The Sydney Royal Easter Show has officially unveiled its showbag line-up for 2026, and you’ll be relieved to know that Bertie Beetle is alive and well, ready for another star turn. 

To launch this year’s line-up of goodie bags, 50 kids and their families from The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, and those supported by Kids With Cancer Foundation were the first to receive the 2026 showbags as ‘official showbag testers’ at a special Showbag Pavilion event. Attendees also got to meet Hephner the alpaca, who made headlines in 2024 for sneezing on the King. God bless you, Hephner. 

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What showbags can I find at the Easter Show this year?

There are a record 418 showbags available in 2026, and this year’s range combines nostalgic favourites with new releases. Prices range from $5 to $38, with 88 showbags available for $10 and under.

Some of the showbags expected to be top sellers this year include the Darrell Lea Liquorice showbag, the Cadbury Family Deal showbag, the Trolli Jumbo showbag and the Chupa Chups showbag. Bertie Beetle has six different showbags on offer (he’s a popular guy), and his Bertie Beetle Blue bag is the best-value bag this year, at just $5. 

Team delicious. came back to the office loaded down with everything from bags full of Cadbury, Nerds and Oreos to showbags dedicated to Game of Thrones and Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear. No matter how old you get, the thrill and excitement of showbags never fades, and we were all utterly swept up in the exhilaration of the moment. Just don’t tell our dentist. 

Also on offer this year is a special ‘Bake Kneads’ showbag for baking enthusiasts, ‘Supersnack’ bags for Smith’s Chips fans, a ‘Best of the British’ bag featuring UK sweet treats, a ‘Japanese Oishii’ bag filled with Japanese confectionery, and more chocolate and lollies than you can shake a Dagwood dog at.

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Credit: Supplied

Who invented showbags?

Did you know that showbags are a uniquely Australian invention? Showbags started out as ‘sample bags’, and were originally given away for free in the early 1900s. Back then, they usually contained small food or product samples – things like boot polish and canned meat; even a lump of coal – and companies used them as a way to advertise their products by sharing them with the thousands of people who would attend royal shows like the Sydney Easter Show. 

Once confectionery companies got on board, the popularity of the bags really started to explode (Bertie Beetle first appeared in a showbag in 1963), and the industry evolved again in the 1970s and ’80s to incorporate the TV, film and pop-culture-themed bags we see today. 

You can find the full Sydney Royal Easter Show showbag catalogue here. The 2026 Sydney Royal Easter Show runs from April  2-13 at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park. Start planning your day at eastershow.com.au

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