Ekka Showbags Review: Ekka Showbag Guide 2026

Families Magazine has compiled this handy guide to the best showbags per category at the Ekka this year.

We’ve spent hours poring over all the Ekka Showbags (they used to be called ‘Ekka Sample Bags’) and have put together a guide to help you determine how to get the biggest bang for your EKKA buck, regardless of  your child’s individual interests.

Families Magazine are the recognised experts in providing trustworthy Ekka resources, as evidenced in our multitude of Channel 9 News appearances showing you how to save at the Ekka!

Let’s be honest, kids all over Brisbane can be divided into two categories, simply send them off to the Ekka Showbags Pavillion without a plan and they will either:

A – beg you to buy the first show bag that slightly appeals to them.  If your child falls into this category and you haven’t planned ahead, please make sure you walk them out the same entrance and aisles you used to come in to avoid buyer’s remorse.

B – walk the aisles 50 times each, and end up in a never ending loop of indecisiveness.

In an effort to avoid both of the above, read our Ekka Showbags Guide for 2026 to determine what “category” of showbag you’d like them to buy and steer them in the right direction! Here is the old Ekka Showbag Pavilion map to help you out – we’ll update with the 2026 map on Ekka opening day:

BUT FIRST: Make sure you read our detailed EKKA Guide so you know everything we know about making the most of your EKKA experience!

Ekka showbags guide overview

We believe that kids Ekka showbags fall into one (or sometimes two) of the following categories. The first decision to be made is which type of show bag you’d like your child to “invest” in, prior to even starting the selection process.

There are no wrong decisions to be made as far as categories go, only wrong showbag choices within the categories i.e. when looking at value for money. Our guide is to help to steer you towards the best choices within each of the following categories, we’ll explain each of them below.

1. The Cheap Showbags
2. The Food Showbags
3. Branded Useful Showbags
4. Costume Showbags
5. Cheap Toy Showbags

Your next decision is whether you purchase your showbags at the start of the day (and carry them around or put them in a locker), or buy them towards the end of the day (with the constant worry of “what if they sell out”).

Finally, if you’re heading to the fireworks and plan on arriving early in order to get a great seat, you’ll need to decide whether it’s worth while taking some of the contents along with you in order to assist with the fireworks wait time (perhaps this won’t be such a big issue this year with the earlier / family friendly fireworks!).

NOTE: We found some showbags this year being sold for less than they were last year – with the exact same contents! Also, there appears to be none of the “Mega” showbags this year, but plenty of showbags of a similar theme,

Special mention showbags for parents and carers

We’re jumping in early to show you these before we go on to the big food bags and branded showbags because they could come in useful on the day!

• Bubs & Tots Showbag – $26 (value $338.97) – Snacks for little ones, sanity savers and treats for parents plus discount vouchers. We especially love the Oil Garden Cloud Vaporiser (valued at $39.99!) in this bag.

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!

The cheap Ekka showbags

The cheap Ekka showbags are the ones that are available for under $5.  Within this category, you’re either looking at the cheapest of the cheap, which is the $2 Rainbow Freeze Showbag…

…or a $5 showbag that has the biggest quantity of items in it (and perhaps a novelty item), so the kids think they are getting a fantastic deal.

Our picks for the $5 showbags which have a good quantity of items in it are shown below. Note, we’ve included these based on the lollies being a mainstream brand name and the number of items in the showbags, but we’ve excluded the bags that are likely to blow your head off (the warhead style bags… as they are not for everyone :).

• Little Wizz Fizz Bag – $5 – has 11 fizzy lollies and an inflatable hammer.
• Bertie Beetle Blue – $5 – Everyone’s favourite Ekka showbag has 5 Bertie Beetle chocolate and two x 2-finger Kit Kat
• Rip Snorter Little Ripper – $5 – a bag full of chewy sweets and an inflatable hammer
• Lollipops Showbag- $5 – has 31 lollipops in a tote bag.

Don’t forget to check for multi-buy offers – the $6 Cadbury showbags are all 5 for $25 (only $5 each!) and $8 showbags are 2 for $15 ($7.50 each!). They include favourites like Curly Wurly, Caramello Koala, Flake, and Freddo. If you have multiple children, this is usually a fantastic way to save some money (don’t worry if the contents aren’t equal, you can always dive your hand in when they are on a ride and quickly redistribute the goodies).

The food showbags

• Old Style Liquorice Showbag – $8 – 6 big bags of liquorice favourites.
• All American Showbag – $30 – Popular American snacks and drinks.
• Morish Nuts & Nougat Showbag – $55 – Delicious savoury and coated nut varieties.
• Best of British Showbag – $30 – Lollies, chocolate and a drink.

