Pelican Park Archives - Redcliffe Today

All Eyes on the Sky as KiteFest Returns to Clontarf

Photo Credit: Sheba_Also / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

The skies above Clontarf will fill with colour again this September when Redcliffe KiteFest returns to Pelican Park, this time with a renewed focus on the thing that started it all: kites.

VietJet Redcliffe KiteFest will take over the foreshore on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September, bringing experienced kite flyers from Australia and overseas to the Peninsula. General admission will be free in 2026, with organisers reshaping the festival to put kite flying firmly back at the heart of the weekend.

For anyone who remembers KiteFest before it grew into one of the Peninsula’s best-known annual events, there should be something familiar about that approach. Pelican Park’s wide-open space beside the bay has long provided the setting for the festival, and this year visitors will again be encouraged to join in rather than spend the whole day watching from the sidelines.

More Kites in the Clontarf Sky

Giant inflatables and artistic kites will be among the displays overhead, with international and Australian flyers taking to the main arena throughout the weekend. As always with kite flying, exactly what happens in the sky will depend on the wind and conditions on the day.

There will also be plenty of room for amateurs to have a go.

Public flying zones will give visitors somewhere to launch their own kites, while children can make one at a kite-making workshop before heading outside to test their handiwork.

That hands-on element fits neatly with the direction organisers are taking this year. The 2026 festival has been pitched as a return to what made KiteFest popular in the first place — a weekend built around kites, the foreshore and people getting involved.

VietJet returns as naming-rights sponsor, with the festival also recognising Vietnam’s kite-flying culture.

Plenty Happening Back on the Ground

Kites may have reclaimed top billing, but Pelican Park will still be busy at ground level.

The program includes rides, pony rides, a dedicated kids’ zone, kite-making and food trucks, with plenty of open space for families to spread out for the day. Visitors can also bring their own food and drinks, although alcohol and glass are not permitted within the festival.

Entry is free and no ticket is required, but some activities and rides will carry a charge.

The timing also gives local families an easy option for the first weekend of the spring break. Queensland state schools finish Term 3 on Friday 18 September, with KiteFest opening the following morning.

The festival runs from 10am until 4pm on both days.

A Busy Weekend Around Pelican Park

For Clontarf residents, KiteFest will bring some temporary changes to the streets around Pelican Park.

The speed limit along Hornibrook Esplanade will drop from 60km/h to 40km/h from 7am on Saturday until 4.30pm on Sunday, with additional parking and stopping restrictions applying around nearby streets during the weekend.

Parking at Pelican Park will be reserved for vehicles displaying valid accessible parking permits, and an accessible drop-off area will operate at the main entrance.

A free shuttle bus service is also planned, with buses able to accommodate wheelchairs and prams. The Pelican Park boat ramp will remain open for people using the ramp, although access to its car park will be managed by traffic marshals.

For everyone else, the attraction is considerably simpler. Find a spot on the grass, look towards the bay and, if the wind plays its part, watch Pelican Park’s usually open sky become crowded with kites.

After years of the festival growing around that idea, KiteFest is putting it firmly back at the centre of the weekend.

VietJet Redcliffe KiteFest
Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026
10am–4pm
Pelican Park, 101 Hornibrook Esplanade, Clontarf
Free general admission

Published 31-August-2026

Free Family Event to Welcome Redcliffe’s Newest Little Queenslanders

BCC

Families with babies and toddlers in the Redcliffe area have a free community morning coming their way, with the G’day Little Queenslanders event set for Pelican Park in Clontarf.

The event will run from 9am to 12pm on Sunday 12 July and is part of a statewide program visiting 14 Queensland regions in 2026, designed to celebrate children born in the past two years and connect their families with local services, community organisations and other parents in the area.

Entry is free and no registration is required to attend, though families who register in advance receive a personalised keepsake certificate on the day officially welcoming their child.

Inside the family-friendly program

The event is built around young children and the adults who bring them. Live kids’ entertainment including a Bluey Live Interactive Experience featuring Bluey and Bingo keeps small hands and feet busy, while creative family-friendly activities give little ones something to interact with beyond the usual park setting.

Information stalls from local services and community organisations give parents and carers a practical reason to browse, covering the kind of resources that are genuinely useful in the early years. Food and drink trucks will be on site, and dedicated chill-out spaces give families somewhere to settle for longer stretches rather than moving constantly.

