March is a wonderful time of year, with so many great choices and things to do.
What are you going to get up to?
1. Enjoy the furbulous fun at these adorable cat and dog festivals
The Cat Lovers Festival and Dog Lovers Festival are both coming to Brisbane this March, with plenty of themed attractions to look forward to.
2. Make your own signature gin
Calling all gin lovers – Bavay Distillery’s gin blending classes are such a fun activity with friends. For $65 per person, you’ll get to blend your own 200ml bottle of gin to take home with you, learn all about the distilling process, and enjoy a signature drink on arrival.
3. Go for a browse at this riverside art market
This huge bi-annual riverside market is returning in 2024 on Saturday, March 16, and will feature more than 50 local makers inside Felons Barrel Hall.
Throughout the day at The Great Artist Market, you can also enjoy some delicious food, street art and entertainment.
The must-visit markets to visit around Brisbane
4. Catch an outdoor movie at Sunset Cinema
This autumn, we’ll be able to catch movies under the stars in yet another beautiful location. The Sunset Cinema returns this March with an excellent line-up of movies from fresh blockbusters to old classics and family favourites. So if you want to get your outdoor film fix now that Moonlight Cinema is done for the season, look no further.
5. Head down to the Gold Coast to visit the Italian Renaissance Alive exhibition
From March 29, you can check out HOTA’s next major exhibition. The Italian Renaissance Alive experience is set to be a visual delight, with larger-than-life projections and installations for an immersive journey through art and history.
Thought-provoking art exhibitions to see in Brisbane and beyond this year
7. Expand your repertoire at the World Science Festival
The World Science Festival is back in Brisbane for ten days from Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 24. Here, you’ll be able to check out a jam-packed program full of workshops, engaging conversations, art installations, and more.
8. Paint your own Easter cookie cake book at this charming high tea
This enchanting Easter-themed experience in the city comes complete with an array of magical bites — including golden chocolate eggs — as well as a creme egg cocktail.
9. Taste some of the world’s finest cellars at a special wine experience
The Reserve Wine Bar at Emporium Hotel South Bank is hosting two special wine experiences this month: one with Penfolds on Tuesday, March 5 and another with New Zealand’s Black Estate on Thursday, March 7.
10. Hang out in the pool with a cocktail at a swim-up pool bar
Thanks to The Westin Brisbane‘s super chic pool bar, we don’t have to travel too far to relax by the pool with a cocktail during the warmer months.
11. Experience a Candlelight concert
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations never before used for this purpose in Brisbane.
More info here.
12. Turn off the lights for Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global movement meant to bring attention and urgency to protecting the planet from global warming, climate change, habitat destruction, and other environmental changes threatening our planet’s livelihood. The event began in Sydney in 2007, and has since spread to over 190 countries and millions of households.
The most common way to participate in Earth Hour is to switch off all non-essential lights in your home for one hour on Saturday March 23 at 8:30pm local time.
13. Shop at James Street’s boutiques after dark
The annual James St Up Late event is returning for one night only on Thursday, March 14, where 90-plus businesses on the famous Brisbane street will trade until 8pm.
14. Staycation in the city
Sometimes a staycation without travelling too far is just what we need to relax and recharge after a busy week. Our favourite hotels to staycation at in Brisbane are Brisbane Marriott, RAMBLA and W Brisbane. Then on the Gold Coast, a gorgeous hotel to stay at by the beach is the Sheraton Grand Mirage.
15. Embark on a mystery picnic in New Farm
If you like your picnics with some mystery added to them, a self-guided search for a basket containing a gourmet picnic might just be what you’re looking for. You will have to work as a team to solve the riddles and interactive clues on your smartphone to find your thoughtfully packed picnic basket.
Learn more about this all-inclusive mystery picnic.
16. Cruise over to Moreton Island and snorkel the Tangalooma Wrecks
Departing from Brisbane, the day cruise takes you across the bay to Moreton Island, where you can spend the day exploring Tangalooma Island Resort, with your choice of touring activity. Spot local marine life on the Marine Discovery Cruise, snorkel the famous Wrecks or enjoy the ATV quad bike adventure ride. Packed with all of the day trip essentials, it’s is a great way to experience your choice of unique touring expedition in nature’s playground.
Day Cruise to Moreton Island – tickets
17. Taste a heap of local brews at this craft beer festival
One of Brisbane’s biggest beer parties is back this year, so if you’re a fan of the frothy, this is one to keep on your radar. Juicy Beer Festival will take over Fortitude Music Hall on Saturday, March 16 for an unforgettable night of beer tasting, food, and live music.
18. Raise your glass at a P!nk rooftop tribute
If you missed P!nk’s recent concert, get the next best thing with this rooftop tribute at Sixteen Antlers on March 7, which will feature a P!nk tribute band, as well as a lineup of tasty cocktails and snacks.
19. Watch Disney’s Beauty and the Beast musical
The utterly magical Beauty and the Beast musical is finally here in Brisbane. After captivating Sydney audiences, this production is now playing at Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).
20. Relax and rejuvenate at a day spa
Brisbane certainly isn’t lacking in the day spa department, so it’s easier than ever to find a haven of relaxation in the city and beyond. Relax your worries away at one of these wellness hubs – there’s bound to be one near you.
21. Feast on a $50 banquet
Eagle Street’s Italian restaurant and bar Massimo have launched their new eight-course Pronto Banquet, which includes freshly shucked oysters, steak, pasta, dessert, plus more – for just $50 per person.
Fosh at Portside Wharf is also serving up a nine-course steak and seafood banquet for $50, which includes tasty dishes such as scallop crudo, fish curry, sirloin with mushroom sauce and more.
22. Sip at a month-long celebration of margaritas
For the month of March, South Brisbane’s Fish Lane will become a mecca for our favourite cocktail: the margarita.
‘March into Margarita’ is a month-long festival dedicated to our favourite tequila-based tipple, featuring daily margarita specials and unique varieties such as the grilled pineapple margarita from El Planta and the spiced lychee margarita from Midtown.
There will also be special margarita-inspired events popping up in the precinct during the month, including the Margs-A-Million festival at Southside this Sunday, March 3.
For more information on ‘March into Margarita’, head to Fish Lane’s website.
23. Chase waterfalls in the Gold Coast Hinterland
Luckily for us, the Gold Coast Hinterland has some of the best waterfalls in Queensland. Here’s a list of the essential ones to find in the region — some that you can swim in, and some best seen from afar.
24. Spot nocturnal wildlife at an immersive after-dark experience
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary has launched its newest wildlife experience, where you can spot creatures that go bump in the night.
The nocturnal experience is a 90-minute guided twilight tour through a vast eucalypt plantation, where you’ll take an enchanting one-kilometre stroll spotting the sanctuary’s residents using a non-invasive red torch and picking up their unique heat signature using a handheld thermal imaging device.