Special mention in the food showbags goes to:

• Allen’s Ultimate Carry All Showbag – $25 – 5 bags of lollies in a retro tote bag.
• Ferrero Rocher – $26 – containing 22 Ferrero Rocher in a tote bag.
• Big Smarties – $22 – heaps of Smarties plus Bertie Beetles and KitKats.
• Smith’s Supersnack Bag – $12.50 – contains 8 packets of chips including Red Rock, Doritos, Grainwaves and Smith’s chip favourites.
• Nobby’s Nuts – $12.50 – six of your favourite snack bags.

The branded useful showbags

A lot of the branded showbags actually contain “useful” items, which is a great thing for you, but can often leave the kids disappointed (if they haven’t really looked into what’s inside). I remember buying the Hot Wheels showbag one year for 4 year old twins (they chose it BTW), but when they got home, it was full of novelty items and NO Hot Wheels cars!

A lot of these showbags contain a few of the following items and sell for around $30:

• backpacks
• caps
• water bottles
• socks
• beach towels
• key rings
• t-shirts

In the scheme of things, the contents can actually be quite useful (and pretty good value for money!) and the kids will get a lot of use out of the contents in the future. Just make sure the kids realise they aren’t full of toys!

There are HEAPS of these types of bags, here are a few of our favourites for 2026:

• The Simpsons Bart Showbag – $32 – Backpack, cap, socks, bumper sticker … the contents will hang around for a long time. Alternative mini games and prank showbag available.
• The Child Showbag – $32 – T-shirt, cap, drink bottle, socks and novelties. There is also a The Mandalorian AND Mandalorian Grogu showbags for fans of the franchise.
• Jaws – $32 – Beach towel, cooler and cap.
• Friends Showbag – $32 – Backpack, socks and novelties

Sports fan showbags

• Brisbane Lions Show Bag – $36- Bag, cap, bottle, flag, football and novelties.
• Gold Coast Suns Showbag – $36 – Bag, ball, scarf, drink bottle and novelties.
• Matildas Showbag – $32 – Bag, soccer ball, water bottle, scarf and novelties.
• LA Lakers – $36 – Size 7 basketball, sports towel, socks and novelties. Other NBA teams available.

Ekka special – buy any two NRL or State of Origin bags for only $50!

Other sporting showbags include:

• AFL Teams – $36 – caps, flags and novelties of popular AFL teams.
• Subway Socceroos – $32 – bag, ball, scarf and novelties.

Kids’ favourite Tv showbags

• Paw Patrol Team – $35 – Backpack, bento box, and more! (Paw Patrol Skye showbag also available).
• Dora the Explorer – $32 – Backpack, ball, hair brush, scavenger hunt and more.
• Bluey Showbag – $35 – Backpack, lunch box set, and novelties. (Bingo showbag and alternative Bluey showbag also available!)
• peppa Pig Showbag – $35 – Backpack, bucket hat, colouring book, and novelties.

• Thomas The Tank Engine Showbag – $35 – with a backpack, toy, activity set, drink cup and more.
• Sesame Street Showbag – $35 – Backpack, bucket hat, cup and more.
• Miffy – $35 – Fluffy backpack and novelties.
• Spongebob – $20 – Carry bag, frisbee and toys

Kids’ favourite movie showbags

• Stitch Angel Showbag – $35 – Drink bottle, planner, stationery
• Stitch Backpack Bag – $35 – Hat, fan and toys
• Stitch Show Bag – $32 – Towel, socks, cup, keyring
• Stitch Stationery Showbag – $35 – Backpack, stationery

Other favourite movie showbags include:

• Black Panther Wakanda Forever – $19 (less than last year!) – with t-shirt, socks, cap and novelties.
• Moana – two options at $32 and $35 – with dress-ups, towl and novelties.
• Wicked – $35 – with cosmetics and accessories.
• Guardians of the Galaxy – bargain at only $19 for t-shirt, socks, cap, keyring and more.

Kids’ choice showbags

• Mini Mouse Showbag – $32 – Insulated mug, socks, novelties.
• My Little Pony Showbag – $35 – Backpack, accessories.
• Barbie Fab Life Showbag – $35 – Cap, bottle, handbag.
• Cinamaroll Showbag – $35 – Stationery and fun toys.

• 3D Printed Dragon – $32 – lots of toys
• Pusheen Showbag – $32 – Backpack, stationery, socks and more.
• Creative Junior Showbag – $27 – Lots of fabulous stationery.
• Minecraft Showbag – $35 – Backpack, cap, headphones, and more (dress up Minecraft showbags also available).

• Play-Doh Showbag – $30 – Crafting fun.
• Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Showbag – $35 – Backpack, cap, vehicle (styles vary) and novelties.
• Just For Fun Showbag – $20 – Heaps of novelties.
• Pokemon Jnr Showbag – $35 – One of two different Pokemon showbags available!

The costume showbags

The Ekka is conveniently scheduled just before book week… so plan accordingly!

• Mike’s Tool Chest Showbag – $27 – Everything for the young tradie.
• Spiderman Bag – $30 – Character dress up, toys and novelties.
• Justice League – $30 – Superman dress up and novelties.
• Minecraft Showbag – $30 – Dress up hat, vest and sword with bop bag.

