Good Friday is for resting but Easter Sunday and Monday are for moving. While many shops around Chermside close for the public holidays, EKPE is officially OPEN all long weekend to help your family burn off that chocolate energy.
Every Easter, the same question pops up in households across Brisbane Northside: what’s actually open on Easter Sunday? You’ve done the egg hunt by 8am, the kids are buzzing on sugar, and the thought of another afternoon staring at the TV sounds unbearable. The good news is that Brisbane’s Easter long weekend in 2026 has genuine options both indoors and out for family-friendly Easter events Brisbane families will actually enjoy. This guide cuts through the noise and tells you exactly where to go, what’s open, and which pick is worth your time.
Whether you’re hunting for the best indoor activities Brisbane long weekend has to offer or want to explore what’s happening around the CBD and Northside, we’ve got you covered. Read on for our curated shortlist plus honest tips on when to book and what to expect.
The Big Question Answered: What's Open Easter Sunday Brisbane 2026?
Let’s be upfront: Good Friday sees widespread closures, and many retailers across Westfield Chermside and the CBD operate on reduced hours through the long weekend. But not everything shuts down. A growing number of entertainment venues, restaurants, and experience-based activities keep their doors open and some have planned Easter-specific events specifically because they know families need somewhere to go.
Below is a quick-reference table covering the key options for Easter school holiday activities Brisbane families are most likely to search for this April.
| Venue / Activity | Easter Sunday | Easter Monday | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| EKPE Activate Games, Chermside | Open 11am–8pm | Open 11am–8pm | High-energy families, all ages |
| Roma Street Parkland | Open (event 9am–1pm) | Open (event 9am–1pm) | Outdoor, young children |
| Howard Smith Wharves | Open daily | Open daily | Foodies, older kids, couples |
| Westfield Chermside (retail) | Reduced hours | Reduced hours | Shopping, dining |
| South Bank Parklands | Open | Open | Beach, BBQ, families |
Top 3 Easter Sunday & Monday Activities in Brisbane
Not all options are created equal. Here are the three picks that stand out for different types of families — matched to energy levels, age groups, and what you’re actually in the mood for on a long weekend.
1. EKPE Activate Games For High-Energy Families
Six tech-powered game rooms. 500+ games. No weather worries. The ultimate indoor activity for Brisbane’s Easter long weekend open both days.
Roma Street Parkland For the Outdoor Vibe
Celebrating its 25th birthday with “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” sessions from 9am–1pm all long weekend. Lovely for younger kids and toddlers.
Howard Smith Wharves For Foodies
Open daily. Easter Egg Hunt on the main lawn at 10am on Easter Sunday. Beautiful riverside setting a solid choice for a relaxed brunch crowd.
Why EKPE Is the Top Pick for Chermside Activities Easter Weekend
If you’re on Brisbane’s Northside, the answer to “what are the best Chermside activities Easter weekend” is increasingly the same: EKPE Activate Games. Located at Level 1, 744 Gympie Road right in the heart of Chermside EKPE is Queensland’s first Activate Games Sport Arena, and it’s built for exactly the kind of long-weekend chaos that a sugar-fuelled Easter holiday produces.
The concept is simple but addictive: physical movement meets cutting-edge interactive technology across six high-tech challenge rooms. Think dodging laser walls, smashing light-up targets, racing against the clock in the Super Grid, or going head-to-head in Hyper Hoops. The games scale in difficulty, which means a 7-year-old and their 45-year-old dad can genuinely compete and neither one will be bored. As one parent put it after a visit: “We haven’t laughed that hard in ages. This is our new go-to spot.”
Because it’s fully indoors, April’s unpredictable Brisbane weather is completely irrelevant. Rain? Heat? Humidity? None of it matters once you’re inside. That’s what makes EKPE the standout answer when families are searching for the best indoor activities Brisbane long weekend has on offer it genuinely works on any day, in any conditions.
EKPE Opening Hours Easter 2026
EKPE is open every day of the Easter long weekend including Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday from 11:00am to 8:00pm. Last booking is 7:00pm. No special closures, no reduced hours. Walk-ins are welcome, but booking ahead is strongly recommended during the school holidays.
- Good Friday (18 April)Open 11am – 8pm
- Easter Saturday (19 April)Open 11am – 8pm
- Easter Sunday (20 April)Open 11am – 8pm
- Easter Monday (21 April)Open 11am – 8pm
- Last booking each day7:00pm
Call 07 3117 9669 or book directly at ekpe.com.au to secure your slot. Spots fill up fast over the school holiday period especially on Easter Sunday and Monday when the rest of the family is free.
Look, we all have those days where the weather just isn’t cooperating and you need a backup plan fast. Westfield Chermside is genuinely more than just a shopping centre during school holidays, there’s a great cinema, loads of casual food options that work for kids, and the centre often runs holiday activation events with face-painting, craft activities, and characters. It won’t be the most adventurous day of the holidays, but as activities to do in Brisbane go, it’s easy, it’s covered, and it gets the job done.
Easter Monday: Why It's the Hardest Day to Plan
The Easter Monday Problem (And the Solution)
Easter Sunday gets all the attention the egg hunt, the family lunch, the novelty. But Easter Monday is a different beast entirely. By Monday, the kids have already eaten their body weight in chocolate, the novelty of the long weekend is wearing thin, and parents are running low on ideas. This is the day the “what are things to do Easter Monday Brisbane” searches spike hardest.
