📍Best Time To Visit Brisbane, Australia From A Longtime Local. (2024.)

WANT LOCAL KNOWLEDGE ON THE BEST TIME TO VISIT BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA?

Brisbane is Queensland’s gorgeous capital city. Revered for its enviable riverside lifestyle, one of the key components to it being one of Australia’s best tourist destinations is how much they’ve made the meandering waterway a quintessential part of its identity and atmosphere.

From the extensive walkways that line the northern and southern shorelines, to the iconic Story Bridge offering visitors a unique perspective of its striking natural and urban landscapes, and the famous City Cat passenger ferries being the transportation of choice to get around the CBD to the many, many attractions that lie just a short distance from the ferry terminals, such as the South Bank Parklands with its free swimming lagoons, and the Eagle Street Pier dining precinct to name a few, it more than lives up its nickname as the River City.

But when is the best time to visit Brisbane? With its notoriously hot summers with high humidity that often results in afternoon storms, to its mild winters that have pleasant days but cold nights, to its events and holidays to visit and avoid and the seasonal attractions to consider, here are my recommended times to plan a trip to the Queensland capital around, as someone who lives an hour away and visits often.

Summer.
December-February.

Summers in Brisbane are notoriously hot and feel like you’re on the surface of the sun. Daytime temperatures average around 29 degrees Celsius and it’s uncommon for the humidity to be over 70%! That means being outside is pretty sweat-inducing and intolerable for long periods, even for locals like me who have lived through these conditions for many years, even being undercover. And every year it seems like we’re getting longer and hotter heatwaves. Being in air-conditioned buildings is definitely the place to be during this season.

However, the hot and humid weather often brings about my favourite thing about this time of year: summer storms. Building throughout the day, big beautiful cumulous clouds begin manifesting inland, slowly growing larger and moving towards the coast as the day wears on before unleashing an electrifying lightning show in the mid-late afternoon and early evening, occasionally lasting for hours well into dark.

Speaking of the nights, the warm temperatures are perfect for enjoying Brisbane’s long into the evening, such as alfresco dining at South Bank, swimming at the nearby lagoons, taking romantic walks along the riverside walkways, going for a dinner cruise, embarking on an evening kayak tour, climbing and abseiling off the Kangaroo Point Cliffs and most iconically, ascending the Story Bridge, one of my favourite experiences, during twilight or at night.

Autumn.
March-May.

Autumn is one of the best times to visit Brisbane thanks to the weather beginning to cool down. Being outside during the day is pleasant and comfortable, making it perfect for exploring the city’s many outdoor attractions and activities, such as all of those listed in summer, going hiking at the many nearby national parks such as D’Aguilar, Springbrook, Lamington, and the Glass House Mountains, and visiting the offshore islands of Moreton, Bribie and North Stradbroke Island and the beautiful beaches of the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast a lovely endeavour.

In the first half of the season, the nights are still warm enough to enjoy being in the elements without needing a jacket or too heavy of one.

Winter.
June-August.

Although Brisbane winters are generally considered mild and pleasant during the day if the wind isn’t blowing, bring at least one heavy jacket and pair of pants as nights and early mornings are chilly, with fog at sunrise not unusual. Plus, occasionally a cold front makes its way through which feels like you’ve woken up in a freezer. Still, it’s not as bad as the southern states, which makes people up here just to escape it and the warmth the northern half of Australia still offers.

Staying indoors, especially once the sun goes down and staying there until it comes back up again is the best way to spend time in Brisbane. Visit places such as the Queensland Maritime Museum, see inside the historic City Hall Building in King George Square discover the state’s history at the Queensland Museum, or watch a show at the QPAC Theatre to escape the chill.

However, there is one outdoor activity this season brings you won’t want to miss. Whale watching is the number #1 reason to come to Brisbane in winter. Every year humpback whales swim up and down the east coast of Australia to find warmer waters to breed and calve, and it’s a magical experience no visitor to the River City should miss.

Spring.
September-November.

My favourite time to visit Brisbane is Spring. The weather is warming up, but it doesn’t feel like you’ll get third-degree burns the moment you step out into the sun. As the season progresses, it’s great for swimming, hiking, and all other outdoor activities, allowing you to stay out late into the night, lightning storms begin to develop more frequently, the flowers are blooming and beautifying everywhere and, if you venture outside the city, you’ll see baby animals everywhere.

