South Bank Parklands: Streets Beach, Playgrounds, BBQs and Parking

South Bank Parklands is a free, 17-hectare riverside park in South Brisbane, open every day from 5 am to midnight, with a lagoon beach, free barbecues, playgrounds and a kilometre-long bougainvillea walkway. It sits on the old World Expo 88 site and opened to the public in 1992.

You can swim for free at Streets Beach, the Boat Pool or Aquativity, cook on a free electric barbecue, let the kids loose on the Riverside Green playground, then walk under the Grand Arbour to the Cultural Forecourt. Parking is paid, but train, busway, ferry and CityCat all stop at South Bank.

Swimming at South Bank: Streets Beach, the Boat Pool and Aquativity

There are three free swimming areas, and lifeguards patrol all of them during operating hours.

Streets Beach

Streets Beach is the one on the postcards: a man-made lagoon with white sand and palm trees, at Stanley Street Plaza. It is free to use. Showers and change rooms are in Stanley Street Plaza.

The Boat Pool

The Boat Pool is a large, slower-paced pool with less sand than the beach. There is an accessible entry ramp on its left side, and it is patrolled by lifeguards all year.

Aquativity

Aquativity is a water-play park for families and children, with shallow water and animal-themed fountains that suit younger kids. The play elements are about the Brisbane River and the water cycle.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks are allowed in the designated areas around the pools, but not in the water. Glass, alcohol and large inflatables are not allowed.

Playgrounds and play spots

The Riverside Green playground is the big one: a life-sized hamster wheel, climbing nets and huge slides, on a shady lawn with barbecues and restaurants around it, so one adult can watch the kids while another sorts lunch.

Picnic Island Green, just past Flowstate, has its own playground, a pond, a small forest of giant ficus trees and free undercover barbecues.

Free BBQs and picnic spots

South Bank has several free electric barbecues, at Picnic Island Green, the Riverside Green pavilion and near Riverside Playground and Aquativity. They are shared, not bookable and first come first served, so arrive early on a weekend. They are closed during Riverfire and on New Year’s Eve.

Prefer to bring your own picnic? Riverside Green is a lush lawn with city views, and Rainforest Green, behind the South Bank Piazza, is a quieter grassy spot among tropical plants, handy after a Rainforest Walk. On Sundays the Sunday Social puts live music and food on the river’s edge.

Alcohol is allowed only in the licensed areas (River Quay, Picnic Island Green and Riverside Green) from 10 am to 8 pm, and you need to be eating a substantial meal. South Bank is alcohol-free during Riverfire, New Year’s Eve and Australia Day.

The Grand Arbour and Nepalese Pagoda

The Grand Arbour is a kilometre-long sculpture of 443 curling steel tendrils, up to 10 metres high, draped in bougainvillea. It runs from the Griffith Film School at Vulture Street to the Cultural Forecourt beside QPAC, following the line of the old Expo 88 boat canal.

The Nepalese Pagoda was Nepal’s contribution to World Expo 88. It is three storeys high and built from more than 80 tonnes of hand-carved Nepalese timber, and you can walk through its lower level.

Markets, the Wheel and tours

• The Collective Markets: held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Little Stanley Street, with free entry and stalls selling original art, photography, gifts, fashion, vintage clothing and food. See more markets in Brisbane.
• The Wheel of Brisbane: a 60-metre observation wheel with enclosed, air-conditioned gondolas. A ride takes about 12 minutes. It is open 10 am to 10 pm Sunday to Thursday and 10 am to 11 pm Friday and Saturday, and tickets are extra: book through the Wheel’s website.
• Free guided tours: 90 minutes and about 2.5 km, starting at the Visitor Information Centre in Stanley Street Plaza. You need to pre-register.
• The Brisbane Sign: a free photo stop on the grass in the Cultural Forecourt on Melbourne Street, beside the Queensland Performing Arts Complex.
• Museums next door: the Queensland Maritime Museum, with HMAS Diamantina in a heritage-listed dry dock, is at 412 Stanley Street (open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4:15 pm). For kids, SparkLab at the Queensland Museum is a hands-on science space in the cultural precinct.

