At a glance
- Racecourse Road Community Christmas
- Friday 27 November 2026, 6:30pm to 7:30pm, St Augustine’s Church, 56 Racecourse Road, Hamilton. Free, no booking
- Terrace’s by Twilight
- Friday 4 December 2026, 5:00pm to 9:00pm, from Lower Given Terrace to Trammys Corner on Upper Latrobe Terrace, Paddington. Free, no booking
- Banyo Community Christmas Carols
- Saturday 5 December 2026, 5:00pm to 6:00pm, Banyo Memorial Park, 300 St Vincents Road. Free, no booking
- Light Up Carols
- Sunday 6 December 2026, 12:00pm to 3:00pm, New Farm Park, 137 Sydney Street. Free, no booking
- Government House Christmas Lights
- Seven nights, Friday 11 to Thursday 17 December 2026, 7:00pm to 8:00pm each night, Government House, 168 Fernberg Road, Paddington. Free, no booking
- Who it’s for
- Families who want a free, short Christmas night close to home, without the ticketed city shows
- What to do now
- Note the five dates. Each is a separate free event, so you can go to as many as you like. Check the council page for your night in the week before
- Last checked
- Monday 9 November 2026, against Brisbane City Council’s event pages for all five events and each of the seven Government House nights
- Not yet confirmed
- Parking and public transport for all five, and the Banyo and Racecourse Road set lists. The Light Up Carols page says “evening” but lists 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Brisbane City Council lists five free Christmas events between 27 November and 17 December 2026 that are neither the Lord Mayor’s show nor a suburban carols night we have already covered: a church concert at Hamilton, Paddington’s shopping and carols evening, a big band at Banyo, a carols afternoon at New Farm Park, and a Christmas lights evening at Government House. None needs a booking.
This guide uses the council’s own event pages, read on 8 November 2026. Queensland has no daylight saving, so every time is Brisbane time. Where an organiser has not published something, we say so. For the ticketed city show, see our guide to the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols at Riverstage, and for three other free carols nights see our Middle Park, Seventeen Mile Rocks and Ashgrove guide.
Which five events, and when?
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 27 November | Bands in Parks: Racecourse Road Community Christmas | 6:30pm to 7:30pm | St Augustine’s Church, 56 Racecourse Road, Hamilton |
| Friday 4 December | Terrace’s by Twilight, Paddington’s Christmas festival | 5:00pm to 9:00pm | Lower Given Terrace to Trammys Corner, Upper Latrobe Terrace |
| Saturday 5 December | Bands in Parks: Banyo Community Christmas Carols | 5:00pm to 6:00pm | Banyo Memorial Park, 300 St Vincents Road |
| Sunday 6 December | Light Up Carols | 12:00pm to 3:00pm | New Farm Park, 137 Sydney Street |
| Friday 11 to Thursday 17 December | Bands in Parks: Government House Christmas Lights | 7:00pm to 8:00pm each night | Government House, 168 Fernberg Road, Paddington |
What is on at the Hamilton concert on 27 November?
The Racecourse Road Community Christmas is part of the council’s Bands in Parks program. The Brisbane Municipal Concert Band plays traditional carols, Christmas favourites and concert band arrangements at St Augustine’s Church, 56 Racecourse Road, Hamilton, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. The council describes it as family-friendly and says no bookings are required. It is the earliest of the five, a week before Paddington.
What happens at Terrace’s by Twilight in Paddington on 4 December?
The council says Paddington’s Christmas event returns for 2026 “to kick off the festive season”. It runs from 5:00pm to 9:00pm along the Terraces, starting at Lower Given Terrace and going up to Trammys Corner on Upper Latrobe Terrace. The council lists these features:
- late-night shopping at Paddington retailers, bars and restaurants
- in-store Christmas discounts
- a stroll-and-win with prizes valued at over $3,000
- market stalls and face painting
- Christmas carols and selfies with Santa
Entry is free and no booking is needed. The council page says to bring friends, family “and even the dog”, and points to the Paddington Terraces website for more information. The page names no car park or bus stop, so allow time to find a place if you drive.
Is the Banyo carols night worth planning around?
It is short. The Banyo Community Christmas Carols run from 5:00pm to 6:00pm on Saturday 5 December at Banyo Memorial Park, 300 St Vincents Road, with music by the Swingalicious Big Band. The council calls it an evening of carols and community spirit at Banyo. Admission is free and no booking is needed.
The Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols at Riverstage are on the same day (gates 4:00pm, show 7:00pm to 9:00pm), so choose one if you want the whole programme of either.
When is Light Up Carols at New Farm Park?
Light Up Carols is on Sunday 6 December 2026 at New Farm Park, 137 Sydney Street. The council listing gives the time as 12:00pm to 3:00pm, yet its description talks about “an evening of music, lights, and community cheer under the twinkling trees”. We cannot tell which is right, so treat 12:00pm to 3:00pm as the published time and check the council page again before you go. The event is free, needs no booking, and the council says it is “proudly supported by Brisbane City Council”.
Centenary Carols at Middle Park are on the same Sunday, from 3:30pm. Check the travel time between the two venues before planning to attend both.
What is the Government House Christmas Lights night?
The council lists the Government House Christmas Lights on seven nights, Friday 11 to Thursday 17 December 2026, each from 7:00pm to 8:00pm at 168 Fernberg Road, Paddington. It says the grounds will be “a glorious light show for everyone to enjoy”, with a different band each night playing classic Christmas hits. Each page is free with no booking, and the 11 December page is tagged for the school holidays.
| Night | Performer, per the council |
|---|---|
| Friday 11 December | Brisbane Regional Youth Orchestra |
| Saturday 12 December | South East Queensland Symphonic Winds |
| Sunday 13 December | Brisbane Excelsior, conducted by Howard Taylor |
| Monday 14 December | Sunnybank Brass, with vocalist Izabella Cihajic |
| Tuesday 15 December | Queensland Wind and Brass, conducted by Alisa Jones |
| Wednesday 16 December | Jindalee Jazz Orchestra |
| Thursday 17 December | University of Queensland Big Band |
The council pages give no parking, gate or public transport advice. The photo below shows the house from Fernberg Road in 2011 and is there only to show the building.
Do I need to book, and what do these nights cost?
| Event | Cost | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| Racecourse Road Community Christmas | Free | No bookings required |
| Terrace’s by Twilight | Free | No bookings required |
| Banyo Community Christmas Carols | Free | No bookings required |
| Light Up Carols | Free | No bookings required |
| Government House Christmas Lights (all seven nights) | Free | No bookings required |
Entry is free at all five. Paddington’s late-night shopping, food and drink are paid, and the council pages do not say what the other nights will have for sale.
How do I get there and check for changes?
None of the five council pages gives parking or public transport advice. Translink’s event transport page lists the events it has published special advice for, and none of these was listed when we checked on 8 November 2026. Use Translink’s Journey Planner with the street address of your event.
We will update this guide if the council publishes parking, transport, a corrected Light Up Carols time.
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Brisbane City Council, the Paddington Terraces traders, Government House or Translink.
Sources
- Brisbane City Council: Bands in Parks, Racecourse Road Community Christmas, read 8 November 2026
- Brisbane City Council: Terrace’s by twilight, Paddington’s Christmas festival, read 8 November 2026
- Brisbane City Council: Bands in Parks, Banyo Community Christmas Carols, read 8 November 2026
- Brisbane City Council: Light Up Carols, read 8 November 2026
- Brisbane City Council: Bands in Parks, Government House Christmas Lights (11 December, and the pages for 12 to 17 December), read 8 and 9 November 2026
- Translink: Event transport, checked 8 November 2026