Overview
When Paniyiri rolls around in 2026, expect it to be bigger than ever, with the annual Brisbane festival set to celebrate its 50th year. That's next year's fun, however. Paniyiri will also be back in 2025, turning 49 with another two days of souvlaki, haloumi, barbecued calamari, loukoumades, dancing the zorba, smashing plates and sipping Mediterranean wine — all taking over Musgrave Park in May.
For two days every year, this patch of South Brisbane and West pretends that it's on the other side of the world. The menu goes heavy on all of the above dishes, Greek vino flows freely and an array of market stalls celebrate Greek culture. It's one of the River City's biggest annual events, and it has a date with Saturday, May 17–Sunday, May 18 in 2025.
First held in 1976, Paniyiri began at The Greek Club — where else? — as an exhibition. Now, it sees 50,000-plus people eat, drink and party like they're in Greece across a weekend. After a few pandemic cancellations and scaled-down revamps, plus the impact of soggy weather, the fest returned to its OG format in its OG timing in 2023, and has kept doing so since. So, if you've been before, other than between 2020–22, then you know what's in store.
Food-wise, the spread of bites covers dishes from 11 Greek regions. If devouring as much as you can is your idea of a great time, the festival's regular food contests tend to keep stomachs satisfied. Then, to wash all of that down, that's where the Greek wine, Greek beer and Greek-inspired cocktails come in.
For 2025, if you nab entrance in advance for the fest's first day, you can also book in for a Paniyiri picnic between 12–4pm. Your online ticket will get you a Greek mezze box on the day — think: keftethes, spanakopita, taramasalata, tzatziki, kalamata olives, feta and pita bread to feed four — and access to the VIP picnic area to enjoy it in.
Either way, in addition to eating and drinking — usually including at 20-plus stalls — Paniyiri's array of Greek revelry spans grapes to stomp, plates to smash, TV stars to rub shoulders with and cooking demonstrations to watch. To really ensure that attendees feel as if they've jumped over to Europe, a pop-up Greek village also sets up shop. Also, it wouldn't be Paniyiri without fancy footwork via Greek Dancing with the Stars and the Hellenic dancers.
Alongside relishing all things Greek in Musgrave Park, Paniyiri also takes over its original home at The Greek Club. And if you've always wondered why it has the name it does, that's for a very fitting reason: the event's moniker means 'festival' in Greek.
Paniyiri 2025 will take place from Saturday, May 17–Sunday, May 18 at Musgrave Park and The Greek Club, Edmondstone Street, South Brisbane. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the event's website.