South Bank Parklands Park

Address: South Bank Parklands, South Bank, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Website: https://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/south-bank?sc_lang=en-au

South Bank Parklands is a major riverside public park in Brisbane on the southern bank of the Brisbane River, created on the former World Expo ‘88 site. It is one of the city’s principal leisure and cultural precincts and combines green space, dining, and entertainment.

The man-made Streets Beach lagoon and sandy beach, a planted pedestrian Arbour that provides shaded walking, riverfront dining at River Quay, and a ferris wheel offering elevated city views. The parklands also include lawns, performance and event spaces, and riverside promenades that run for several hundred metres along the river.

The site was redeveloped after Expo ‘88 into a mixed public space combining recreation and cultural facilities and has since been managed as a major civic park with regular events and markets. Infrastructure has been added to support large public gatherings and daily recreational use.

South Bank sits directly opposite Brisbane’s central business district in the suburb of South Brisbane, linked by pedestrian bridges and public transport. The precinct is within easy walking distance of the CBD and several cultural institutions.

• Visitor peak times: The parklands occupy the redeveloped former site of World Expo ‘88 and are busiest on weekends, public holidays and during festival events.
• Access: Public transport links and riverside walking routes make the precinct accessible from the Brisbane CBD by foot or a short public transport ride.

What to See#

• Streets Beach: A man-made subtropical urban beach with sand and a lagoon used for swimming and sunbathing within the parklands.
• The Arbour: A planted promenade of steel structures covered with bougainvillea that forms a shaded pedestrian arbour running through the parklands.
• Wheel of Brisbane: A riverfront ferris wheel located within the parklands that offers elevated views across the Brisbane River and city skyline.
• River Quay and event lawn: A waterside precinct with cafes, lawns and event spaces that fronts the Brisbane River and is used for festivals and markets.

South Bank is a short walk across the Victoria Bridge from the Brisbane CBD. It is served by multiple bus routes, the South Bank train station (to the north of the precinct), and city ferries; the South Bank Parklands are easily reached on foot from central Brisbane.

• Walk along Melbourne Street and the riverfront at dawn for cooler air and fewer crowds.
• Bring cash for small food vendors and check the calendar-weekends often feature markets, festivals and live performances.
• If visiting the Queensland Museum or Gallery of Modern Art, cross the Goodwill Bridge from South Bank to central Brisbane.