Your 8-night Brisbane International itinerary

When: 29 December 2024 - 5 January 2025

Australia’s summer of tennis kicks off with the much-loved Brisbane International. 

It all takes place at the Queensland Tennis Centre—the venue for tennis at Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic Games—across 8 days and 14 sessions of world-class tennis and electrifying entertainment.

Want to make the most of your time in Brisbane? We’ve served up an 8-night Brisbane International tennis itinerary that combines the big matches with some of the city’s best attractions. 

Here's everything you need to know about the Brisbane International.

29 December 2024

Check into your boutique luxury room at the Emporium Hotel before heading up to the rooftop. There, take a dip in the infinity pool as you look out over the South Bank Parklands (imagine a subtropical Central Park with a beach) towards Brisbane’s skyline.

From there, head out to the Queensland Tennis Centre at Tennyson (see our guide here for details on how to get there) to catch the first matches of the tournament.

30 December 2024

Start off with a leisurely brunch at Emporium’s rooftop Terrace before a swim at Streets Beach in South Bank Parklands. Australia’s only inner-city, man-made beach, it’s like a slice of the Gold or Sunshine Coast right in the heart of Brisbane.  

Over at the Brisbane International, watch the action during the day session—from here, stay on for the evening session as well or head back to South Brisbane for dinner in Fish Lane, a trendy laneway that blends street art with beer cafes, hole-in-the-wall bars and some of Brisbane’s restaurants.

Stick your fork into gamberi piccanti seafood pizza or roasted spatchcock at Julius Pizzeria, or East-Asian cuisine amongst the leafy gardens at Southside.

31 December 2024 (New Year's Eve)

Get into the swing of things with a full day at the Brisbane International today. Grab yourself breakfast and a cup of locally roasted espresso at Newport’s in Fish Lane before venturing out to Tennyson for the day’s action.

Between sessions, why not discover some of Brisbane’s best craft beers? You’ll find three of Brisbane’s best breweries within 10 minutes by taxi or rideshare.

Check out Slipstream Brewing’s Californian-style brewpub, Helios Brewing Company, where you’ll find food trucks alongside their solar-power brewery and taphouse, or Ballistic Salisbury’s taphouse inside a former WWII munitions factory (you could say it’s ‘the bomb’), before making your way back to your hotel room to watch Brisbane’s night sky light up with fireworks to welcome in the new year.

1 January 2025 (New Year's Day)

Brisbane might not be the first place in Queensland that comes to mind when you think of islands and beaches—but don’t let that fool you. 

75-minutes by ferry you’ll find Mulgumpin (Moreton Island), the world’s third largest sand island (Mulgumpin means ‘the place of sandhills’ in the local indigenous language). As well as sandy beaches and freshwater lagoons, it’s home to the Wrecks, a collection of 15 deliberately sunk ships that 200 species of fish now call home.

Depart from Howard Smith Wharves with River to Bay and spend the day swimming and snorkelling around the wrecks, sharing the waters with a kaleidoscope of marine life including wobbegong, trevally, kingfish, and yellowtail.

Cruise back to Howard Smith Wharves (the former WWII docks that now serve as a bustling entertainment precinct under the iconic Story Bridge) for dinner by the river at Ciao Papi (try the woodfired Napoli pizza) before cocktails at Mr Percival’s, where Euro beach club vibes meet Brisbane’s glittering cityscape.

2 January 2025

Start your day with breakfast at one of West End’s trendy cafes (we can’t go past the Thai-infused dishes at West End Coffee House) before heading to QAGOMA. Comprising the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), it is the beating heart of Brisbane’s art and culture scene.

Start with GOMA and explore The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art which brings together 70 collectives from more than 30 countries. Whether you’re a sucker for ceiling-shattering artistic flair or just plain curious about the ever-changing landscapes that colour the Asia-Pacific region, this year’s showcase promises to inspire like never before. See the full guide here.

Stop for lunch under the poinciana trees at GOMA Bistro before exploring the 20,000 artworks from Australia, Asia and the World housed across these two adjacent riverside buildings.

This evening, the choice is yours—catch tennis stars in action at the Brisbane International, or Broadway stars Anthony Warlow and Zoë Ventoura performing ‘CHICAGO’ at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).

3 January 2025

Breakfast this morning comes with a side of natural history. After coffee and twice-baked croissants at Lune Croissanterie, make your way to the Queensland Museum, which celebrates the history of Queensland from prehistoric dinosaurs to modern scientific breakthroughs. 

Lunch is at the South Brisbane’s Charming Squire—choose from pub-style food alongside a selection of James Squire craft beers brewed on-site—before the tennis action continues with the men’s and women’s singles quarter-finals.

4 January 2025

The action at the Queensland Tennis Centre heats up today, with the singles semi-finals (both men’s and women’s) and the must-see Women’s Doubles Final.

There’s enough to eat, drink and see all day at the tennis, but if you do feel like a change of scenery, why not pop out to a local restaurant for dinner between sessions?

We like Italian restaurant Osteria Epoca in nearby Yeronga (try the seared beef scallops or creamy polenta), or Spanish favourite Botellon, where you’ll find paella and sangria served under the fairy lights. 

5 January 2025 (Finals)

Don’t miss a minute of the action at Pat Rafter Arena today. The atmosphere is set to be electric as the men’s doubles finals and men’s and women’s singles finals take place.

This is what it’s all been leading up to. Previous Brisbane International winners have included Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Nick Kyrgios—who will lift the trophies this year?

6 January 2025

After one last rooftop swim and brunch at the Terrace, it’s time to check out of your hotel and say ‘Game, Set, Match’ to 8-days of exploring Brisbane.

Can’t get enough of tennis? Why not explore Brisbane’s Tennis Trail (see the Brisbane City Council website for details), a homage to Queensland’s rich tennis history.

For more information about this event, here's everything you need to know about the Brisbane International.