The Sydney Royal Easter Show is a famous annual event that many Aussie families know and love - from the wild rides to entertaining side shows - but many also know a day at the show can come with a serious price tag that can leave your pockets feeling very empty once you leave.

But these potential costs aren’t reason enough to give up on a day out at Olympic Park this Easter season, because we’ve got you covered with plenty of ways to dodge the extra expenses and still experience everything there is on offer.

The show runs from Friday April 12 2019 until Tuesday April 23 2019 so there’s plenty of time to plan a budget and get ready for a day of money-smart family fun. 

Before you go

Pre-booking everything from tickets to ride coupons for the Sydney Royal Easter Show is your one-stop-shop to making real savings this year.

So, here are some tips on where and how you can snag a deal before you even go to the show: 

Tickets and transport

Purchasing tickets before you get to the show gates is the best way to save on entry fees for all ages.

Early bird tickets are available online until midnight Thursday, April 11 and they could save you over 10% on adults tickets alone with prices reduced from $43 to $37. Also if you go with your family or group, you may be able to purchase a family ticket or make a group booking which reduces the costs of entry even more!

But don’t stress if you miss the cut off date because you can still grab a ticket from participating Woolworths supermarkets to get the same savings.

Not only can you save big on entry, at the Royal Easter Show organisers have included the cost of public transport in all ShowLink tickets. So since this is just an added bonus, consider leaving the car at home to avoid the large fees at Olympic Park carpark and get your ride in to Homebush for free.

Please note that ShowLink tickets aren’t available for purchase at Sydney train stations or on buses, they must be bought from official channels like ticketmaster, Woolworths or authorised tourism operators.

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It may also be useful for you to keep in mind that there are specific value days where tickets are reduced for certain patrons, such as Seniors Day (Wednesday April 17) and Kids Day (Tuesday April 23), so it may be worth holding off until these days and getting even more bang for your buck.   

That’s not all though, if you feel like you don’t need an entire day at the Easter Show and are happy to just see it by night, wait until after 4pm to grab a ticket and receive a twilight discount. 

Other online offers

Aside from tickets, there are plenty of deals that can be accessed on the Sydney Royal Easter Show website and on their mobile app that can help you save on some of the things you might do on your day out.

Ride coupons: If you’re a ride enthusiast or an adrenaline junkie buying bulk coupons for rides before you get to the show may be exactly what you need. You can save over 20% on carnival coupons for 100s of rides and games all over the Showground.

Tasting plates: Love all the award-winning food on display? Well, with the Sydney Royal Tasting plate, that can be pre-purchased online, you can try all the best cheeses and deli-style foods at the show. Simply take your voucher to The Stables to collect your delicious condiments board and enjoy!

On the day

It’s the day of and you’re off to the Royal Easter Show! But there are a few things to prepare and keep in mind so that you can make little savings here and there throughout the day. 

Food

We all love to indulge in some naughty carnival food and quadruple our daily calorie intake in a single sitting, but purchasing food can cause the biggest dent in your wallet during your time at the show, so know how to avoid it.

If you are concerned about the cost of food, take the smarter option and bring some food from home. This doesn’t mean you have to refrain entirely from enjoying a bucket of curly fries or pizza in a cone, it simply means you can be sustained throughout the whole day with snacks from home rather than purchased foods.

Make a plan with yourself and your family about how many meals you want to buy when you’re at the Easter Show and bring the extra food accordingly - you’re the best judge of how much your family will eat and what you want to spend!

Entertainment and goodies

While entry and food can be costly, there are many free events and side shows at The Royal Easter Show that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Vegetable displays, animal pavilions and shows, the famous woodchopping and the fireworks display all have free entry and are an Easter Show must for any visitor. If you take your time exploring your way through the Olympic Park grounds, filling in the gaps with free shows, you’ll be surprised how much of the day will go by without you spending a single cent!

To keep up to date with which events are on what day and for a map of the Showground simply download the official Royal Easter Show app on your smartphone.

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If you’re heading to the show with kids there are some experiences and traditions that are unmissable, like going on rides or heading to the showbag pavilion.

Here are some tips on how to save and stop your children from breaking your bank:

• Limit showbag purchases: Showbags are an Easter Show tradition and seem to be getting more expensive every year, but don’t worry there are budget-friendly ways to ensure your kids still come home with plenty of goodies. This means, give your children a price limit and even quantity limit if necessary. Let them select their showbags from the online catalog before you get to the showbag pavilion - save yourself the time, stress  and tedious haggling from your child on the day. (Bertie Beetle should be your best friend if you’re on an Easter budget - you can pick up one of his showbags for as little as $2!)
• Cap the number of ride coupons: If you have kids who love rides they can cost you a small fortune in a matter of minutes. Like with the showbags, put a price limit on the coupons and let your children prioritise which rides or carnival games are most important to them. Once they’ve used up all their coupons, that’s it, no more. It’s not worth being caught in the rides carnival area all day - there’s so much more to the easter show!
• Look out for deals on rides and showbags: In case you didn’t already know, the Easter Show organisers offer a limited number of Unlimited Ride Wristbands on Friday, 12 April - available to the first 6,000 customers and valid between 10am and 2pm. Similarly, on Easter Monday you can take a mate on your ride for free with the 2 for 1 coupon deal on all rides. Also don’t forget that the showbag pavilion is full of specials and deals - often you can come away with 3 chocolate filled showbags for only $10 or $15 when you buy a bundle.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show can easily be done on a budget, so if you’re interested in a day of fun this Easter season get your early bird deals while you can or head to Woolworths to grab your ShowLink tickets.

RELATED: April 2019 Financial Checklist

For more savings tips that could benefit your whole family head to our Family Finances hub and read our latest articles and guides.