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Brisbane Kicks Off 2026 With Sport, Festivals, Family Shows and a Busy Summer Calendar
We all watched the New Year’s Eve fireworks, and they were impressive despite the rough weather. Here’s a clip from the night.
January 2026 in Brisbane feels like a proper reset. The city comes back to life after the holiday lull with packed stadiums, family friendly shows, new festivals, and a steady rhythm of summer events spread across indoor and outdoor venues. It is hot, yes, but not brutally so by Australian standards, and the city appears well prepared for another humid start to the year.
What stands out this January is variety. Big international sport sits alongside local community events. Major entertainment venues are full, while pop up festivals and live music spill into parks and showgrounds. All of this unfolds against a backdrop of serious national and global news, reminding residents that while Brisbane is in summer mode, the world beyond is anything but quiet.
Tennis Takes Centre Stage Early in the Month
The sporting year in Brisbane opens strongly with the return of the Brisbane International, running from 4 to 11 January 2026, with qualifying rounds beginning on 2 January. Held at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Tennyson, the tournament once again anchors Brisbane as a key stop on the Australian Summer of Tennis.
The Brisbane International has become more than just a warm up event for the Australian Open. It now attracts strong crowds, international attention, and a mix of top ranked players and rising stars. For locals, it is one of the few chances each year to watch elite tennis without leaving Queensland. Hotels, cafes, and transport routes around the venue typically feel the lift, and early January has become a predictable boost period for nearby businesses.
Basketball and Community Sport Get Their Moment
Away from the tennis spotlight, basketball fans are also well catered for. The Brisbane Bullets 3×3 Festival takes place on 10 January at the Hibiscus Sports Complex in Upper Mount Gravatt. While the Brisbane Bullets are best known for their professional league presence, this event is deliberately more grassroots in tone.
Fast paced games, skills challenges, and youth participation are central to the format. Rather than focusing purely on elite performance, the festival emphasises accessibility and community involvement. It is a reminder that Brisbane’s sporting culture is not only about spectatorship but also about participation, especially during school holiday periods.
Family Entertainment Dominates the School Holiday Period
January remains one of the busiest months for family entertainment, and 2026 is no exception. The Brisbane Entertainment Centre hosts “Disney Jr. Live On Tour: Let’s Play” across 10 and 11 January, drawing preschool audiences and their families for high energy performances featuring familiar characters.
At the same time, QPAC continues its strong summer programming. “Now You See Me Live” runs in the Concert Hall from 8 to 18 January, translating the popular film franchise into a stage based illusion and magic experience. For younger audiences, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show” appears as part of the wider summer theatre schedule, offering a calmer, story driven alternative for families with small children.
These productions are not just filler events. They reflect a deliberate strategy by Brisbane venues to provide indoor, air conditioned entertainment options during the hottest part of the year, especially for families looking to avoid prolonged outdoor exposure.
New Festivals Signal Brisbane’s Cultural Direction
One of the most notable additions to the January calendar is the inaugural Brisbane World Breaking DanceSport Festival, held at Brisbane City Hall on 17 and 18 January 2026. Presented by the World DanceSport Federation in collaboration with DanceSport Australia, the event brings international breaking competition into one of the city’s most recognisable civic spaces.
The choice of venue feels symbolic. Breaking, once seen purely as street culture, is now firmly positioned as a global sport and artistic discipline. With Brisbane set to host the Olympic Games in the coming decade, events like this are widely seen as groundwork for a more diverse and contemporary sporting identity.
Live Music and Outdoor Events Return in Force
The Brisbane Showgrounds continues to evolve into a major summer events hub. January listings include the Wildlands Festival and a highly anticipated Ocean Alley performance, both contributing to a broader trend of outdoor, festival style programming.
Wildlands, in particular, has been promoted as a transformation of urban spaces into immersive music environments. It attracts a younger crowd and reinforces Brisbane’s growing reputation as a live music destination rather than a stopover city. With public transport access and surrounding infrastructure improving year by year, the Showgrounds precinct is becoming a regular fixture on national touring schedules.
Weather Plays Its Usual Role Without Stealing the Spotlight
Weather always shapes Brisbane’s January experience. Nationally, early 2026 has already seen severe heatwave conditions forecast across southern states and inland regions, with widespread health warnings and elevated fire risks reported.
Brisbane’s conditions, while still hot and humid, are expected to remain comparatively moderate. Forecasts point to temperatures sitting mostly in the high twenties to low thirties, with dry and mostly sunny days dominating the first half of the month. Local event organisers appear conscious of these conditions, balancing outdoor programming with indoor alternatives and encouraging hydration, shade, and flexible scheduling.
News Context Beyond the Events Calendar
While the city focuses on summer activities, broader news continues to shape the national mood. Early January reporting includes major international developments, such as the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro following US military action, alongside domestic political debates around national security oversight.
Closer to home, Queensland news has included confirmation of a fatal workplace incident involving a roof collapse at a mine, a sobering reminder of ongoing occupational safety challenges in the state. These stories sit alongside lighter coverage of New Year celebrations, theatre openings, and cinema releases across Brisbane and surrounding regions such as Redlands and Moreton Bay.
A City Balancing Leisure and Awareness
January 2026 shows Brisbane in a familiar but confident position. The city leans into sport, culture, and family entertainment while remaining alert to weather risks and wider national issues. From tennis courts in Tennyson to dance battles in City Hall and music festivals at the Showgrounds, the month offers something for almost every type of resident and visitor.
It is not a slow start to the year. It is a statement that Brisbane intends to stay active, engaged, and culturally ambitious even in the thick of summer.