Queensland University of Technology

08/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/17/2026 00:27

Dragon Boats and Beats: QUT festival celebrates multiculturalism

17th August 2026

The ancient sport of dragon boat racing and Brisbane's vibrant multicultural community have been celebrated at an action-packed community day hosted by QUT at New Farm on Saturday.

The 2026 QUT Dragon Boats and Beats Festival attracted 10 teams of rowers, including boats powered by QUT international students who are in Brisbane on study abroad/exchange programs.

The winners and runners-up: QUT students from the Oar-some Bananas and Dean's Dragons teams celebrate a successful day.

The long-running QUT Dragon Boat Regatta has been a signature community event since 2012, but this year marked the first time it was widened out to a full festival.

The 2026 event also welcomed aboard its first sponsorship from the Queensland Government (Multicultural Affairs Queensland).

The funding enabled an enhanced cultural program featuring entertainment, workshops and family-friendly activities to complement the action on the water.

Lion dancing, taiko drumming, Korean drumming and dance, kung fu demonstrations, a petting zoo, and live music from QUT students all proved popular with visitors, young and old.

Members of the Hanmadang Korean Performing Arts group on stage at the Dragon Boats and Beats Festival in New Farm Park.Each dragon boat had 20 paddlers, plus a drummer and sweep.

The regatta is a popular event for QUT students and members of the wider community, who come along to soak up the atmosphere and also compete in dragon boat teams.

This year's regatta was won by the 'Oar-some Bananas' - a QUT student team made up of students who registered individually and were put together on the day in what turned out to be winning combination.

Second place was taken out by the Dean's Dragons (comprising Dean's Scholars from the Faculty of Science) and third place went to Globepaddlers 2 (comprising study abroad and exchange international students).

Seen at Dragon Boats and Beats (left to right): face painting activities; members of the Dean's Dragon team with Brisbane City Councillor Vicki Howard, who opened the festival; and the popular lion dance.QUT Cliffhangers Rockclimbing Club members swapped land for water to compete in the regatta.

International students interested in studying at QUT can visit the university website for information on study programs and living in Brisbane.

Information on public QUT events can also be found on the QUT events calendar.

Image at top of page: Members of the winning and runner-up teams at the trophy presentation, paddlers on the water, and the lion dance.


Media contact: Mechelle McMahon, [email protected]

Queensland University of Technology published this content on August 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 17, 2026 at 06:27 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]