Riverside Sunday Market
Brisbane's original and longest-running market, founded in 1987 on Eagle Street and now trading in the City Botanic Gardens.
About this market
Riverside Sunday Market was established in 1987 by Peter Hackworth, a Brisbane restaurateur with a genuine eye for what the city's Sunday mornings were missing. Originally set along the Eagle Street riverwalk in the heart of the CBD, it became Brisbane's original and longest-standing market, a title it's held for well over three decades and counting.
Nearly 40 years, one relocation, still going strong
The market's move from its original Eagle Street riverwalk site to the shadier City Botanic Gardens and Albert Street is the biggest change in its history, trading direct river frontage for the cover of established gardens. Reviewers describe the current setting as an easy, walkable stop, opals and crystal jewellery, tarot readings, henna and massage stalls alongside the more typical craft and food offerings, small enough to cover in under an hour but distinctive enough to be worth the visit.
Market at a glance
Being Brisbane's oldest market carries a certain institutional weight: generations of Sunday regulars have grown up with it, and the move to the City Botanic Gardens has only added to its appeal as a genuinely pleasant, tree-covered stroll rather than a hot, exposed CBD footpath market.
Riverside Sunday Market is old enough to have outlasted its own original location: it started on the Eagle Street riverwalk in 1987 and has since relocated to the City Botanic Gardens, all while remaining Brisbane's longest continuously running market.
Good to know before you go
It closes by 3pm, so a late Sunday arrival risks missing the last hour of stalls packing up. Pairing a visit with a longer walk through the City Botanic Gardens makes good use of the market's shaded, riverside setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What time does Riverside Sunday Market open?
- Sunday, 8am to 3pm, in the City Botanic Gardens on Alice Street and Albert Street, Brisbane City.
- How long has it been running?
- Since 1987, when restaurateur Peter Hackworth established it on Eagle Street. It's Brisbane's original and longest-standing market, now well into its fifth decade.
- Has it always been in the Botanic Gardens?
- No. The market originally ran along the Brisbane River walkway on Eagle Street in the CBD, and moved to its current, shadier home in the City Botanic Gardens more recently in its long history.