Toilets, water and facilities

• Toilets: at Stanley Street Plaza (with the showers), the Piazza, Central Cafes, Little Stanley Street and River Quay.
• Parents’ rooms: two. The main one is in the Allgas Building in Stanley Street Plaza, next to El Camino, with a microwave and change table. The other is in Stanley Street Plaza next to Ben & Jerry’s, with a change table.
• Drinking water: water stations and bubblers along Clem Jones Promenade, the Arbour, Riverside Green and near the Wheel of Brisbane.
• Food: restaurants and cafes are spread across the parklands, and the full list is on the South Bank Eat & Drink page.

Is South Bank Parklands dog friendly?

Yes. Dogs and cats are welcome on a leash and under effective control, and you need to clean up after them. Animals are banned from the pool system and nearby areas, including the stream, the beach and the Boat Pool ramp. Guide, hearing, assistance and trainee support dogs are exempt.

Planning your visit

• How long: half a day covers a swim, a playground, lunch and a walk under the Grand Arbour. The guided tour alone takes 90 minutes.
• Best time: Friday to Sunday if you want the Collective Markets. The Wheel stays open until 10 pm or 11 pm, so evenings work too.
• Cost: entry, the swimming areas and the barbecues are free. Parking, the Wheel and the museums are extra.
• What to bring: swimmers, a towel, a hat, sunscreen and a water bottle to fill at the bubblers.
• Smoking: not allowed except in signed designated areas.
• Accessibility: standard accessible toilets are at the Piazza, Little Stanley Street Plaza and Aquativity, and a fully accessible bathroom with a ceiling hoist is at Riverside Terrace (it needs an MLAK key, and you bring your own sling). Wheelchairs and strollers can be hired from the Visitor Information Centre in Stanley Street Plaza for $8 for up to four hours, with photo ID and a $50 refundable deposit, and pool and beach wheelchairs are free for up to two hours. Ring the centre on (07) 3867 2111 to check what is available.

Getting there and parking

By car, South Bank is about 3 km and about 10 minutes from the Brisbane CBD, without traffic.

Parking at South Bank Parklands

The South Bank Car Park is on Little Stanley Street, with entries from Tribune Street or Glenelg Street. It has more than 800 underground spaces, including eight accessible bays, and a 2.1 m height limit. It is open from 5 am to 1 am, and payment is ticketless and cashless: pay at the pay stations near the lifts and stairwells, or by credit card at the exit gate.

• Weekdays (enter before 6 pm): $8 up to half an hour, $18 up to an hour, $22 up to two hours, $25 up to three hours, $30 up to four hours, $35 up to five hours, and $39 a day maximum.
• Monday to Thursday nights (enter after 6 pm): a flat $12.
• Friday nights (enter after 6 pm): $17 up to an hour, rising to the $39 maximum after five hours.
• Weekends and public holidays: $18 up to an hour, $22 up to two hours, $25 up to three hours, $30 up to four hours, $35 up to five hours, and $39 a day maximum.
• Early bird: a flat $20 if you enter before 9:30 am and leave before 7 pm, Monday to Friday except public holidays. Park on Lower Level B2.
• Morning special: $3 if you enter after 5 am and leave before 9 am (subject to change).

You can book online or ring the car park on 07 3867 2022. The official parking page has the current rates, and there are four electric vehicle charging bays on Level 1, Section E.

Public transport

• Train: South Bank Station on Grey Street is the stop for the Parklands. South Brisbane Station, also on Grey Street, is closer to the cultural precinct.
• Bus: South Bank Busway Station is the closest to the Parklands, and Cultural Centre Station is closest to the Queensland Art Gallery, the Queensland Museum and QPAC.
• CityCat: the CityCat runs daily and stops at the South Bank River Terminal on Clem Jones Promenade.
• Cross river ferries: the free CityHopper ended in January 2025 and cross river ferries replaced it, with fares. See the Brisbane cross river ferries post and check the Translink Journey Planner for the stop nearest you.

Plan a trip with the Translink Journey Planner. More detail is on the South Bank getting here page. Details can change, so check before you go.

Nearby

• Roma Street Parkland – another big Brisbane city park, on the CBD side.
• Brisbane City Botanic Gardens – gardens in the CBD, across the river.
• New Farm Park – a riverside park with a rose garden and playgrounds, if you want a second park day.
• SparkLab Brisbane – hands-on science for the kids in the cultural precinct.
• Markets in Brisbane – the Collective Markets and more.

Browse more parks, playgrounds and swimming spots, or see everything in Brisbane.

Quick answers