EKPE is genuinely the Easter Monday MVP for Brisbane Northside school holiday ideas, and here’s why: it offers a guilt-free screen-time alternative that kids buy into completely. You’re physically inside a game moving, competing, laughing rather than passively watching one. It’s the kind of activity that drains energy in the best possible way, and parents who have been through a long weekend with over-stimulated kids know exactly how valuable that is.
For families looking for fun family activities near me that don’t require a huge logistical effort on a public holiday, EKPE’s Chermside location is ideal. Easy parking, no long outdoor queues, and an experience that takes 60–90 minutes to move through properly making it perfectly scalable for a post-lunch outing or a morning adventure.
Active Gaming: The New Easter Weekend Activity
Active gaming Brisbane is no longer a niche concept. EKPE has introduced Queensland families to an entirely new category of weekend activity one that merges the engagement of video games with real physical movement. Every challenge at EKPE responds to your body: you have to run, jump, dodge, throw, and react. Sessions average 60–90 minutes, and almost everyone reports it goes faster than expected.
What makes it work especially well over Easter is the group dynamic. The games are designed for competition between friends and family, which means sibling rivalries get a healthy outlet, grandparents can join in (the difficulty scales to suit them), and parents discover that their reflexes are considerably better than their children will admit. It’s one of the rare indoor playground Brisbane-style experiences that genuinely holds the attention of every age group in the room simultaneously.
What to Do in Brisbane This Easter: The Full Weekend Snapshot
If you want to spread activities across the full long weekend rather than concentrating everything on one day, here’s a suggested approach for Brisbane families especially those based on the Northside.
| Day | Suggested Activity | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good Friday | Rest, home egg prep, church for those observing | Home / Local | Many venues closed |
| Easter Saturday | Easter Egg Hunt + Brunch at Howard Smith Wharves | Brisbane CBD | Egg hunt 10am main lawn |
| Easter Sunday | Roma Street Parkland Mad Hatter sessions (morning) + EKPE afternoon session | CBD + Chermside | Book EKPE in advance |
| Easter Monday | EKPE Activate Games — full session | Chermside | Last booking 7pm |
This spread keeps the weekend varied outdoor moments, cultural experiences, and high-energy indoor fun without overwhelming anyone. And because EKPE is open every day of the long weekend, it gives you maximum flexibility on timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EKPE Activate Games open on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday 2026?
Yes. EKPE is open the entire Easter long weekend Good Friday through Easter Monday from 11:00am to 8:00pm each day. Last booking is 7:00pm. It operates standard public holiday hours and does not close for Easter. Booking ahead via ekpe.com.au is recommended as sessions fill quickly during school holidays.
What are the best things to do with kids in Brisbane on Easter Monday?
Easter Monday is when many outdoor and ticketed events have wrapped up, making indoor options particularly valuable. EKPE Activate Games in Chermside is one of the most family-friendly Easter events Brisbane has consistently across the full long weekend. With six interactive game rooms suited to ages 6–60+, it handles everything from toddler siblings to competitive teenagers in the same session. South Bank Parklands is also open and free. For Brisbane Northside families, EKPE is the standout pick.
Are there indoor activities in Brisbane that work for different ages in the same group?
EKPE Activate Games is specifically designed for multigenerational play. Its game rooms Super Grid, Laser Maze, Devil’s Eyes, and Hyper Hoops — all offer adjustable difficulty levels, meaning a 6-year-old and a 60-year-old grandparent can compete in the same session without either being bored or overwhelmed. It’s one of the few active gaming Brisbane venues where mixed-age groups consistently report that everyone had fun. Sessions run 60–90 minutes.
Do I need to book EKPE in advance over Easter, or can I walk in?
Walk-ins are welcome at EKPE, but booking ahead is strongly recommended over the Easter long weekend and school holidays. Slots particularly on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday afternoons fill up well in advance. You can book online at ekpe.com.au or call 07 3117 9669. Securing your time slot takes two minutes and avoids the risk of missing out on one of the top indoor activities Brisbane has for the long weekend.
Final Word: Make This Easter Weekend One Worth Remembering
Brisbane’s Easter long weekend in 2026 doesn’t have to be a patchwork of closed shops and restless afternoons. Between Roma Street Parkland’s birthday celebrations, Howard Smith Wharves’ riverside egg hunt, and EKPE’s all-weekend indoor playground Brisbane experience on the Northside there’s a genuinely good answer to every family’s holiday needs.
But if there’s one choice that works across every day of the long weekend, for every age group, regardless of the weather it’s EKPE. As the definitive destination for Chermside activities Easter weekend and the leading answer to “what’s open on Easter Sunday Brisbane 2026,” it’s the place that turns a tricky public holiday into a genuinely memorable one. Whether you’re looking for fun family activities near me on the Northside or just need somewhere that will actually tire the kids out before dinner, EKPE delivers every time.
Book your Easter session now at ekpe.com.au before slots fill. Level 1, 744 Gympie Road, Chermside QLD 4032. Open 11am–8pm all long weekend. Last booking 7:00pm.
🐰 Easter Weekend Hours
EKPE is open all Easter long weekend!
Join us from 11am to 8pm, every single day.
*Note: The last booking session starts at 7pm.