• Gabby’s Dollhouse Showbag – $35 – A cute backpack and costume.
• Disney Frozen 2 Dress Up Bag – $35 – Dress, cape, wand and accessories.
• Knights & Gladiators Bag – $25 – Helmet, breastplate, shield and sword.
• Fairy Girls Showbag – $25 – Skirt, wings, hair extension and novelties.

The cheap toy showbags

These are the showbags that will last 5 minutes, full of plastic and items will be lost pretty quickly. Don’t expect much from them, but they will offer lots of entertainment for a very short time. 

Whilst they are full of cheap toys, it’s not to say you shouldn’t buy them, some of them are jam-packed with so many novelty items they can be handy to pull out one bit at a time on a rainy day… then the item will likely be binned pretty soon after the first use!

Our picks are below!

• Dollykins – $32 – Cradle, doll, doll clothes and accessories.
• Bugs World – $32 – Bug catcher and observation tools, ideal for the budding entomologist.
• Gag Magic Bag – $20 – Chock full of little magic tricks with a magician’s hat and glasses.
• Dinosaur Rules – $32 – Giant tyrannosaurus rex and other dinosaur toys.

Then, of course, there are all the slime bags…

• Slime Super Showbag – $20
• Jumbo Slime Time – $15

 And Squishy bags

• Squishy Things Showbag- $35 – 15 toys and novelties included.
• Squish Mochi Showbag – $20 – 10 cute squishies.

And Fidget bags!

• Fidget Big Bag A – $32 – 14 novelties to pop, pull, squeeze and squish
• Fidget Big Bag B – $32 – 16 novelties to pop, pull, squeeze and squish

Showbags for creative kids

These bags are great value and guaranteed to keep your kids busy long after the Ekka.

• Bake Kneads – $25 – cake tin, ingredients, measuring spoons.
• Home Studio Showbag- $38 – art equipment and sketch pad.

Showbags for tweens and teens

There’s great value in the Ekka showbags designed for teens. The ones featured below are our picks of a larger range. And if your teenager wants to know more about getting bang for their buck, check out our Ekka for teenagers article, written just for them!

• BBZ Showbag – $32 – Handbag, earrings, sockss, cosmetics and accessories.
• Bubble Tea Showbag – $35 – Cup, slippers, stationery and more!
• Stella Athletica Showbag – $40 – Gym top, bag, bottle, snacks and accessories.
• Just a Girl Who Loves… – $32 – Choose your theme from dachshunds, highland cows, chickens or horses for a bag full of decorative items,

• Deadpool Showbag – $32 – T-shirt, socks and novelties.
• Call of Duty Showbag – $32 – Backpack, hat, cooler bag and novelties.
• Fast & Furious Showbag – $32 – Backpack, hat, cooler bag and novelties.
• South Park Showbag – $20 – Backpack, hat, mug.

Showbags for adults

These showbags really represent great value!

• Women’s Essential – $30 (value $338.70) – Overnight bag, bottle, food, vouchers and more.
• Australian Women’s Weekly – $25 – Magazine, cosmetics and food.
• Better Homes & Gardens Showbag – $35 – Bag, snacks and useful items.
• Men’s Style – $36 – Duffle bag, hat, belt, toiletries and snacks.

And don’t forget the pets!

Your pet has been a good boy or girl while you were at the show. Show them how much you appreciate them with a showbag for pets!

• The Big Pet Cat Showbag – $20 – Food treats and toys for your cat, and useful items for you.
• The Big Pet Dog Showbag – $20 – Food treats and toys for your dog, and useful items for you.
• The Pooch Showbag for Dog Lovers – $25 – Kong toy, treats, and discount vouchers.
• The Kitty Showbag for Cat Lovers – $25 – Kong toy, treats, discount vouchers, and a mug for you!

Ekka showbag guide 2026

I’ll be honest, this started off as a top 10 showbag list but may have got a little out of control. But there’s no “top 10” when it comes to showbags; it’s about choosing a showbag “type” and matching it to your child’s interest… then sticking to a budget!

Bring on the Ekka and all the Ekka Showbags!

Can’t get to the Ekka but still want your showbags? See our article about where to buy Ekka showbags online!

Looking for more Ekka fun?

As the sun sets over Brisbane the Ekka excitement ramps up with a HUGE 1.5 hour EkkaNITES program sure to delight families. We’ve got the low down on Ekka fireworks!

Find out where to find the best parking spot in our Ekka parking wrap-up.

Ekka food has evolved over the years from the classic carnival fare to include a selection of gourmet foodie experiences. Here’s our pick of the Top 5 BEST Eats at Ekka!

Looking for accommodation near the Ekka?

Check out these options:

• Budget: Lylo – Fortitude Valley
• Mid-range: Rydges – Fortitude Valley
• Luxury: Calile Hotel – Fortitude Valley