea house on the second level.
The Nepalese Peace Pagoda is lit up in the evening and highlights the details of the hand crafted structure.
Go on a Rainforest Walk
Go for a walk through the small man-made rainforest with lush tropical and sub-tropical plants.
Walk along the boardwalk of the man-made rainforest with its lush tropical and sub-tropical plants.
See the Rain Bank
Visit the Rain Bank and learn about South Bank’s sustainable, drought-proof water supply.
Visit the Rain bank in the middle of the rainforest walk.
Walk along the Arbour
The Arbour is a 1km length of walkway where magenta bougainvillea plants grow up galvanized steel posts making it a brightly coloured and shady place to walk.
The Arbour with its magenta bougainvillea plants is a brightly coloured and shady place to walk.
Explore the Markets
Explore the Collective Markets every weekend at South Bank.
Where:
Stanley St Plaza, South Bank, Brisbane
When:
- Friday 5pm – 9pm
- Saturday 10am – 9pm
- Sunday 9am – 4pm
Walk along the Promenade
Walk along the Clem Jones Promenade under the shade of the magnificent fig trees and take in the scenic city and river views.
The shade from the Fig Trees as well as cool river breezes make the Clem Jones Promenade a popular place to go for a walk.
Listen to the Green Jam Sessions
Listen to free Green Jam Sessions by local musicians on the Melbourne Street Green, Fridays from 5:30pm.
Visit the Epicurious Garden
Visit Epicurious Garden to see exotic plants and fragrant herbs.
Chat the the volunteer Epicurious gardeners:
Volunteer gardeners are on site to share their passion for gardening from 7am to 11.30am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Try some free samples at the Harvest Cart:
Pick up some free samples from the Epicurious Garden by dropping past the food cart at the following times – 7am – 2pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Enjoy free music at River Quay Green
Listen to free music on the River Quay Green, South Bank, Brisbane. Click here for details.
Visit the State Library
Take advantage of the many free services offered by the Queensland State Library.
Mon–Thu 10am–8pm
Fri–Sun 10am–5pm
Go for a ride on the FREE CityHopper ferry
The CityHopper ferry is one of the more popular of the free activities at South Bank. You can catch the free CityHopper Ferry from the South Bank 3 Ferry Terminal and go for a free ferry ride on the Brisbane River. To find out more read Explore Brisbane on a budget with a Free CityHopper Ferry.
Catch the free CityHopper Ferry from South Bank Ferry Terminal 3.
Soak up the sun!
Just sit and relax on one of the many grassy areas and soak up the beautiful Queensland sun.
Download the official South Bank Map
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