But therein lies one of the biggest caveats. In the city, I don’t think magpies are too troublesome. However, if you take a day trip into the countryside, you may find yourself face-to-face with these seasonally aggressive birds. These ordinarily sweet and friendly birds are infamous for the way they fiercely protect their newborns, swooping at any humans they deem a threat. Sometimes they actually hit you too, but “swooping season” typically only happens during September and maybe into the first half of October. However, I was once attacked by one in December, although an occurrence that far out of season is pretty rare.

Speaking of baby animals, the majestic humpback whales that swam up the coast to breed and give birth are now heading back home with their adorable infants swimming right beside them, giving you even more reason to visit in spring. Just don’t come too late if you want to see them, as September and October are usually when the last of them pass through.

When figuring out the best time to go to Brisbane, one of the main things not to overlook is holidays and events because they may impact your trip in various ways, such as but not limited to increased accommodation prices, less activity availability, locations getting more crowded, and roads being more congested. However, sometimes travel during these periods is unavoidable, especially if you have kids and can only travel during certain dates, or there’s an event that you don’t want to miss.

Whether you’re looking to avoid the crowds or see which festivals are worth basing your trip around, here are some of the biggest holidays and events to consider when planning a trip to Queensland’s capital.

➡️ School Holidays.

Ah, the school holidays when all the kiddies are out. Unless you’re a parent, grandparent or guardian of school-aged kids, this is the time to avoid visiting Brisbane. The four sets of school holidays throughout the year are when more people are out and about and things are typically more expensive and booked out, while the roads and public transport options are more congested.

The longest is the Christmas Holidays, AKA the summer break, one consecutive block of holidays, that typically starts around the 10th of December and finishes after Australia Day (or the public holiday if it lands on a weekend.), a national holiday celebrating the arrival of the first fleet. This 6-week block also incorporates Christmas and New Year, two magical times of the year to visit the River City, with many shows and events celebrating these two beloved occasions.

Easter is essentially the Autumn Break and is the shortest of all the School Holidays. It’s only 10 days, and depending on when the first full moon falls after the spring equinox (northern hemisphere), the remembrance of Jesus’ death and resurrection either earmarks the start or the end of these holidays, which are something in March but usually in April.

The winter holidays span two weeks and three weekends in the middle of the year, straddling the end of June and the beginning of July.

Lastly, is the September holidays, less commonly known as Spring Break. Just like the winter holidays, these take place over two weeks incorporating three weekends, and start at the end of September and conclude in October.

Note: The New South Wales school holidays typically start a week before or after Queensland, so if you want to avoid those crowds too, be sure to look at dates too.

➡️ Public Holidays.

There are many annual public holidays scattered throughout the year to consider when planning a trip to Brisbane. The most notable are Christmas Day (25 December), Good Friday–Easter Sunday (representing the start or end of the Easter School Holidays) (changes yearly) and Anzac Day (25 April).

While Christmas and Easter have many magical events celebrating Jesus‘ birth and paying tribute to his death leading up to the day, and Anzac Day has poignant ceremonies held all across Australia and New Zealand to commemorate all those who served in the armed forces, many attractions and tour operators do not open or operate on these significant holidays. However, with Anzac Day, it’s often only half a day where they don’t conduct their typical activities.

There’s also New Year’s Day (1 January), Australia Day (26 January), Labour Day (1 May), the King’s Birthday (changes yearly) and Boxing Day (26 December). On all these holidays, some businesses remain open but may operate on reduced hours or have surcharges, particularly restaurants.

➡️ Annual Events.

Brisbane Festival & Riverfire.
September.

If there’s one event not to miss in the River City, it’s Brisbane Riverfire. Nothing else on the calendar even comes close to this epic half-day showcase that starts mid-afternoon with several exhilarating super-sonic fighter jets doing military fly-bys sending deafening shockwaves to the enthralled audience lining the riverbanks below, then when darkness falls, the night sky comes alive with an explosion of spectacular fireworks, including off the magnificent Story Bridge, which can be seen from lookouts and vantage points all across the CBD for a solid 25 minutes of magic. And best of all, the unforgettable day is free to witness.

After the headliner event amps up the atmosphere, it’s 20+ days of fun and festivities, culminating in Queensland’s largest festival dedicated to art and culture, with a huge range of free and paid displays, shows, performances, musicals and more throughout the day and night, making September one of my favourite times to visit the CBD, which says a lot coming from someone who typically avoids these things.

