Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols 2026: Tickets From $8.50 on 11 November, Gates Open 4pm at Riverstage, Plus a Free Livestream at Roma Street Parkland (Brisbane, QLD)

The Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols are on Saturday 5 December 2026 at Riverstage, with tickets from $8.50 going on sale at 10am on Wednesday 11 November through Ticketmaster. If you would rather not buy a ticket, the same show is streamed live to the Amphitheatre at Roma Street Parkland, and that option is free with no registration.

This guide uses Brisbane City Council’s own pages for the event and for Riverstage, checked on 31 October. Where the council has not published something yet, we say so rather than guess. Queensland has no daylight saving, so every time below is Brisbane time.

When does the night start, and what time does it finish?

The council gives separate times for the two places you can watch from.

	Riverstage (ticketed)	Roma Street Parkland (free)
Date	Saturday 5 December 2026	Saturday 5 December 2026
Gates open	4pm	6pm
Before the main show	Pre-show entertainment from 5:30pm	No separate pre-show is listed
Main show	7pm to 9pm	Livestream 7pm to 9pm
Where	Riverstage, City Botanic Gardens, 59 Gardens Point Road	The Amphitheatre, entry via Wickham Terrace
Cost	$8.50, $5 or free (ticket needed)	Free, no registration

The council describes the carols as an evening of festive entertainment featuring some of Australia’s most talented performers. Its page for the 2026 event names these performers: Samantha Jade, Dami Im, Hugh Sheridan, Monica Trapaga, Katie Noonan, Mitch Tambo, Dylan Wright, Max Jackson and Jude York, alongside family favourites Emma Memma and Elvin Melvin. It gives no set times for any of them. Riverstage as a venue says that events with no listed finish time must end by 10pm, but the carols have a stated 9pm end, so use 9pm for the show itself.

How much are tickets, and when do they go on sale?

Riverstage tickets go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 11 November 2026 through Ticketmaster, which is the venue’s contracted ticketing provider. The council lists three prices:

• 13 years and over: $8.50.
• 6 to 12 years: $5.
• 0 to 5 years: free, but a ticket is still required.

Everyone who enters needs a ticket, so a free ticket for a baby or toddler still has to be added to the order. The council says that if you do not have a valid ticket you will not be permitted to enter Riverstage, and that you must have your tickets ready to be scanned on entry. Riverstage’s own page warns that tickets bought from sellers other than Ticketmaster cannot be verified and may be refused at the gate. The council says the carols support the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust.

Riverstage’s page also says refund requests go through the point of purchase and that, because the venue is an outdoor amphitheatre, the show proceeds in rain or bad weather unless it is judged unsafe. No refunds are authorised unless the event is cancelled.

What can I bring into Riverstage?

For the carols, Riverstage’s usual list of permitted and banned items applies, with the exceptions below. You will be sitting on the ground on a grassed slope.

Item	Allowed at the carols?
Small blanket or small rug	Yes
Cushion, including back-support cushions	Yes
Strollers, prams, capsules and baby carriers	Yes (Riverstage’s general page says small prams must be kept on the concrete at the top of the hill or left in the free cloakroom)
Non-commercial snack foods in soft packaging	Yes
Sealed bottled water and sealed non-alcoholic drinks in plastic bottles	Yes
Chairs or elevated seating of any type	No
Commercial food, hot food, and metal cutlery including cheese knives	No
Alcohol	No. It will be confiscated on entry; a licensed bar is on site
Eskies, hard-case packaging and large food containers	No

Food bags must not be larger than A4 size. The council gives these examples of permitted food: pre-packaged, non-commercial sandwiches, rolls or wraps; chips, biscuits and crackers in soft packaging; and fruit, cheese, deli meats and crackers. Water refill stations will be on site, and you can bring an empty reusable bottle (no glass). A variety of food will also be sold at the event, and the council encourages contactless payment.

Entry is through Gates 1 and 2. Bags will be searched, and security wanding may occur. Riverstage has a free cloakroom outside Gate 1 for items that are not allowed in, and everything must be collected straight after the show. Pass-outs, which would let you leave and come back, are not given. Patrons must wear a shirt and shoes, and the venue recommends enclosed shoes. The first aid station is to the right of the stage.

How do I get to Riverstage without a car?

The council says public transport is the easiest and recommended way to reach Riverstage, and that there is no onsite parking. Its distances to the gate area are:

Option	Closest stop	Walk
Train	South Bank station, via Goodwill Bridge	850 metres
Train	Central station, via Edward Street and the City Botanic Gardens	1.9 kilometres
Ferry	QUT Gardens Point (CityCat and Express CityCat)	280 metres
Bus	Alice Street and George Street stops, via George Street and Gardens Point Road	800 metres
Bus	South Bank bus station, via Goodwill Bridge	1 kilometre
Free bus	City Loop (routes 40 and 50), stops on Alice Street in front of the City Botanic Gardens	Short walk to the gates

The council points to Translink’s Journey Planner for timetables. We could not find a Translink event page for the carols when we checked, so whether the City Loop and other services run extra late or at a different frequency on the night is not confirmed. Check the Journey Planner for that evening, or call Translink on 13 12 30.

