Overview
If you haven't spotted festive decorations popping up around Brisbane yet, that means that you haven't been anywhere in Brisbane since Halloween ended and November arrived. Otherwise, you would've seen the obvious: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the River City. Come Thursday, November 23 until the big day, the Brisbane CBD will be brimming with even more festive cheer — whether you're keen on shopping your way through markets, peering at dazzling lights or searching for tiny doors.
Brisbane City Council and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner have unveiled the lineup of Christmas events that'll be decking out the city, and it's filled with highlights. Some, like the Enchanted Garden in Roma Street, are popular favourites set to delight again. Others, such as a Christmas party at Victoria Park / Barrambin that'll livestream the Lord Mayor's Christmas Carols, are fresh additions to your seasonal itinerary.
It all kicks off on Thursday, November 23 with the return of Enchanted Garden, aka glowing sights filling Roma Street Parkland for you to wander around, which runs until Wednesday, December 20. Then, to welcome December — taking place on Friday, December 1, in fact — the annual lighting of King George Square's 22-metre-tall Christmas tree will herald a cavalcade of merriment showering the inner city.
For nabbing gifts, Brisbane Arcade's two-day Christmas markets are back, as are the BrisStyle twilight Christmas markets in King George Square — both joining the city's hefty list of places to browse and buy beyond shopping centres.
In the CBD, there'll also be nightly light shows at City Hall, running from 7.30pm–12am from Friday, December 8–Sunday, December 24; daily roving performances in the mall from Friday, December 1–Sunday, December 24; and the Lord Mayor's Christmas Carols on Saturday, December 9 at the Riverstage, plus the broadcast over to Herston. For the latter, entry is free and picnic baskets are encouraged, with food trucks also popping up.
As for the tiny doors, they're all handmade and will be scattered throughout the city from Friday, December 1–Sunday, December 31, ready for you to find and marvel at their cuteness.
The rest of the festive lineup includes a free Christmas show in the Queen Street Mall on three Fridays — December 8, 15 and 22 — plus singers and dancers taking to the same stage from Saturday, December 16–Sunday, December 24. And, at Uptown (RIP the Myer Centre), Queens Plaza and the Wintergarden, you'll have a heap of chances to get Santa snaps.
Brisbane City Council's 2023 Christmas program will take over the Brisbane CBD from Thursday, November 23–Sunday, December 31. Head to the Visit Brisbane website for further details.