The Ultimate Easter Long Weekend Itinerary

Every fortnight between April and June, Brooklyn Standard is turning the end of the week into a laneway celebration. This being an outdoor event in Brisbane, food trucks are a given, with three different mobile eateries offering up their delicious meals at each event. There’ll also be drinks from Young Henrys and The Brooklyn Brewery, and tunes spun by old school DJs. Now, that’s how you make a Brooklyn Standard Laneway Party the hottest free ticket in town.

When the clock strikes midnight this Good Friday, where are you going to be? We know, we know — Easter isn’t really like New Year’s. But if you’re heading to one particular Brisbane party, timing is important. Pubs and clubs can’t operate as normal, which means anyone looking for some fun has be to a bit more creative. The folks at Oh Hello have done just that, starting their Easter Rave as Friday night officially becomes Saturday. Expect DJs spinning your favourite electronic tracks, plus all the UV lights, a laser show, glow sticks and smoke machines you could want. If you’re keen to dress up like a glow-in-the-dark rabbit and dance the early hours of the morning away, this is the place to be.

Mix a long weekend with a lunar eclipse and Easter with the Beach Burrito Company, and what do you get? Their first-ever Full Moon Party, as well as more fun that you can shake a glow stick at. You’ll be able to shake glow sticks aplenty, actually, though that’s only the beginning of the shenanigans. You’ll also be able to shake your booty on the black light dance floor, and show off your fluoro face as painted by the folks at Lusid Art. There’ll be live fluoro art by Buttons to keep things glowing, beats by Finehouse and Friends to keep the party pumping, and cheeky Tiki cocktail jugs keep everyone happy.

With its natural decor and lashings of lush foliage, Elixir Rooftop Bar might very well be the kind of place a rabbit would like to call home. This Easter, there’ll be a few hoppers doing just that — though they’ll be of the Lindt chocolate type, of course. To usher in the occasion, the panoramic Brisbane venue is once again hosting their famous midnight bunny hunt. There’ll be more than just sweet cocoa-based treats, with tapas and cocktails also on the menu. Arriving early is recommended — how else are you going to scope out all those sneaky chocolate rabbit hiding spots?

This Monday, nothing but laziness beckons for most, which sounds like as good a reason as any to find a funky spot to spend your Sunday. You can settle in for a fun day and a big evening — and if that’s your plan, Alfred and Constance have you covered. From midday until late, their Easter Sunday House Party is the place to be, with live music followed by DJs playing all your favourite tracks. Iconic Brisbane band the Jungle Giants are also stopping by to spin some tunes on the decks — and take over A&Cs Vanguard Deck — so you know it really is going to be something special.

Trade in the eggs and bunnies this Easter Sunday for an afternoon of beer and beats at the Elephant Hotel’s annual block party. High-flying garage rockers Millions will be joined by Morning Harvey, Bassethounds, Dinosaur Dreams and Big Bag Echo. Before, in-between and after these live sets, James Wright, Brisbane Society of Sound, Pool Boys and Akimbo will be DJing at the Elephant decks. Entry is free, the dress code is relaxed and all will take place in the Elephant Hotel’s massive backyard, so bring a crowd of friends along for some holiday celebrating.

You’re never too old to run around searching for hidden chocolate, are you? Ric’s, Brunswick and Ann and the RG certainly don’t think so. This Sunday, the Valley Mall mainstays are throwing caution to the wind in their efforts to share the Easter fun — and the Easter eggs, too. Scattered across the three venues and their eight bars are all the tasty treats you can dream of. All you need to do is look. Five different DJs will provide the soundtrack for the scavenger hunt, and you might just uncover a few other goodies in your quest.

Find out what a late night party looks like when Elizabeth Rose is in charge. The beats-cranking Sydneysider is curating a trio of discotheques, the first of which is locked in for Sydney’s Civic Hotel, with the final two hitting Melbourne’s Boney and Brisbane’s Brightside over the Easter Weekend. For each party, she’s inviting her favourite local DJ talent to commandeer the decks, kicking off shenanigans before Rose delivers her own midnight set.

If you’ve wandered past the Gallery of Modern Art over the last couple of years, you’ve probably noticed the elephant in the room. Well, the overturned mammoth on the front lawn by the river, to be more accurate, as commissioned to commemorate GOMA’s fifth birthday. That piece — called The World Turns — was sculpted by Michael Parekowhai. In his first-ever major Australian exhibition, the New Zealand artist returns to the gallery with 50 works on display, including a two-storey family home has been built inside GOMA and an intricately carved, functioning red Steinway grand piano.

Look, you might want to do something properly restful and mindless today. And the latest instalment in the Fast and/or Furious franchise could not be better mindless entertainment. And yes, to be clear, we mean that as a compliment. In an age where most Hollywood blockbusters do everything they can to seem dark and gritty, this souped-up seven-part soap opera drives straight in the other direction, delivering delightfully silly, self-aware thrills at every possible turn. The most over-the-top film in the franchise so far, Fast & Furious 7 doesn’t just jump the shark; it sails over the shark’s head at 245mph, in a $3.5 million Lykan Hypersport, in slow motion, while half a dozen strippers dance to a Wiz Khalifa song playing in the background.