Just after dark on a January night in Brunswick Heads, the lights of McGregor's carnival come on across Banner Park. Kids queue for the dodgem cars with sand still on their legs, parents lean on the railing with a paper cup of chips, and the Brunswick River slides past behind it all. Families have been doing exactly this here since 1956.
Summer is the North Coast at its fullest. NSW and Queensland school holidays overlap for most of December and January, the markets and the carnival are in full swing, and lifeguard schedules on the patrolled beaches are at their fullest. It is also the time of year when the best homes book out first and a little planning makes a real difference. This guide covers the 2026/27 dates, the weeks to aim for, what is on, and how to get the booking right.
When are the summer school holidays in 2026/27?
The NSW summer school holidays run from Friday 18 December 2026 to Tuesday 2 February 2027. Queensland's summer holidays start earlier and finish earlier, running from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027. Dates are from the NSW Government and the Queensland Department of Education.
- NSW public schools: Term 4 ends Thursday 17 December 2026. Term 1 2027 starts Wednesday 3 February for Eastern division schools and Monday 10 February for Western division schools.
- Queensland state schools: Term 4 ends Friday 11 December 2026, with summer holidays through to Tuesday 26 January 2027.
- NSW public holidays: Christmas Day (Friday 25 December), Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December) with an additional public holiday on Monday 28 December, New Year's Day (Friday 1 January) and Australia Day (Tuesday 26 January).
When is the North Coast busiest, and when is it quieter?
The North Coast sits right on the state border, so it fills with families from both sides. That makes the shape of the summer quite predictable.
- 12 to 17 December: Queensland families have finished school but NSW schools are still in. Towns are busy on the weekend and noticeably calmer midweek.
- 18 December to mid-January: both states are on holidays at once. This is peak season, with the most people on the beaches, the longest café queues and the highest demand for accommodation, especially across Christmas and New Year.
- Mid to late January: still busy, with the Brunswick Heads Woodchop and the last weeks of the carnival, but the New Year crowds start to thin.
- 27 January to 2 February: Queensland schools are back, while NSW families still have a week of holidays left.
💡 Worth Knowing
The week after Australia Day is the most underrated week of the North Coast summer for NSW families. Queensland kids are back at school, the beaches and car parks empty out, and the weather is usually still hot. If your dates are flexible, it is the easiest week of the holidays to find a good home and a quiet stretch of sand.
What's on over the summer holidays
Most of the North Coast's summer rhythm is built around a few long-running local events rather than one big festival. Dates below are confirmed where they have been published; the rest follow long-standing patterns and are worth checking closer to the time.
- McGregor's Family Carnival, Brunswick Heads: a summer fixture on Banner Park beside the Brunswick River since 1956. Last summer it ran every night from 13 December to 25 January, with free entry and pay-as-you-go rides and games. The 2026/27 dates are usually announced in late spring.
- Brunswick Heads Market: the monthly market in Memorial Park, beside the river, on the first Saturday of the month from around 8am to 2pm. Summer dates are Saturday 5 December and Saturday 2 January.
- Pottsville Beach Markets: held at the Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre on the first and third Sunday of each month. Summer dates are 6 and 20 December, and 3 and 17 January.
- Brunswick Heads Woodchop: an annual three-day event in mid-January, described as the biggest woodchop outside the Sydney and Brisbane shows, with competitors from New Zealand, the US and Canada. Entry is free. The 2026 event ran from 15 to 17 January; 2027 dates are yet to be confirmed.
- Christmas in Brunswick Heads: the town traditionally holds a twilight Christmas market in December. Dates are confirmed closer to the time.
For live music, the wider events calendar and Byron Bay's summer program, see what's on in Brunswick Heads and what's on in Byron Bay. Our North Coast markets guide covers the other regular markets across the region.
Where to stay on the North Coast this summer
Where you stay shapes the whole summer, because the busier the season, the less you will want to drive.
- Brunswick Heads suits families who want the carnival, the market and the beach all within walking distance. Expect a lively village over Christmas and New Year. Brunswick Heads destination guide.
- Pottsville suits families with young children: Mooball Creek, a compact village and markets twice a month. Tweed Shire destination guide.
- Hastings Point, Bogangar and Cabarita suit families with teenagers and keen surfers, with Pottsville a few minutes away.
- New Brighton, South Golden Beach and Ocean Shores suit anyone who wants to step back from the busiest weeks. They are quieter than Brunswick Heads, often with more space, and only a short drive from the carnival and the market. North Byron Shire destination guide.
Homes with a pool are worth their weight on a humid January afternoon; start with the Pools & Spas collection. Bringing the dog? The pet friendly collection and our guide to pet friendly holidays on the North Coast cover where dogs can go over summer.
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Riverview Apartment
McCarthy's Beach House
Beach Bruns
Booking your North Coast summer
A good North Coast summer comes down to picking the right weeks, the right town and a home that makes the hottest part of the day easy. HolidayCo. North Coast is a local team (formerly Brunswick Heads Holidays), and we can tell you which homes still have December and January availability, which are a walk from the carnival or the creek, and which weeks are likely to be quieter. Check availability for your summer dates, and if you holiday with us often, the HolidayCo. Seasons Club gives members access to seasonal offers.
FAQ's
From Friday 18 December 2026 to Tuesday 2 February 2027. Term 4 ends on Thursday 17 December, and Term 1 2027 starts on Wednesday 3 February for Eastern division schools and Monday 10 February for Western division schools.
From Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027. Queensland state schools finish Term 4 on Friday 11 December.
From about 18 December to mid-January, when NSW and Queensland school holidays overlap. Christmas and New Year are the peak of the peak, for crowds and for accommodation demand.
The week after Australia Day, from 27 January to 2 February 2027. Queensland schools are back but NSW families are still on holidays, so beaches and towns are noticeably quieter.
McGregor's Family Carnival has run in Brunswick Heads every summer since 1956, on Banner Park beside the Brunswick River. Last summer it ran nightly from 13 December to 25 January with free entry. The 2026/27 dates are usually announced in late spring.
The market is held in Memorial Park on the first Saturday of each month, from around 8am to 2pm. Summer dates are Saturday 5 December 2026 and Saturday 2 January 2027.
On the first and third Sunday of each month at the Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre. Summer dates are 6 and 20 December 2026, and 3 and 17 January 2027.
It is an annual three-day event held in mid-January, with free entry and international competitors. The 2026 event ran from 15 to 17 January; check for confirmed 2027 dates closer to summer.
No. Major supermarkets in NSW are closed on Christmas Day, and trading is restricted on Boxing Day. Do your main grocery shop before Christmas Eve if you can.
For Christmas, New Year and the first half of January, book as early as possible, ideally several months ahead. Many homes have longer minimum stays over this period, so check the listing before choosing your dates.
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Two families can book the same week on the NSW North Coast, 25 minutes apart, and come home with completely different holidays. One spent every day on foot: breakfast in the village, the river by mid-morning, fish and chips on the grass at dusk. The other barely saw a shop, and spent the week between…
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Late afternoon on Mooball Creek in Pottsville, the tide is coming in clear and slow over the sand. A toddler is sitting in water up to her middle, an older brother is trying to stand up on a paddleboard for the fifth time, and their parents are close enough to the edge to hold a…
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It is just after seven on a weekday morning at New Brighton. The tide is running out, the sand is still cool, and a kelpie is doing laps of the waterline while its owner walks slowly behind with a coffee. Twenty minutes later the beach has filled with a handful of other dogs, all off-lead,…