Note: Although you don’t generally need a car in Brisbane, the Riverfire event has numerous road closures and traffic delays, which is even more incentive not to drive in. Using public transport is busier than usual, but tree travel is usually given for a while after the fireworks have ended.

Christmas Festivities.
December.

December kicks off the Christmas celebrations with the weeks leading up the famous religious holidays having a wide range of festivities across the CBD earmarking the most wonderful time of the year, including turning the lights on the Christmas Tree and having nightly projections on the City Hall Building in King George Square, the Lord Mayors Christmas Carols at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens and ornaments in Queen Street Mall to name just a few of the ways that Brisbane transforms for the most magical holiday season.

New Year.
December.

Just after Christmas, is of course, New Year. The city puts on two magical fireworks shows to see out the old year and welcome in the new one. The first one is at 8.30pm for the kiddies, while the big one starts when the clock strikes midnight and is a wonderful way to swept up in the moment and reflect on the 365 days that went by and go into the next with renewed hope and renewed goals.

Note: Unlike Riverfire, which has fireworks along the Brisbane River from Victoria Bridge (the one that connects Queen Street Mall and the top end of South Bank) and the Story Bridge, including off the iconic structure, whereas for New Year, it’s only between Victoria Bridge and Goodwill Bridge in front of the South Bank Parklands.

➡️Swimming.

Swimming is a huge part of Australian culture and one of the quintessential things to do in Brisbane is to splash around gorgeous South Bank Lagoons with the city’s skyscrapers in the background, with the best time to do that between October and March when the weather is the warmest.

Many other attractions and day trip destinations around the region and beyond also have excellent swimming opportunities such as the beaches all up and down the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, at North Stradbroke Island, plus there’s the Tangalooma Wrecks on Moreton Island along with many other beautiful natural waterholes that lie inland, making visiting when the water’s more pleasant to be in a must.

➡️Whale Watching.

One of Australia’s best wildlife experiences is the annual humpback whale migration that happens every year. During the winter months, these majestic giants of the sea travel thousands of kilometres up the east and west coast to find warmer waters to breed and calve. It’s a magical event, made even more special by the many places across the country that offer cruises to see these docile creatures up unimaginably close, with Brisbane being one of them.

The season here is typically between late May and early October, but I highly recommend going in the second half as that’s when you’ll see the freshly born babies swimming beside their mommies, sometimes right next to the boat! However, I wouldn’t go too close to the start/end of the season if you can as not as many will be in the waters then.

Month.	Weather.	School Holidays.	Public Holidays.	Annual Events.	Whales.
January.	Very hot & humid. Frequent storms.	Most of the month.	New Year’s Day. Australia Day.	Australia Day. (Typically on the date or weekend before)	No.
February.	The hottest month. Frequent storms.	No	–		No.
March.	Hot but a lot more pleasant. (Second half is ideal for me.)	Dependant on Easter Weekend.	Sometimes Easter.		No.
April.	Still a nice temperature for swimming.	Dependant on Easter Weekend.	Sometimes Easter. Anzac Day.	Anzac Day Ceremonies. (24 April)	No.
May.	Starting to get cold.	No.	–	–	Maybe late in the month.
June.	Cold.	Late June- Early July	–	–	Yes.
July.	Coldest.	Late June – Early July.	–	–	Yes.
August.	Cold.	No.	–	–	Yes.
September.	Warming up. Watch out for magpies!	The second half of September.	–	Brisbane Riverfire & Brisbane Festival.	Yes.
October.	Nice temperature. Occasional storms	Sometimes at the beginning.	Kings Birthday.		Yes.
November.	Nice temperature. More frequent storms.	No.	–	Schoolies. (Late Nov.)	Possibly, but don’t hedge your bets on it.
December.	Hot. Frequent storms.	Most of the month.	Christmas Day. Boxing Day.	–	No.

The best time to visit Brisbane is September for Brisbane Riverfire as it is the ultimate way to experience the River City’s roaring atmosphere, while still being warm enough to enjoy all the outdoor attractions, both in the CBD and further afield. Plus, it kicks off a hive of activity with Brisbane Festival and it’s still the magical whale watching season, which provides one of the country’s best opportunities to see marine wildlife.

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