The personalised certificate, produced on the day for families who register in advance, serves as a keepsake of the occasion, something to tuck into the baby box alongside the milestone photographs.

Pelican Park, Clontarf

The event location at Pelican Park on the Hornibrook Esplanade sits at the edge of Bramble Bay with sweeping views across to the Hornibrook Bridge and the bay beyond.

The eastern shoreline of the Redcliffe Peninsula is known feeding ground for green turtles foraging the seagrass beds of Moreton Bay, giving the backdrop a quiet ecological significance that local families who spend time at the water’s edge here will already know.

The park has picnic facilities, grassy open areas and good vehicle access from Hornibrook Esplanade, making it a practical choice for families with prams and young children.

How to register

Families can find the Redcliffe event listing and register for a personalised certificate here. For general enquiries, contact the program team at littlequeenslanders@premiers.qld.gov.au or on 07 3003 9200.

G’day Little Queenslanders Redcliffe runs Sunday 12 July from 9am to 12pm at Pelican Park, 101 Hornibrook Esplanade, Clontarf.

Published 15-June-2026

Brisbane Festival: Join the Redcliffe Kitefest for a Safe and Fun Family Activity

Looking for a safe but fun event to do with your family at the Brisbane Festival? Drive down to Pelican Park for the Redcliffe Kitefest, a low-cost outdoor activity that will surely keep the whole family engaged.

Happening on 11 and 12 Sept 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Redcliffe KiteFest will feature colourful kite displays from international and local kite flyers. Soak in the fresh air and connect with nature as you watch those dazzling and majestic kites up in the air.

The event will also feature a kite-making workshop, which will give guests the chance to learn from the experts about the proper designs and the tricks of the trade. Flying a kite can be such a relaxing activity, especially for the children, who will need to focus on what they’re doing whilst their kites fly across the open, blue sky.

Photo Credit: Redcliffe Kitefest/Instagram

Apart from the kite event, Redcliffe Kitefest will also have aerobatic displays, jet ski stunt shows, and stage performances to delight kids of all ages. Characters like Bluey and Bingo will be dancing live on the stage.

A special Kidz Zone will be installed to feature BrizBricks Lego display and workshops, face painting, jumping castles, merry-go-round, pony rides, and a petting zoo.

As with the previous Redcliffe Kitefest, market stalls and food vendors will be setting up shop at the venue.

Download the full program to see what to expect at the kite festival. Tickets have to be purchased in advance online.

Summer Break At The New Inflatable Water Park In Clontarf

After several delays, a new inflatable water park in Clontarf is finally happening. Aqua Splash has been awarded the project by the Moreton Bay Regional Council.

The water park will be set up in Pelican Park. Catering to 120 people, this park will operate at a smaller scale than other similar parks. It will also be properly netted to protect participants from sea creatures that may cause harm.

The Masterplan

The upcoming water park is part of the council’s Redcliffe Foreshore Master Plan and Activation Strategy, which was endorsed by the council in 2017. Local communities have been involved in the entire process whilst creating the plan through surveys, online feedback, public displays, forums, and many more. The results show that a huge percentage of the community seeks more activations along the foreshore precincts and pop-up vendors.

This will bring more people into the city, delivering better opportunities for the local community.

Prior to the finalisation of the water park, the council approved the expansion of the Redcliffe Jetty Markets which will provide more space for market stalls and entertainment areas.

You can view the master plan here. To view the Redcliffe Foreshore Activation Pilot Program, which is in a trial period, click here.

All’s Well That Ends Well

It took several months before the plans for a waterpark finally came to fruition. Originally, the council wanted it finished last year during the summer school holidays but due to the issues encountered by the council regarding state government approvals, it got pushed back.

Moreton Bay Regional Mayor Allan Sutherland is very happy to finally see the plan slowly coming into life.

“It was my wish last Christmas to have the inflatable waterpark operating on our foreshore however the state election and some regulatory roadblocks pushed that goalpost back, but good things come to those who wait.”

The park will also bring in employment opportunities.

He continued, “Doubly exciting are the employment opportunities that will come with this new tourism infrastructure, up to 40 lifesaving jobs are now up for grabs.”