Is there any parking near Riverstage?

Not on site. Riverstage’s page says there is limited parking on Alice Street and other streets around the City Botanic Gardens, and that paid parking is available in car parks in the CBD and in South Bank. It does not publish a list of car parks or prices for the carols night. If you need accessible parking, the council points to its on-street disability parking map, and you must hold a disability parking permit to use those spaces.

For drop-offs, the roundabout on Gardens Point Road is the council’s pick-up and set-down point for patrons with accessibility needs or mobility concerns. It says this road often becomes congested, so allow extra time. The closest car park to the venue is at QUT, next door.

What if I want the free livestream at Roma Street Parkland?

The show is streamed live from Riverstage to the Amphitheatre in Roma Street Parkland. It is free, no registration is needed, gates open at 6pm and the livestream runs from 7pm to 9pm. Entry is via Wickham Terrace. The council suggests buying snacks from the food trucks or bringing a picnic basket and blanket. Roma Street Parkland is an alcohol-free event for the night, with no alcohol permitted on site. The council also says its Enchanted Garden event runs at the same time in the parkland: the food precinct on the Celebration Lawn is open to all visitors, but the Enchanted Garden route is for ticketed guests of that event only. Traffic around Roma Street Parkland may be busier than usual, so allow extra travel time.

The Amphitheatre is a natural amphitheatre with tiered seating. If you plan to bring your own chair, the council asks you to be mindful of sightlines. The Riverstage rule against chairs applies only at Riverstage, not here. The Amphitheatre is reached by paved paths, although some areas include gentle slopes.

How do I reach Roma Street Parkland?

Way to travel	What the council says
Train and bus	The parkland is a short walk from Roma Street Station, served by trains and buses from across Brisbane. Nearby bus stops also give connections
Car	Parking at the parkland is limited. On-site parking is off College Close, with additional metered spaces and disabled bays. King George Square Car Park and Wickham Terrace Car Park are the council’s nearby alternatives
Drop-off	Along Wickham Terrace, near The Garden Room, or near Celebration Vista if walking long distances is difficult. Drivers can also drop off and pick up on Parkland Boulevard, reached via Wickham Terrace or Roma Street
Taxi and ride-share	The nearest taxi rank is at the Brisbane Coach Terminal
Bike	Use the Normanby Cycleway Link along Parkland Boulevard to Roma Street. Inside the parkland, paths and roads are shared with pedestrians

What access options are there?

At Riverstage, wheelchair access for the carols is through Gate 2. An accessible viewing area is on a platform at the top of the hill, looking down on the stage from the side, for people with limited mobility. To book accessible seating or Companion Card tickets, choose the accessible ticketing options on Ticketmaster’s website or phone Ticketmaster’s Accessible Line on 1300 446 925. Council honours the Queensland Government Companion Card, which gives free entry to Riverstage to anyone accompanying a person who needs attendant care support.

The carols will be Auslan interpreted, and song lyrics will be shown on screen throughout. A dedicated Auslan Area gives members of the Deaf and hard of hearing community and their families a premium view of the stage. To book, choose the Auslan Area ticket type on Ticketmaster; if you want to sit together as a group, every ticket in the group must be an Auslan Area ticket. The event will also be audio described for people who book the service in advance: secure your ticket first, then email the council to book the audio description pack.

The council also notes that the event contains fireworks, which means bright lights and sudden loud sounds, as well as swirling and flashing light displays (no strobe) and loud music. Riverstage says visitors can bring sunglasses, a hat, noise-cancelling headphones and sensory tools. For venue questions you can phone Riverstage on 07 3403 7921 during business hours.

Should I buy a ticket or go to the livestream?

Choose Riverstage if you want to be in the room for the show itself and can be there from the 4pm gates, with the pre-show from 5:30pm. Choose Roma Street Parkland if you want a free option, would like to bring your own chair or if you cannot get tickets on 11 November. The show and its hours are the same for both, 7pm to 9pm, and both need no car: the parkland sits next to Roma Street Station, while Riverstage is closest to South Bank station or the QUT Gardens Point ferry.

What is still to come before 5 December?

Three things were missing from the council’s pages when we checked, and we will not guess at them. The first is the running order, because the council names the performers but not when each one plays. The second is any Translink event page or extra services for the night. The third is any traffic or parking change around Gardens Point Road. This guide will be updated if the council or Translink publishes them. The best places to look are the council’s carols page and Translink’s event transport page.

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Brisbane City Council, Riverstage, Ticketmaster or the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust.

Sources

• Brisbane City Council: Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols, read 31 October 2026
• Brisbane City Council: Riverstage, read 31 October 2026
• Translink: Event transport, checked 31 October 2026