EkkaNITES will be one of the great places to be during the Royal Queensland Show 2017. For those not familiar with the peculiarities of Australian slang (Strine), the very name says it all. Aussies tend to abbreviate words – thus Australian (language) becomes ‘Strine’, ‘afternoon’ becomes ‘arvo’ and the Show/Exhibition is known by all as ‘The Ekka’.
Apart from the more than three hundred free things to do each day, there’s lots that’s new in Ekka 2017. The gates open every day at 9am, with different opening hours for various attractions.
EkkaNITES – half price Twilight Ticket
Introduced at Ekka 2017, you can come after school or work and enjoy the evening for AUD16 per ticket. Anyone under four is free.
[lists style=”pencil” color=”#1e73be”]- For the first time, there will be two Ekka evening fireworks shows each night in the Main Arena. The Children’s Fireworks show at 6pm is inspired by the Colours of the Great Barrier Reef. This show is presented by MG Moto.
- The usual 7.40pm fireworks show will end the day’s Main Arena programme, but you can still go for dinner or visit Sideshow Alley until late. This year’s fireworks feature the world’s first human stilt performers shooting pyrotechnics.
After the fireworks, why not head off to enjoy your dinner in the Ekka’s premier food precincts:
[lists style=”pencil” color=”#1e73be”]- Have a foodie adventure and enjoy a few drinks in the Woolworths Fresh Food Pavilion, which includes the new craft beer alley.
- There’s food from around the globe at Gourmet Plaza, with live music and dancing
- Find Australia’s best steak, lamb, wines and cheeses at the Ekka’s famous Royal Queensland Steakhouse. They’re at the top of the stairs in the Royal International Convention Centre, open until 9pm.
Then go shopping for Showbags before heading for Sideshow Alley, to work it all off. This year’s big rides in included the brand new Beast which comes with a swing of 45 metres high and the force of a fighter plane.
Uniquely Australian!
Bananas In Pyjamas – LIVE! Australia’s favourite mischievous twins, B1 and B2, will be coming down the stairs and onto the stage at Ekka for the very first time. Sing and dance along with these popular Australia icons, recognised and loved by kids across over 135 countries.
The Feathered Friends Bird Flight Show features six of Australia’s most beautiful bird species. Watch them show off as they free-fly right above you, taking centre stage. One of these special birds is the endangered Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.
The wide variety of agricultural crops gives us the Natural Fibres Fashion Parades – ‘BACK TO NATURE’ This iconic fashion event uses a dual runway in 2017, celebrating Queensland-grown wool and cotton and fashion favourites leather, bamboo and silk. This year also introduces a new Speaker Series and Natural Fibres Market.
The newly named Agricultural Education Hall features more educational activities for children than ever before. The new Field to Fork interactive rural journey lets kids will discover how their food gets from the field to their fork. In order of the agricultural cycle – composting, soil analysis, growing and planting, harvesting and processing – they’ll take part in activities such as grinding grains into flour and then using the flour to bake healthy muffins.
Some of the other Stars of the Ekka in 2017
Top of the List has to be Australia’s first rotating gondola Ferris Wheel. It will take you up to enjoy a 360° view of Sideshow Alley from over 32 metres in the air.
Also on board will be:
The Heritage Bank Western High Dive Show will have you on the edge of your seat. The divers perform spectacular sky-high stunts, diving into an 8m wide pool from up to 25 metres heights. One will even do this while he’s on fire!
From USA, the world’s best extreme pogo demo crew, XPOGO Stunt Team will wow you as they fly through the air and jump vehicles. They’re bringing their stars – championship pro athletes Michael Mena, Anthony Staubs and Nicholas McClintock, who incredible tricks on extreme pogo sticks. With fourteen Guinness World Records and the experience of ten thousand performances across 24 countries, they’ll deliver the thrills.
After an absence of two years, the Colorbond Steel Community Stage returns to the Ekka to take up residence in the growing precinct at The Old Museum. Themed ‘Dancing in the Garden,’ the stage offers dance schools and community groups the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of an audience. It also provides a platform for a number of interesting gardening demonstrations and talks.
Want to plan your visit (or visits!) to the Ekka? Download this handy My Ekka Tool to organise your trip. Need a place to stay, or a flight to get there? It’s also here, along with more handy information about Ekka 2017.
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