150 Years of the Ekka: Brisbane’s Great Meeting of Country and City
For 150 years, the Ekka has been more than a show – it has been Brisbane’s annual handshake between city and country.
A place where cattle champions, cake decorators, woodchoppers, schoolchildren, growers, performers and families all gather to celebrate the best of Queensland. Officially known as the Royal Queensland Show, the Ekka began in 1876 and has grown into the state’s largest and most loved annual event, attracting around 400,000 visitors each year.
The first exhibition was held at Bowen Park in August 1876, at a time when Brisbane was still a young colonial capital. Its purpose was practical and ambitious: to encourage agricultural development, introduce improved stock and machinery, and give Queensland producers a public stage. The turnout was remarkable. Estimates place attendance at the first show at between 15,000 and 17,000 people, an extraordinary figure when Brisbane’s population was only a little over 20,000.
That first exhibition set the pattern for what the Ekka would become. Competitions sat at its heart, with livestock, produce, machinery, arts and crafts judged side by side. Visitors came not only to be entertained, but to learn, compare, trade and celebrate the achievements of a fast-growing state. Over time, the formal “Exhibition” became “Ekka” in the Queensland vernacular, a nickname that captured the event’s familiarity and affection.
Part of the Ekka’s strength is its ability to preserve tradition while constantly renewing itself. The Grand Parade, animal judging, woodchopping, district displays and agricultural competitions have kept the show anchored in rural Queensland. At the same time, Sideshow Alley, showbags, fireworks, live music and carnival rides have made it a rite of passage for Brisbane families.
Food has become one of the Ekka’s most powerful memory-makers. The strawberry sundae, dagwood dog, fairy floss and other show favourites evoke childhood visits, family outings and school-day excitement. These traditions matter because they turn a large public event into something personal: every visitor carries their own Ekka story.
Flinders Dolomite is a household name in the agricultural industry and has been the Dolomite of choice for more than 130 years.
The Ekka’s 150th anniversary is a celebration of endurance. Since 1876, Queensland has changed dramatically: the state has urbanised, industries have modernised, transport has transformed and Brisbane has become an international city. Yet the Ekka’s central idea remains the same. It brings people together to showcase agriculture, reward excellence, share knowledge and strengthen community connection.
The 2026 milestone also highlights the scale of the modern show. The Ekka now features tens of thousands of competition entries, about 10,000 animals, extensive entertainment programs, food and beverage showcases, educational activities, showbags, rides and nightly spectacles. It continues to offer a rare experience in which visitors can see elite agricultural judging in one pavilion and modern entertainment in the next.
Anniversaries can easily become nostalgic, but the Ekka’s 150 years are not simply a look backward. They point to a living institution that still adapts. Its home at the Brisbane Showgrounds remains closely tied to the city’s identity, while its agricultural heart keeps regional Queensland visible to urban audiences. In an era when many people are increasingly distant from food production, the Ekka continues to make farming, animals, skills and rural innovation tangible.
That is why the Ekka’s 150th anniversary belongs not only to organisers, exhibitors and competitors, but to everyone who has ever walked through the gates. It belongs to the families with carefully planned showbag lists, the breeders waiting for a ribbon, the volunteers behind the scenes, the children meeting farm animals for the first time and the generations who return because the show feels like part of Queensland itself.
After a century and a half, the Ekka endures because it balances celebration with purpose. It entertains, but it also educates. It preserves memory, but it also evolves. Most importantly, it keeps alive a simple and powerful idea: that Queensland’s story is strongest when city and country meet, learn from each other and celebrate together.
