The Ten Best Things to Do for the Ekka 2016 Holiday

When it comes to throwing an Ekka party, Alfred and Constance are taking it a bit easy this year. They know that the simplest things are often the best. They also know that throwing open the doors to their three bars and two dance floors is all that’s really needed.

Yep, their annual pre-public holiday shindig couldn’t be more chill as far as preparations are concerned — but that’s what house parties are all about, aren’t they? They’ll supply one of Fortitude Valley’s favourite venues — and DJs and drinks, of course — so that you find your own kind of fun.

What a difference 128 years can make. Back in  August of 1888, the final bricks were laid on The Prince Consort Hotel. Now, after weathering many a change over many a decade, the place now known as The Elephant is throwing a party to commemorate their longevity.

Saying that it’s going to be quite the gathering is probably one of the understatements of the venue’s century-plus of operation, so prepare for a wild night whooping it up in heritage-listed confines. Dallas Frasca, Aerials and The Strums will take care of the live music, and all The Elephant’s usual drinks, meals and revelry will be on offer. Remember, you only celebrate an iconic pub’s 128th birthday once.

Planning a big Ekka holiday? Aren’t we all. But before you get all up in Ekka eve, don’t forget to save some fun for the actual day itself. Whether you’re making up for taking it easy the night before, or need a bit of hair of the dog to help you recover.

Either way, you’ll find plenty of pints at Bloodhound Bar from midday, with Hope Estate Brewhouse’s tasty beverages taking over the taps. They just won this year’s Champion Small Brewery prize at the national Craft Beer Industry Association awards, so you know their IPAs, stouts, ciders and lagers are top notch. Plus, Paul from the brewery will be on-hand to chat about his yeasty creations.

Everyone has an Ekka routine. For most of us, it involves trying to get someone you know to buy you a Bertie Beetle show bag, and then still managing to get the flu even after steering clear of the RNA Showgrounds. But this year, make a new tradition. Black Bear Lodge will help.

Enter the Pre-Ekka Wrekka, aka the Brunswick Street venue’s inaugural public holiday bash. To get things started, Shady Bliss, The Dollar Bill Murrays, Bixby Canyon and Nice Biscuit will crank out some tunes, and Sailor Jerry will lend their boozy support. Yep, it already sounds like something we’ll be looking forward to in years to come.

‘Twas the night before the Exhibition holiday, and all through the city people were shaking their booties to live ditties. That’s Ekka eve in a nutshell — however the Flying Cock are giving their music-focused party a bit of a twist. In the first in what might just become an annual event, they’re keeping it local.

Showcasing three of their favourite Brissie bands is the name of the game at Good Rock, with Good Boy, Shag Rock and The Con & The Liar the acts in the spotlight. A Brisbane public holiday calls for some Brisbane talent, after all — and this trio fit that bill and then some.

Because every big event needs an alternative, Riverlife has come up with the thing to go to when you’re not going to the Ekka. Their Winterfest is a riverside chillout session at Kangaroo Point, where relaxing in the sun is the main affair.

Every ticket includes a winter warmer meal complete with freshly made waffles and a hot chocolate rum, i.e. the perfect food and drink for the season. If you’re feeling a little cool — well, Brisbane-level cold — while you’re browsing the markets and watching DJ Cliftonia and Sharif on the sax provide live entertainment, you won’t be shivering for long, as blankets and heaters will even be provided.

There’s a reason that the Ekka comes with its own public holiday. Brisbanites are set free from work to rush to the Royal Queensland Show, fill themselves up with fried and sugary goodness, then brave the rides and gaze at the fireworks.

Of course, there’s much more going on than that, with everything from animal competitions to cooking demonstrations on the bill. Where else are you going to see a giant pumpkin, pat a pig, eat a strawberry sundae, listen to live music, crash dodgems, throw a ball in a clown’s mouth for a prize and take home all the Bertie Beetles you can eat, after all?

There’s no such thing as too many parties — although if there was one venue that almost puts that idea to the test, it’s The Brightside. In fact, their lineup is so jam-packed with get-togethers that they’ve combined two into one for their annual Ekka eve celebration.

If you’re a Blink 182 fan, then prepare to feast your ears on everything that has made the Californian pop-punksters the mainstays that they are, with Granola Boy playing a best-of Blink set. And if you’re single and looking to mingle, the evening doubles as the latest Brighty traffic light party. Just make sure the colour of your outfit reflects your relationship status.

For almost 30 years, his distinctive growl has been synonymous with the nation’s longest-running music video program, with his cover of ‘Real Wild Child (Wild One)’ playing every time Rage starts. You’ve also watched Ewan McGregor sprint down the street to his David Bowie-co-written ‘Lust for Life’ during Trainspotting‘s opening scene, and experienced his own acting efforts in everything from Tank Girl to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Yes, we’re talking about Mr ‘Search and Destroy’ himself, Iggy Pop.

Wherever and however you’ve encountered the man born as James Newell Osterberg, Jr. and best known as the frontman of ’60s rock outfit The Stooges, you’ll know that there’s no one quite like him. No wonder The Triffid decided to give him his due at their latest musical homage. Yep, Lust for Life: A Tribute to Iggy Pop is exactly what it sounds like.

By now, regular attendees will know the drill: a number of bands take the stage, and each plays four covers and two originals. This time, Fat, The Stress Of Leisure, The Bear Hunt and Dr Bombay will do the honours, alongside Ciggy Pop — which features members of Jungle Giants, The Creases, Babaganouj and Tempura Nights. Whether or not anyone can match Iggy’s own electrifying, always-shirtless presence, we’re betting it’ll be just like hypnotising chickens.

They’ve brought their distinctive sensibilities to new theatre adaptations of Animal Farm, 1984, Wuthering Heights and Dracula. Now, shake & stir theatre co has set their sights on another classic: Samuel Beckett’s Endgame.

If it sounds familiar, that’s because the play pops up quite frequently (both Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company staged versions last year, the latter starring Hugo Weaving, in fact). There’s clearly something about the Irish dramatist’s tale of lost souls contemplating their impending end that strikes a chord. Maybe it’s the existential musings — or the combination of ridiculousness and resonance?

Either way, director Michael Futcher and a cast that includes Leon Cain, Robert Coleby, Jennifer Flowers and John McNeill will explore the possibilities of the end that awaits us all. It’s as bleak as it is brilliantly amusing, because, as Beckett himself noted, “nothing is funnier than unhappiness”.