Book a park site
Book a park site to reserve a space for a private event. Apply for permission for park activities and check park fees.
About our bookable spaces
Brisbane's scenic and well-equipped parks are the perfect setting for outdoor events and activities.
Book a park site to celebrate a birthday, wedding or other special occasion.
Choose a site from parks on the Brisbane River, surrounded by lush gardens and forests, next to playgrounds and picnic facilities, or with magnificent city views.
With an extensive selection of bookable areas across more than 20 parks, there’s a site for every group, occasion and activity.
Find a park site for your event
Celebrate your wedding, hold a community festival or host your corporate event at a park.
Choose from more than 20 parks across the city with bookable spaces.
Make a booking for your private event
You need to apply to book a park site for exclusive use of the space for a private event.
Booking a park site:
- incurs a booking fee, plus any other applicable fees based on the planned activity
- suits formal gatherings such as weddings, birthday parties and other large private functions
- gives you exclusive access to the site for the booked time.
Booking conditions
- The minimum booking length is 2 hours.
- Sites are generally available for booking between 8am and 7pm daily.
- Bookings only apply to the site you choose, which includes any facilities available in that site (e.g. a rotunda or power).
- You can’t book barbecues, other shelters or playgrounds. You must share these facilities with other park visitors.
- Select a park site.
- Understand your fees (if applicable).
- Prepare your supporting documents, if required.
To book a site for a large event or activity, you need to provide:
- standardised management plans, including
- waste plans
- sanitary plans
- noise plans
- traffic plans
- parking plans
- first aid plans
- emergency evacuation plans
- a Certificate of Currency for Public Liability Insurance to the value of $20 million
- a site pan and map.
Complete the online form to request a park booking.
If you are bringing equipment into the park, you may also need to apply for vehicle access. You can do this using the park booking form.
We’ll assess your application and get back to you within 10 business days.
Park fees will be invoiced once the park booking is confirmed.
Get permission for park activities
Council regulates activities on public land under the Public Land and Council Assets Local Law 2014.
Under the local law, you need permission to carry out specific activities in Council parks.
You need to apply for permission to use a park for:
- commercial activities
- use of electricity or other utility
- activities involving animals, other than domestic pets
- distributing or handing out any notices, literature or promotional materials
- affixing or posting any bills or placards
- use of any temporary structures covering more than 15 square metres
- activities that may impact the park, park users or neighbouring properties
- activities or events involving 500 or more attendees.
Some common activities in parks that need permission include:
- slacklining
- parties with jumping castles
- fundraising or promotional activities or events
- fun runs, cross country and orienteering events
- recreation equipment hires, lessons and tours
- social and community welfare outreach services
- personal training and other health, well-being and life skills classes
- metal detecting involving digging up or disturbing soil to remove targets.
You need permission to carry out a commercial activity in a Council park. This includes activities conducted by a community or not-for-profit organisation for fundraising purposes.
A park activity is considered commercial if it:
- involves the exchange of goods or services for a fee or other consideration
- is undertaken for the purposes of advertisement, promotion or furtherance of business.
- busking
- coffee and food vendors
- dog obedience training
- events with goods and services for sale, such as markets, fetes and fairs
- filming and photography for commercial purposes, including student activities
- fundraising or promotional activities or events
- fun runs, cross country, orienteering and other sport, recreation and leisure activities and events for paying participants
- personal training and other health, well-being and life skills classes
- recreation equipment hire, lessons and tours
- ticketed events (concerts, festivals and outdoor movies).
To complete your application, you need:
- Certificate of Currency for Public Liability Insurance to the value of $20 million (minimum), if your event is high-risk
- a marked-up map or aerial photo showing the park area you plan to use. You can use Council’s interactive mapping or other online mapping tools to create your map, or mark-up a hard copy map by hand.
Complete the online form to request permission.
We’ll get back to you within 10 business days and invoice you for any applicable fees.
For more information about events and activities in parks, contact Council or download our guidelines for using Council parks.
Park fees and related approvals
Fees apply to booking park sites and carrying out commercial activities in parks.
Some activities and events incur a security bond and other charges.
All fees include GST.
| Park activity | Fee |
|---|---|
| Booking a park site | $199.60 per hour (minimum 2 hours) |
| Commercial activities and events with up to 100 attendees | $463.50 per day |
| Commercial activities and events with 101 to 500 attendees | $721.90 per day |
| Commercial activities and events with 501 to 2,000 attendees | $1,006.70 per day |
| Commercial activities and events with more than 2,000 attendees | $1,308.70 per day |
| Mobile food vendor | $85.90 per month or $450 per year |
| Recreation equipment hire business | $85.90 per month or $667.40 per year |
| Hot air balloon landing in a Council parkland | $146.75 per month or $1224.50 per year |
| Helicopter landing in a Council parkland | $587.80 per day |
| Commercial sport, health, well-being and life skills activities, animal training, outdoor education |
Up to 10 participants: Free More than 10 participants: $133.40 per month or $1329.20 per year |
| Car parking in a Council parkland | $4.85 per car per day or $530.55 per day, whichever is greater |
| Council officer on duty | $103.25 per hour |
| Use of Council electricity | $28.95 per outlet per day |
Religious, welfare and not-for-profit community organisations are exempt from park use fees.
The Schedule of Fees and Charges lists the organisations that qualify as:
- Type 1 Religious or Charitable
- Type 2 Essential Welfare or Community Service
- Type 3 Not-for-Profit Community.
To find out more, read the Concessions for fees and charges section in the Schedule of Fees and Charges.
A security bond may apply, depending on:
- your activity or event
- the equipment you plan to bring into the park.
We may:
- cancel your event or activity if you fail to pay the bond
- keep the bond payment if you damage the park or don’t clean up after the event.
You may also need to pay other charges for services provided by Council, including electricity, cleaning and additional set-up costs.
You may need other approvals, permits or licences to hold an event or commercial activity in a park.
This includes:
- a temporary food stall licence to provide or sell food
- approval for vehicle access
- an event permit for events with more than 1,000 expected attendees or certain assessable risks.
Vehicle access to the parkland
You need Council approval to access park grounds in your vehicle. You can request vehicle access for activities related to a park booking or park use, such as:
- delivering equipment for an approved activity or event
- carrying out construction work within the park
- accessing private property through the park.
You need approval to deliver equipment related to a park site booking or permission for use.
You must request vehicle access as part of your application.
If access is approved, you will be invoiced for a $110 key bond to collect a gate key.
A security bond may also apply for any vehicle requiring access into parkland. Council may keep part or all the bond if your vehicle damages the parkland.
You need approval to access Council parkland by vehicle to:
- carry out construction work within the park
- access stormwater/sewer within the park
- access private property.
You can apply for temporary vehicle access online. You must provide:
- each vehicle's registration number
- Certificate of Currency for Public Liability Insurance for $20 million
- any plans for work within the park, including a site map.
We’ll get back to you within 10 business days.
If approved, you must pay a $110 key bond to collect a gate key.
A security bond for the parkland may also apply depending on the type of work being carried out.
Frequently asked questions
You can organise a range of events and activities at parks with the appropriate permits, approvals and/or permission.
They include: