Australian Army Band Christmas Show at the Empire Theatre, Toowoomba: 11am Thursday 10 December, One Price $35, Parking Free After 5pm (QLD)

The Australian Army Band plays a Christmas special at the Empire Theatre, 56 Neil Street, Toowoomba, at 11:00am on Thursday 10 December 2026, and every seat is one price: $35.00 before the $5 online booking fee. The Empire lists weekday parking after 5:00pm as free, so an 11:00am show starts outside the free period; the car parks are on Neil Street opposite the theatre, on the corner of Julia and Hume Streets and at the Neil Street Bus Interchange.

This guide uses the Empire’s own Australian Army Band page, its Plan Your Visit, FAQ and Accessibility pages, all read on Tuesday 10 November 2026. The Empire is the venue and ticket seller.

Who is the Australian Army Band, and what is the show?

The Empire describes the Australian Army Band as one of the finest military bands in the country, returning to The Empire for a Christmas special. Its page says the Australian Army Band Brisbane has been known throughout Queensland since its formation in 1949, and that the band supports the Australian Army and Australian Defence Force units in South East Queensland and regularly supports commemorative activities such as Anzac Day.

The page also says the band performs for the wider community at public events, major concerts, balls and charity fundraisers, and that band members have deployed on domestic and international operations. Its line-up is a traditional big band of saxophones, trumpets, trombones and a rhythm section, with vocalists. The repertoire ranges from big band era sounds to arrangements of contemporary rock and pop hits, and the Empire calls the band an audience favourite at the theatre.

The Empire’s page does not list a programme, a running time or an age guide for this show, so we have not given them.

What time should I arrive?

The Empire’s FAQ says the foyer doors and the ticket office open one hour before each show, and the doors to find your seats open 15 minutes before.

Step	Thursday 10 December
Foyer doors and ticket office open	10:00am
Doors to your seat open	10:45am
Show starts	11:00am

Ushers in the foyer point you to your door, and an usher at the door shows you to your seat. The FAQ says snacks and drinks can be bought in the foyers.

What if I am late?

The Empire says it can most often accommodate latecomers, but the performing company may set a lockout period, in which case you wait a few minutes before being let in at a suitable moment. In much rarer cases you are only allowed in during an interval. It does not offer refunds or partial refunds for missing part of a show. The Empire’s page does not state a lockout rule for this performance.

How much are tickets?

The Empire’s Australian Army Band page lists one ticket type, One Price, at $35.00 as of 10 November 2026, and says a fee of $5 applies per transaction for online bookings.

Ticket type	Price
One Price	$35.00

The page lists no concession, child or cardholder price for this show. The FAQ also describes Mob Tix for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, limited in number and chosen when you select seats; this show’s page does not list a Mob Tix price.

You can buy online, by phone on 1300 655 299 or at the Ticket Office at 56 Neil Street. The Empire’s FAQ says the office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, and for one hour before performances, and the phone line is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. You choose your seat when you buy, and all ticket purchases are final apart from what the Live Performance Australia Ticketing Code requires. Tickets can be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet from your ticketing account. If you lose them, the Ticket Office can arrange replacements to pick up on the night.

Where do I park for the Empire Theatres?

The Empire’s Plan Your Visit page says parking, including wheelchair-accessible parking, is available in a choice of two car parks on Neil Street, as well as on Julia Street, reached via Neil Street. The FAQ gives a second description: two car parks in Neil Street opposite the theatre, plus parking on the corner of Julia and Hume Streets and at the Neil Street Bus Interchange.

When	Parking at the Empire
Monday to Friday after 5:00pm	Free of charge
Saturday after 11:30am	Free of charge
All day Sunday	Free of charge

The Thursday 11:00am show starts before 5:00pm, and the Empire’s pages list free parking only for the periods in the table, so they do not say what applies on a weekday morning. One warning from the FAQ: the Empire Theatre staff car park on Julia Street is for staff only, and cars without authorisation will be towed.

Can I get there by bus, on foot or by bike?

The Empire says Bus Queensland provides local bus services around Toowoomba city, Highfields and Crows Nest, and points to the Translink Toowoomba route maps and the council’s bus pages for routes and timetables. We did not check evening or weekend services. For travel from outside the region, it lists Greyhound, Murrays and Bus Queensland long-distance services to Toowoomba.

If you live nearby, the Empire encourages walking or cycling. It says shared paths and laneways run along the creeks and through the city centre, with bicycle parking hoops in Margaret Street and Ruthven Street. The theatre sits in the CBD, which the Empire describes as an easy 90-minute drive west of Brisbane, less than two and a half hours from the Gold Coast and a three-hour drive from the Sunshine Coast.

What is accessible?

The Empire says all its venues are wheelchair accessible and that wheelchair seating is booked through the Ticket Office. It also asks that Companion Card bookings, a limited number of which are available, go through the Ticket Office or by phone rather than online. The Australian Army Band page repeats that wheelchair seating or Companion Card bookings go through 1300 655 299 or in person. A hearing loop covers rows A to M of the Empire Theatre, and the venue’s wheelchair parking is in the same car parks listed above.

Where can I eat nearby, and is there an ATM?

The Empire lists three nearby partners that give ticket holders 10 per cent off on the day of the show, if you present your ticket when you order or book:

Partner	What the Empire says
The Rock	10% discount when dining on the day of your show, with ticket presented when ordering
Press’d Coffee & Wine	10% discount on the day of your show; barista coffee by day, wine and beer by night, and you can bring your own dinner
Toowoomba Central Plaza	10% discount on a stay for ticket holders

There is no ATM inside the theatre, but the bars have EFTPOS. The FAQ says a Westpac ATM is within a few minutes’ walk on Ruthven Street at the front of the Walton Stores precinct.

Sources

• The Empire — The Australian Army Band (date, time, price; checked 10 November 2026)
• The Empire — Plan Your Visit (parking, buses, walking and cycling, dining partners)
• The Empire — Frequently Asked Questions (doors, parking, late entry, tickets, ATM)
• The Empire — Accessibility

Featured image: the Empire Theatre in Toowoomba, photographed between 1911 and 1933 (photo: Sir John Robert Kemp / public domain) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with The Empire, Empire Theatres Pty Ltd, the Australian Army Band or the Australian Defence Force. Times, prices and parking rules can change.