Families Magazine has compiled this handy guide to help teenagers make the most of their trip to the Ekka this year.
The Ekka has everything that teenagers love: thrill rides, bright lights, thumping music, and showbags filled with gimmicks and trending accessories. Some teenagers might even go there for the animals and demonstrations, but we all know it’s really all about having a good time with their mates! If you’re a parent feeling anxious about the safety risks of letting them “go it alone”, or a teenager looking for ways to get the best bang for your buck, this article is our ultimate guide to Ekka for teenagers.
What does Ekka for teenagers cost?
It all depends on your budget, but we’ll show you ways to save throughout this article. First, you have to get in!
Teenagers 14 years and under get entry for the cost of a child ticket. Children aged 15 and over are classed as adults, but can get entry at the concession rate upon presentation of a valid student ID card.
You might be restricted to going to the Ekka on your local council’s Ekka public holiday day, and if that falls on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday you are in luck! These are Super Saver Days when you can get an extra 20% discount on the entry cost.
So how does this work out?
For Ekka 2024 a child’s single entry ticket is $24.90 on a weekend day or Wednesday, and $19.92 on Super Saver Day. For teenagers aged 15 and over, a single entry ticket is $29.90 on the concession rate ($39.90 without student ID) on a weekend day or Wednesday, and on Super Saver Day an entry ticket will cost $23.92 with your student ID, or $31.92 without. Tickets have to be pre-purchased online.
We love a bargain at Families Magazine, so we know how to save heaps of $$$ at the Ekka. Read our post on Ekka discounts and cheap tickets to make sure you save for your family too!
Ekka rides for teenagers
Probably the best thing about Ekka for teenagers is the rides.
The Ekka has two adrenaline-charged carnival precincts this year. B105 Sideshow Alley is filled with extreme, spooky, and thrill rides, while Kids Carnival has all the family favourites, along with a few for the bigger kids.
Favourites for thrill seekers to look out for are Hollywood Horrors, Skyflyer, and The Joker. You can find them all – with photographs! – right here in our Ekka Rides Prices and Passes article. And to make sure you have all the latest ride information, our team is on the ground right as the gates open on the first day of the Ekka to bring you live price updates. It’s definitely worth checking out the article before you go!
If you want to experience all the thrill rides, that’s going to be a pretty big chunk out of a teenager’s budget. We recommend pre-purchasing a ride card, which can save you between 10 and 20% of the total cost. You can get a physical or digital ride card in denominations from $50 to $150.
Families Tip: If you can get up and through the gates early enough, Ekka is offering two for one rides every day of Ekka from 9:30am-10.30am each day!
Food – an absolute priority for hungry teenagers!
Hungry teenagers are well catered for at the Ekka. Food trucks are available everywhere, serving traditional Ekka favourites including Dagwood Dogs, sandwiches, pancakes, and the iconic Ekka strawberry sundae ice cream. Vegetarians, vegans, and those on a gluten-free diet are well catered for, too!
If you are saving all your money for rides and showbags, the cheese toasties and mini hotdogs at the Woolworths Pavilion will fill a corner for the bargain price of $3 each. And if you really don’t want to spend money on food, you could almost fill up with all the free tasters on offer.
Check out our Ekka food guide for this year’s offerings.
The best Ekka showbags for teenagers
Your 2024 Ekka showbags include your favourite video games, movies, sports teams and fashion brands. Click through to our showbags article for our top picks!
Entertainment for teens at the Ekka
There’s lots to see and do for free at the Ekka. If your Ekka budget is tight (or your stomach needs a break from being churned on the rides!), check out what’s happening at the various arenas and pavillions.
Many Brisbane high schools have performances scheduled, so check out the calendar and go along to support your school.
Australian Idol finalists take to the Plaza Music Stage daily during the week, and there are performances from tribute bands across many music genres.
Or head to the animal displays and get yourself a “GOAT” selfie. That’s got to be a thing, right?
And you’re never too old to feed the cute fluffy animals and birds in the RACQ Animal Nursery. In 2024 one cup of food is $3, or you can buy 2 cups for $5. Profits support the RNA Foundation.
Make sure you follow us on Facebook because we will be posting about our visit to the show on the first morning including hot tips and all the discounts we spot!
EkkaNITES
From 6:30pm every night, the Main Arena lights up for EkkaNITES. This year’s theme is NEON NITES and promises:
- SKITS Monster Trucks
- Trackskill ‘Precision’ V8 Utes
- Aussie FMX – Riders of the Night
- Plus over 3 tonnes of fireworks nightly!
This year the audience participates, too. Use your mobile phone to become part of a dazzling pixel display across the arena.
EkkaNITES is a thrilling display of fast motorised action, stunts, music, flames and flashing lights. It’s a great way for teenagers to end the night with their mates and get some photo-op shots.
Staying safe at the Ekka
Probably the last thing on any teenager’s mind – but the first thing on their parents’ – is safety. As a teenager your focus is on having fun and socialising, but spare a thought for your loving guardians. They’ll probably be stressing right up until you walk safely back in through the door. (This is your cue to roll your eyes. Sorry!)
Safety in numbers
There’s a reason certain animals and birds flock together – safety in numbers! If you stick with a group of trusted friends you will:
- be less likely to be approached by strangers or troublemakers.
- have someone to provide assistance or obtain help in an emergency.
- have someone to watch your back, hold your bag, and tell you if you’ve spilled sauce on your chin before you embarrass yourself.
Mobile phones
Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged and the ringer volume set loud enough to be heard over multiple generators. Always keep it with you. Consider carrying a power pack to keep your phone charged, but if you don’t, and your battery goes flat, you will find a mobile phone charging station in the John Macdonald Stand at the Main Arena. It’s likely to be busy there, but useful to add enough charge to make a quick call or check in with parents and guardians.
Lost property
Plenty of phones, wallets, and bags get lost at the Ekka each year. While we hope it doesn’t happen to you, hopefully any found items will be handed in to security.
Lost and Found is located at Customer Relations on the lower level of the Royal International Convention Centre. It is marked with a white LF on a dark blue background on the Ekka map.
Life 360
If you don’t already have this app, download it! This app is a godsend to our family of teenagers (we’ve found lost children and phones on at least four occasions over recent years!). It’s easy to use and allows users within a set ‘circle’ to see each other’s location. You can have multiple circles for different contacts depending on whom you might want to share your location with. We know you can pretty much do the same with Snapchat, but your parents probably aren’t on that, and Life 360 can also help you:
- locate a lost phone
- get walking or driving directions to a circle member’s location
- send an emergency alert to all members of the circle
- get notifications when a circle member has completed a journey or arrived at a destination
Share contact details
If all parties are comfortable with this, share contact numbers between friends and guardians. That way, if you lose or damage your phone, your parents or guardian can still get in touch with you, and you can contact your friend’s parents if necessary in an emergency.
Speaking of emergencies, please make sure you have your ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact set up. Remember to have details of any health conditions or medications logged in your Health app.
Getting to the Ekka
Instead of using “Mum’s Taxi”, the best way to get the to Ekka is by public transport. From 5 August, 2024, all Translink fares are only 50c per person per trip! Use the Translink Journey Planner to plan your trip, but remember, this option is likely to be very popular!
However you get to the Ekka, and whatever you do there, we hope you have a great day!
Looking for accommodation near the Ekka?
Check out these options:
- Budget: Lylo – Fortitude Valley
- Mid-range: Rydges – Fortitude Valley
- Luxury: Calile Hotel – Fortitude Valley
