When Christmas rolls around, lights appear all across the city. One of the most beloved things to do in Brisbane around the holidays is venture out and find the best Christmas light displays. And it’s easy to understand why.
From illuminating City Hall with colorful lights to neighborhoods working together to create festive areas, the holiday spirit is as bright as the decorations. Of course, you have many options for seeing festive lights in Brisbane.
Travel to see the biggest and best neighborhood displays with the whole family. It could become a favorite holiday tradition. Or, seek out community events and massive professional displays. No matter what you prefer, there’s plenty to do during the month of December in this city.
We can appreciate the effort that goes into crafting the perfect Christmas display, and each one is worth celebrating. You’ll uncover extensive special effects, laser shows set to music, and beloved seasonal characters in inflatable form.
Here are some of our favorite places to view colorful light displays in Brisbane.
City Hall and Central Business District
In the heart of Brisbane, the festive spirit exudes from every street. City Hall gets a festive facelift. One of the tallest Christmas trees you’ve ever seen is adorned with lights. The city streets themselves come alive, and photo opportunities abound.
1. The Lott by Golden Casket City Hall Lights
Each December, Brisbane City Hall transforms from its regal elegance into something far more whimsical. Its imposing columns and clock tower become the canvas for a bright, spirited display of Christmas lights.
Crowds flock to catch a glimpse of the projected light shows, which run every day until midnight for most of December. They always bring a touch of cheer to one of the city’s most important civic buildings. This display reaches the top of the list of things to do in Brisbane around Christmas.
2. King George Square Christmas Tree
Nestled between Brisbane City Hall and Queen Street Mall, the King George Square Christmas Tree towers above the city streets, reaching 22 m in height. It’s one of the largest Christmas trees in the Southern Hemisphere and has held a special place in the hearts of locals since the 1950s.
Lighting this tree and a Yuletide musical performance kick off the holiday season in Brisbane. When you’re done marveling at the tree, head over to the nearby Brisbane markets to start your Christmas shopping.
3. The Enchanted Garden at Roma Street Parkland
In Roma Street Parkland, the holiday season is a big deal. The already beautiful gardens become a Christmas wonderland known as The Enchanted Garden, thanks to cutting-edge visuals, such as holograms, laser lights, and LED fields. It’s an interactive experience, with a map guiding your family through a visual narrative.
The Enchanted Garden is 1 km long, following wheelchair- and stroller-friendly trails. While most people take between 30 and 40 minutes to make their way through, you’re welcome to slow down and take in the sights at your own pace.
North Brisbane
Take your Christmas light tour into North Brisbane. Here, businesses, boats, and houses deck their halls and sides with bright colors and festive displays.
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4. Warner Lakes Christmas Lights
In the Warner Lakes neighborhood, people embrace the holiday spirit with dazzling light displays. Expect to see whole houses alight with bright colors and festive scenes. Jungle paradises sit alongside laser projections set to music, and inflatables and massive interactive displays are everywhere.
5. Bracken Ridge Christmas Light Display
Venture into Bracken Ridge, where Christmas light displays grow to epic proportions. Inflatables and moving decorations shine in the night. Some houses offer photo opportunities with beloved characters to help ring in the festive season. No matter where you venture in Bracken Ridge, you’ll find impressive displays.
6. Petrie Christmas Lights
Christmas in Petrie brings incredible light displays and projections. Here, you'll see scenes depicting Santa with his reindeer and elves, alongside snow machines, bringing a chilly touch of the North Pole to Australia. The Petrie festive light displays are sure to bring a smile to even the grumpiest Grinch.
South Brisbane
Head to South Brisbane, where fantastical winter wonderlands and interactive displays await. Whether you drop by the large displays in the Hyperdome or Windermere Park or stick to the homemade displays in the nearby neighborhoods, you’ll find a spark of holiday joy.
7. Daisy Hill Christmas Lights
From simple lights adorning roof edges to intricate, interactive displays you can walk through, Daisy Hill has it all. One of the city’s most beloved annual displays occurs at 9 Farr Court. It features the Grinch’s house, a Santa chair, and inflatables and moving lights. For this interactive festivity, you pick a side: naughty or nice.
The naughty side takes you into a playground of naughty elves, where a 7 ft. Grinch awaits. On the nice side, you’ll find Santa and a winter wonderland. As you leave, grab a candy cane or lollipop for the road from the Lollypop Tree, and don’t forget to snap a photo or two.
8. Logan Hyperdome Shopping Centre
The Logan Hyperdome Shopping Centre knows how to beckon its patrons in style during the holidays. It offers the quintessential Santa meet-and-greet opportunity in one of Brisbane's most delightfully over-the-top displays.
Immerse yourself in the Christmas Wonderland, where the holiday spirit is everywhere you look. A full enchanted forest awaits, and if you keep your eyes peeled, you'll spot hidden fairy doors and elf homes. Along the way, you’ll venture through brightly lit tunnels leading to the animated Santa throne.
