QPAC and Cultural Centre Parking: $20 Casual, $26.50 Pre-Paid, Open 7am to Midnight (South Bank, Brisbane, QLD)

The Cultural Centre at South Bank has three undercover car parks, and the QPAC page says casual parking costs $20 while pre-paid parking, available only at the Performing Arts Car Park (P1), costs $26.50. All three open from 7am to midnight every day, including public holidays, and close on Good Friday and Christmas Day. These are the figures on QPAC’s Getting Here page as of 7 November 2026.

Which Cultural Centre car park should I use?

The car parks are managed by Arts Queensland, and each one is signposted for the venue closest to it. QPAC says P1 is the best choice for QPAC itself. The car parks are entered via Stanley Place.

Car park	Best for	Accessible spaces
P1 (Performing Arts Car Park)	Queensland Performing Arts Centre	16
P2	Queensland Art Gallery and Queensland Museum	13
P3	State Library of Queensland and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)	6

QPAC adds that accessible spaces cannot be reserved or guaranteed in advance and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. After dropping passengers off, accessible parking is available in all of the car parks close to QPAC.

How much does parking cost, and how do I pay?

The casual rate is $20. QPAC says the automated pay stations are fully contactless and accept only credit card payments, Visa or Mastercard, with no cash. If you need help with a pre-paid ticket, a card problem or faulty equipment, the car park staff can be reached through the intercom at the pay stations.

Two limits are easy to miss. The maximum vehicle height is 2.0 metres, and fines apply if you need your vehicle released after hours. With a midnight closing time, a late show or a long dinner nearby is the likeliest way to get caught.

What is pre-paid parking, and is it worth $26.50?

Pre-paid parking costs $26.50 and is available only at P1. QPAC describes it as guaranteed parking, and says the ticket still works when the “CAR PARK FULL” sign is displayed. The rules on the page are specific:

• Daytime entry tickets allow entry from the car park’s opening time, and you must exit within 90 minutes after the performance finishes.
• Evening entry tickets allow entry from 5pm, and you must exit by the car park’s closing time that day.
• Tickets are subject to availability and can be bought until 7am on the day.
• A ticket does not guarantee a particular space, including mobility-accessible spaces.
• The ticket must be scanned on entry. Refunds are not given for unused tickets or for the wrong entry ticket.
• Each ticket is valid only for the date and entry time chosen at purchase.
• Only one pre-paid booking can be made online at a time. For several bookings, call QTIX on 136 246.

QPAC says availability at P1 can be limited at peak times and recommends arriving early or buying a pre-paid ticket. Whether the higher price is worth it depends on how close to curtain time you expect to arrive.

QPAC also says access to the Cremorne Theatre and Playhouse directly from the P1 car park opens 1 hour before the performance. Access to Cascade Court and the QPAC main entrance is open.

Where is the nearest alternative if the Cultural Centre car parks are full?

QPAC names two other options for the Playhouse and the Glasshouse Theatre: the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre car park and the South Bank Parklands car park. Both are described as a short walk away.

Visit Brisbane’s South Bank page describes the Parklands car park as underground, with more than 800 spaces including eight disabled bays, and stair and lift access from its north and south entrances. It is on Little Stanley Street, entered via Tribune Street or Glenelg Street, with a 2.1 metre height restriction. For its current prices, Visit Brisbane points to the eatSouthBank website or 07 3867 2022. We did not find prices on the pages we read, so none are given here.

The same page lists further parking for when the Parklands car park is full: the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, QPAC, the Queensland Art Gallery, the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland, SW1 and Southpoint. All on-street parking in the South Bank precinct is managed by Brisbane City Council, on 07 3403 8888.

Where can I be dropped off?

QPAC lists passenger loading zones on both sides of Grey Street: one on the QPAC side, and one opposite, just beyond South Brisbane Railway Station before the Melbourne Street intersection.

Zone	QPAC says it is best for
Grey Street southbound	Lyric Theatre, Concert Hall and Cremorne Theatre
Grey Street northbound (outside South Brisbane station, towards Melbourne Street)	QPAC does not name specific theatres for this zone
Russell Street (patron accessible drop-off)	Playhouse and Glasshouse Theatre

The page warns that the set-down areas have limited capacity and recommends allowing time for delays. For coaches and buses, QPAC says roadworks on Grey Street have changed the drop-off zones: passengers can be set down on Grey Street outside the Queensland Museum or at the State Library of Queensland. It points to the Brisbane City Council website for further updates on coach parking in South Bank and the CBD.

Can I get there without a car?

QPAC lists four public options: train to South Brisbane Station, opposite QPAC on Grey Street; bus to Cultural Centre, on Melbourne Street; CityCat to the South Bank ferry stop, a short walk along the river; and taxi, to the taxi area on the Grey Street side. Free taxi phones are in the Melbourne Street foyer, the Cremorne Theatre lobby and near the Playhouse cloakroom. For timetables, call TransLink on 131 230.

Visit Brisbane’s page adds that South Brisbane Station gives the closest access to the Cultural Centre, including the Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum and QPAC, while South Bank Station is closest to the Parklands, the Little Stanley precinct, the Goodwill Bridge and the Queensland Maritime Museum. On buses, it says Cultural Centre Station is closest to the Cultural Centre, and South Bank Busway Station is closest to the Parklands, with turn-up-and-go Brisbane Metro services leaving regularly from both.

QPAC says you can reach the centre by bicycle from all sides, including the Riverside Bikeway and Victoria Bridge. It lists two bike racks on the Grey Street side of the Glasshouse Theatre, five next to the South Brisbane Train Station car park and seven in front of the ABC Building on Russell Street.

Where do I check for roadworks or events before I leave?

QPAC says it frequently updates a traffic information page with events and roadworks that may affect travel time, and suggests bom.gov.au, qld.gov.au and qldtraffic.qld.gov.au for planning. Prices, hours and drop-off zones can change, so treat the figures above as correct for 7 November 2026 and confirm them on the QPAC page before a big night out.

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with QPAC or Arts Queensland.

Sources

• QPAC: Getting Here (read 7 November 2026)
• Visit Brisbane: Getting to South Bank Parklands (read 22 October 2026)