Aqua Splash is targeting a November opening. The CEO of Aqua Splash, Matthew Devine said, “We’re on track to be open just in time for school break-up parties and Christmas celebrations.”

Tickets will start at $15.

Kites of All Shapes will Fill the Sky @ Redcliffe Kite Fest

The annual Redcliffe Kite Fest is the ultimate kids weekend. This year’s Kite Fest is happening on Saturday and Sunday, 26th and 27th of August, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on both days. It will be held at the Pelican Park in Clontarf.

All About Kites

Photo credit: www.redcliffefestival.com.au

The sky above the Pelican Park will be filled with kites of all shapes and colours this weekend. Kite flyers from across the globe will be there to showcase their creations. Redcliffe’s very own Redcliffe Kite Club will be flying alongside the international kite displays. The organisation has also been tasked to organise the yearly kite displays.

There will be aerobatic displays and flying tricks on both days at 12:30 p.m. The sky will once again play host to these wonderful kite tricks.

You can also BYO kites or make your own for $7 at the Kite Making Workshop and fly them on the Public Kite Flying Zone.

Ocean Zone

The Cleanaway Ocean Zone is back this year. The H20 Events team will bring another heart-stopping air performances including the Flyboarders, Jet Ski Kite Show, and Windsurfing & Kitesurfing Demos. Watersports and kites will merge at this zone. Check out the schedule here.

Kiddie Entertainment

Proving that this is the ultimate kids weekend, a lot of kiddie entertainment will pop up on the day. Roving performers like Fluffy Monster, Flower Power, and Bubblewoman will be at the event.

The Main Stage

The USC Main Stage will feature “Paw Patrol” live at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m on both days. The world-wide sensation “Trolls” will be shown on the big screen at 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on both days. Kids can also get a chance to “Meet & Greet” the cast of Trolls and Paw Patrols by registering here.

Kite Fest Karnival

It will not be a fest without the “Kite Fest Karnival” sponsored by Brisbane Events. Once the Kite Fest opens, kids will have full run of the rides, including the Bungee Trampoline, Dodgem Cars, Inflatable Train, Rock Climbing Wall, and Wild Hog Ride.

Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booth near the entry to the Karnival. Cost per ride may vary from $2 to $8, while an “All Day Ride Pass” costs $25 on the day. Do remember that the unlimited ride passes will not be available after 2:00 p.m., as the Karnival closes at 4:00 p.m.

Kite Fest Kidz

If your kids are too small for the rides, the Sesame Lane sponsored another kids’ zone that is specifically for children age under 10 years of age. An interactive stage show of “Flutter the Fairy & the Magical Wishing Gems” will be performed at 10:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.

The youngest festival goers can relax at the “Bubz Hub”, where there are baby feeding and change areas, bottle heating, books, toys, and cushions for the bubs and mums to take a break from the busy Kite Fest.

The kids can also visit the BrisBricks Lego Workshop and Display and the Joyology Joy Arts for free. There will be jumping castles, trampoline, and sand art sections. The animal farm, pony rides, and face painting are also hosted at this zone, but with additional costs.

Bupa Splatt Nation

The Bupa Splatt Nation is for the big boys and girls with a range of free and ticketed activities. The fun starts for free at the Laser Zone, where kids can engage into a serious combat on the laser battlefield; and the Splatt Workshop, where kids can enjoy Splatt Twister, Balloon Splatt, Fly Spatt Painting, Chalk Bomb Splatt, and Blow Marble Splatt.

The new Splatt Sponge Attack and Hover Ball are only low cost activities that both kids and adults can join at this zone.

Redcliffe Fest is Also for Adults

Foodcourt and bar will be located at the site. Brunch, lunch, snacks, and nibbles will be available at the foodcourt. The “Black & White Cabs Bar” will be in front of the USC Main Stage serving their signature ice cold beverages and snacks, while you can enjoy the view of the Bramble Bay.

The USC Main Stage will also host live music for the adults to enjoy. Market stalls offering different items will give a festival-vibe shopping experience.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. Pre-purchasing of tickets online gives you a chance to win a free all day ride pass valued at $25.

Adults – $18
Concession – $5
Children 15 years and under – $5
Family Pass – $20

A family pass includes two adults and two children, or one adult and three children. Children under 2 years of age and disability carers are free to enter the event.

Visit the Redcliffe Kite Fest website for more info.