Report finds Brisbane has country's best nightlife — if it's Thursday

Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 5:41pm

Thu 16 Jul 2026 at 5:41pm

In short:

A report has ranked Brisbane as the number one nightlife city in Australia, but only on Thursdays.

The nightlife economy report was jointly commissioned by Australia's eight capital city mayors.

The report listed a number of initiatives as contributing to the city's vibrant Thursday scene.

A report has found that Brisbane has the best nightlife scene in Australia — but only on Thursdays.

The Measuring the Nightlife Economy report was commissioned by the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, which consists of all eight of Australia's capital city leaders.

Brisbane outranked every other city in nightlife trade on Thursday nights, which was the city's busiest day.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Thursday night had only recently cemented itself as the night the city let its hair down.

"It was always Friday and Saturday nights that were the big nights before the pandemic, and then the pandemic changed everyone's working habits," he said.

"Now the busiest days in the office are on a Wednesday and a Thursday, so Friday has a higher number of people working from home.

"Thursday night is the night that a lot of people choose to stay longer and go out after work."

The report found that Brisbane's drinking economy was the "standout sub-subsector", with the number alcohol venues surging 14 per cent since the last financial year.

This contrasts with a nationwide decrease in the drinking sector, averaging out to a 1.2 per cent decline in venues across Australia in the last 12 months.

Thursday was also Brisbane's late-night shopping day, with 41 per cent of retailers trading in the evening hours compared with 26 per cent the rest of the weekdays.

Fortitude Valley, West End, South Bank, and the CBD were identified as the strongest clusters of night-time trading.

A global reputation

The report said Brisbane was strengthening the city's global reputation as a thriving nightlife destination.

"Brisbane City Council is actively supporting Brisbane's night-time economy through the delivery of targeted initiatives aligned with the key priorities of the Brisbane Economic Development Plan 2031," it said.

"This work includes fostering a vibrant and creative economy across the inner city and key cultural precincts and encouraging residents and visitors to engage with Brisbane's local lifestyle, businesses, places and experiences."

The initiatives cited included fairy lights in trees and a network of 4,500 security cameras watching for crime across the city.

Other initiatives mentioned included Public Space Liaison Officers and council workers who supported and encouraged homeless people to leave public spaces.

The report also found that 92 per cent of generation Z consumers believed meeting new people at gigs was "cool", and 86 per cent of them liked to "seek experiences that feel bigger than themselves".