Ekka

Australian annual agricultural show held in Queensland

The Ekka is the annual agricultural show of Queensland, Australia. Its formal title is the Royal Queensland Show, and it is held at the Brisbane Showgrounds. It was originally called the Brisbane Exhibition, but it is more commonly known as the Ekka, short for "exhibition". It is run by The Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA). The Ekka is Queensland's largest annual event, which welcomes an average of 400,000 visitors each August. In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Ekka was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as an "event and festival".

The Ekka is held in Queensland's capital city, Brisbane, for 10 days each August at the Brisbane Showgrounds in the suburb of Bowen Hills. The Ekka is run by the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA). The Ekka is Brisbane's most popular event of any sort, with around 400,000 visitors attending the show in recent years. The showgrounds covers an area of 22 hectares. During Ekka, the Exhibition railway line is operational with special trains (some of them historic steam trains) carrying passengers to the Exhibition railway station in the middle of the Brisbane Showgrounds.

Attractions at the Ekka include fairground rides, a Side Show Alley, animal parades, woodchopping competitions, agricultural displays and equestrian events. Showbags are also an integral part of the Ekka experience. Usually containing food items (such as confectionery and novelty items), showbags are sold in the Showbag Pavilion. The contents of the showbags are tested to ensure they comply with safety standards. In 2015, there were 362 different showbags available for visitors to spend their money on and enjoy samples of products. Showbags range from $1, $2 (the famous Bertie Beetle Bag) and up to $108, providing companies the opportunity to offer their merchandise to the public at discounted prices. Competitions remain at the heart of the Ekka. Since the very first show in 1876, the Ekka has been rewarding and recognising those dedicated to producing the best of the best. The competitions include agricultural products such as livestock, fruit and vegetables, and skills in areas as diverse as farriery and cake decorating. The Ekka strawberry sundae was introduced in 1950 by Paul's dairy company. In 1989, the sale of the strawberry sundaes became a joint initiative between the RNA and the Prince Charles Prince Charles Hospital Foundation, with sale proceeds going to the latter to fund medical research. The sundae consists of a cup ice cream cone filled with vanilla ice cream, chopped strawberries and strawberry ice cream, topped with whipped cream and a whole strawberry. At Ekka 2014, around 117,000 strawberry sundaes were consumed. The stud beef competition is the largest annual showing of stud beef in the southern hemisphere.

The Ekka, due to its large attendance, raises a large amount of revenue. Estimates of this number average around the $100 million mark, yet this amount may fluctuate with weather in Brisbane at the time (a particularly wet August may reduce attendance significantly). Because of the cultural significance of the Ekka, the City of Brisbane holds a Wednesday public holiday known as "People's Day". The Ekka starts on the first Friday in August, except if the first Friday is before 5 August, in which case it starts on the second Friday of August. People's Day is then the Wednesday after the Ekka commences. To avoid overcrowding, some surrounding regions have the public holiday on alternative days.

Frequently, in the week leading up to the Ekka, the chilly 'Ekka winds' descend on Brisbane. These are westerly winds caused by high pressure systems in the Great Australian Bight.