9. Windermere Park Christmas Light Display
Explore the Windermere Park neighborhood to catch a glimpse of colorful lights, sparkling displays, and fully decorated rooftops. Some of the houses here go above and beyond, featuring laser projections and scenes crafted by inflatables, all illuminated under the soft glow of the lights.
East Brisbane
In East Brisbane, Christmas lights sparkle along rooftops and fence lines as the sun sets. Bring some cocoa and wander around the amazing light displays. Friendly competitions push participants to go all out, making them even grander.
10. Wynnum Christmas Lights
In Wynnum, one house knows how to invite the Christmas spirit: with a huge inflatable Santa. You’ll find the 9 m Santa at 19 Nemarra Street, where a massive display of bright Christmas lights, statues, window displays, and more awaits.
Each year, homeowners spend over a month preparing for this event. The display includes a snow machine, and music accompanies the softly falling snowflakes.
11. Manly Harbour Village Lights
Manly Harbour Village may be known for big homes, yachts, and local businesses. During Christmas, it takes on a whole new competitive spin. The entire precinct holds an annual Harbour Lights Christmas decorating competition. Residents and business owners here go all out.
The season starts early in December with carols, movies, and laser shows. Even Santa makes an appearance. While you’re here, opt for a Harbour Night Cruise and marvel at the bright, colorful lights from atop the harbor.
12. Wellington Point Village Christmas Festival
The annual Wellington Point Village Christmas Festival brings all-day cheer to kick off the holiday season. It’s located in the Redlands, southeast of Brisbane’s Central Business District, but it’s worth the trek to see a Christmas village that looks like it belongs on a mantel display.
This festival is a dream come true. Children adore local craft stalls and activities, such as face painting and a petting zoo. Throughout the entire village, festive lights and decorations illuminate the paths through storefronts and restaurants, adding a touch of lighthearted whimsy to your holiday shopping.
West Brisbane
Grab your Santa hats and head to West Brisbane, where suburban light displays shimmer and inspire visitors.
13. Kenmore Christmas Lights
In the Kenmore area, you see fully illuminated houses and palm trees all decked out inChristmas lights. There's even a house with over 100,000 LED lights. Kenmore is a prime destination for exploring the expert artistry of some of the most creative members of the community.
Smoke and bubble machines are common, elevating the experience as you appreciate the intricate scenes. One house takes this to an extreme. Synchronized lights create a colorful display while smoke-filled bubbles float through the air.
This extensively decorated home is located at 4 Burwick Close. People from surrounding areas flock to see what masterpieces the homeowners concoct each year.
14. Indooroopilly Light Displays
The Indooroopilly suburb sits southwest of the Brisbane Central Business District, and when Christmas rolls around, the lights from the houses brighten the city streets. Meander along sidewalks as you catch sight of displays that encourage dreams and fantastical adventures every step of the way.
15. Chapel Hill Light Spectacular
Over in Chapel Hill, an array of lights, snow machines, and more await. At one of the houses in this neighborhood, you'll find hundreds of lights along the veranda. Its nearby trees also shine all night long alongside a giant snowflake.
Surrounding Areas
Your Christmas light journey doesn’t have to end in Brisbane. Venture into surrounding areas for even more illuminating adventures. These locations weave together whimsical scenes with rope lights and spectacular displays. Don’t forget to snap a family photo while you’re visiting.
16. Sanford Village Lights
In the Sanford Village area, festive displays abound. Streetlights are no competition for the spectacular displays you’ll find here. Some houses go all out with music, decorated rooftops, and laser light displays.
17. Mount Gravatt Christmas Displays
The houses in Mount Gravatt take the joy of Christmas seriously. You might even spot—and have the chance to meet—Santa at some of the displays. Even when lively holiday characters aren’t out in front of houses, the lights will enchant.
18. Redcliffe Christmas Lights
In the suburb of Scarborough, you’ll find an impressive collection of Christmas light displays. It’s a bit of a drive from Brisbane, but for avid fans of holiday decorations, it’s definitely worth the trip.
Apartment balconies light up the sides of buildings in an impressive array of various themed displays. The houses along the streets are decked out in strings of lights, and the creativity and attention to detail are breathtaking.
19. Sandgate Lights Display
Some of the best Christmas light displays can be found in Sandgate. Along the streets, vivid colors combine a winter wonderland with the vibrant, warm Australian Christmas. At one of the most popular displays in the area — residing at 6 Topham Street in Bald Hills — you’ll discover a music-synchronized light show and interactive displays.
20. Springfield Lakes Light Show
If you’re looking for tens of thousands of lights in your walk-through displays, you’ll find them in Springfield Lakes. Venture over to one of the more popular displays in this area at Rise Place, where the music evokes images of dancing elves as lights glimmer around you. Other houses in the area organize visits and photos with Santa each year.
Embrace the Holiday Spirit With a Journey Through Brisbane’s Christmas Light Displays
If you're looking for dazzling displays of a different kind, come see our shows in Brisbane. We’ll enchant you with our special effects as our acrobats perform otherworldly feats. Let us be your tour guide as we take you on a journey you’ll never forget.