Streets Beach, South Bank: Swimming, Lifeguards, Hours and Parking

Streets Beach is a free, man-made lagoon beach in South Bank Parklands, on the edge of Brisbane’s CBD, with white sand, palm trees and lifeguards on duty. It looks out over the Brisbane River and city skyline, and it is the easiest way to swim in the middle of Brisbane.

The lagoon is about 2,000 square metres, built on the old World Expo 88 site and opened in 1992. It is part of South Bank Parklands, so a swim fits easily into a bigger day out with barbecues, playgrounds and the river walk.

Can you swim at Streets Beach?

Yes. Streets Beach is made for swimming and paddling, and it is free. There are no waves and no rips, so it suits young children and nervous swimmers better than a surf beach. Professional lifeguards patrol it seven days a week during operating hours.

The water is chlorinated fresh water, not seawater. It is recirculated through sand filters, and the sand was brought in from Moreton Bay.

Streets Beach opening hours

Swimming hours change with the season, and the swimming areas can close at any time without notice for safety, weather or visibility reasons. Ring the South Bank Visitor Centre on (07) 3867 2111 for current times before a long trip.

Streets Beach is also closed for essential maintenance for a period each winter. The lagoon is ageing and has needed repairs for leaks, so longer closures can happen too. The Boat Pool and Aquativity (see below) are separate swimming areas, and they can close for maintenance on different dates.

Rules at Streets Beach

• Food and drink: food and non-alcoholic drinks can be consumed in the designated areas around the pools, but not in the water.
• Not allowed in the pool areas: glass, alcohol, large inflatables and other prohibited items. Small personal items are fine.
• Dogs: animals are not allowed in the pool system or the areas next to it, including the stream, the beach and the Boat Pool ramp. Guide, hearing, assistance and trainee support dogs are the exception.

Follow the lifeguards’ directions and the signs. They can close or restrict an area at short notice.

Showers, toilets and change rooms

Showers, change rooms and toilets are in Stanley Street Plaza, right beside the beach. More toilets are at South Bank Piazza, Central Cafes, Little Stanley Street and River Quay. Accessible bathrooms are at South Bank Piazza, Little Stanley Street Plaza and Aquativity.

Accessibility

A pool wheelchair and a beach wheelchair can be borrowed from the Visitor Information Centre in Stanley Street Plaza. They are free for up to two hours, and you need photo ID and a $50 refundable deposit. The Boat Pool next door has a ramp on its left-hand side for accessible entry.

Other places to swim at South Bank

Streets Beach is one of three free swimming areas in South Bank Parklands, and all are lifeguard patrolled.

• The Boat Pool: a large, slower-paced pool with less sand than the beach.
• Aquativity: a water-play park for families, with shallow water and features about the Brisbane River and the water cycle.

Out of the water, the parklands have free barbecues, playgrounds and the long bougainvillea walkway, all covered in our South Bank Parklands guide.

Planning your visit

• How long: an hour or two for a swim and a play, or half a day if you add lunch and the rest of the parklands.
• Cost: free. Parking and the Wheel are extra.
• What to bring: swimmers, towels, a hat, sunscreen and a water bottle. Leave glass, alcohol and big inflatables at home.

Getting to Streets Beach and parking

Streets Beach is at Stanley Street Plaza, South Brisbane. By car it is about 4 km and about 10 minutes from the Brisbane CBD, without traffic.

Parking near Streets Beach

The nearest car park is the South Bank Car Park at the corner of Little Stanley Street and Tribune Street, with entries from Tribune 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 or by credit card at the exit gate.

• Weekdays (enter between 5 am and 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.
• Weekends and public holidays: $18 up to an hour, then $22 up to two hours, $25 up to three, $30 up to four and $35 up to five, with the same $39 maximum.
• Monday to Thursday after 6 pm: a flat $12 (Friday nights are charged by the hour, from $17).
• Morning special: $3 if you enter after 5 am and leave before 9 am.

The official parking page has current rates, and you can book online or ring 07 3867 2022. Parking is not free, so leaving the car at home is worth considering.

Public transport

• Train: South Bank Station on Grey Street is the closest to 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.
• CityCat and ferry: the CityCat stops at South Bank River Terminal on Clem Jones Promenade, and the inner-city ferry stops at South Bank Terminals 1 and 2. The old free CityHopper has been replaced by cross river ferries, which charge a fare: see our cross river ferries post.

Plan your trip with the Translink Journey Planner. More detail is on the South Bank getting here page.

Nearby

• South Bank Parklands – barbecues, playgrounds and the Grand Arbour, all around the beach.
• Wheel of Brisbane – the observation wheel is a short walk along the river.
• Queensland Museum and Gallery of Modern Art – rainy-day backups in the cultural precinct.
• West End Markets – a short trip away for food and stalls.
• Story Bridge and Kangaroo Point Cliffs – river views downstream.
• Wynnum Wading Pool – another free public swim, on Moreton Bay.

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

Details can change, so check Visit South Bank before you go.

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