You may have seen The Pop-Up Hotel before – a luxurious bell tent in the middle of Brisbane Festival, on the sandy shores of Kirra at Bleach* Festival, or smack-bang in the middle of Pacific Fair Shopping Centre. As its name implies, The Pop-Up Hotel can pop up anywhere at any time ... and this May it's bringing a whimsical night of luxury to Death Valley Fun Camp. more
You know what makes this upcoming weekend that much sweeter? The fact that we have a cheeky mid-week break coming up next week! This coming Wednesday we will be paying our respects to the ANZACs with frothies and two-up, but until then there is plenty happening to keep us busy. From Shakespeare in the gardens to anti-gluten festivals and op-shop balls, we’ve tracked down the best of what’s happening in Brisbane on the April 19–22 weekend. more
Many people tend to come out of their shells after dark. The night has long been associated with things getting a bit freaky, with the cover of darkness allowing us to be our true selves. Under this rationale, it makes perfect sense that one of our city’s most alluring attractions is perhaps best experienced by night. Patricia Piccinini’s Curious Affection is getting the famous GOMA Up Late treatment, bringing a host of eclectic musicians and the chance to see the exhibit after hours. Coming to the Gallery from June 8 to July 6, the program packs a serious punch to match the weird and wonderful nature of Patricia’s groundbreaking exhibit. more
For many people, the daily commute to work is at least a bit of a drag. Whether you’re perfecting your car karaoke during a peak-hour traffic jam or doing your best impression of a sardine on the train, these aren’t exactly ideal day-starting situations. Ever watched people breeze past on bikes on their way to the office and thought it looks pretty dreamy? You would be right – no gridlock, some fresh air, a few extra dollars in the pocket and a good workout sounds like a sweet deal to us. If you’ve thought about riding to work but didn’t know where (or how) to start, we’ve teamed up with Cycling Brisbane, an initiative of Brisbane City Council, to get you prepped for the two-wheeled way to travel. more
It’s no secret that Brisbane is swimming with talented artisans – you need only visit any of the cool makers markets of a weekend to get a glimpse of what our creative communities have to offer. Our city’s makers have a serious knack for crafting beautiful, unique and sustainable products that stand up against the best in the country – and you have a chance to see them all in one place. Coming to King George Square as part of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games’ massive Festival 2018 program, BNE DESIGN is running from April 13–15 to bring bespoke Brisbane goodness to The City. more
It’s a tale as old as time – you have a crush on someone, said crush is really into a particular thing and all of a sudden you develop an intense interest in said particular thing. While most of us can relate to exaggerating an interest in comic books or test cricket to impress a budding love interest, some people take it a step further. One such character is Xavier de Maistre, who at the tender age of nine fell head over heels for his town’s local harp teacher and took to plucking to impress her. Luckily for all of us, Xavier stuck with the harp beyond his initial infatuation – and grew into one of the world’s most celebrated classical musicians. more
Folks, the wait is over – the Splendour in the Grass 2018 line-up has dropped and it’s a certified doozy! The festival returns to North Byron Parklands for its 18th rendition from July 20–22 with more than 100 acts just announced in the first release. Pinch those pennies, put in your annual leave and start making a hype playlist because this is a line-up worth travelling for. more
It's all happening – we are currently in the thick of the thrilling Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games! While the sporting action is taking place down south between April 4–15, Brisbane certainly isn't missing out – the city is buzzing with a stellar program of world-class events and live entertainment thanks to Festival 2018. For 12 huge days, the city is coming alive for an arts and culture extravaganza and best of all – it’s entirely free. Last week we rounded up some of our must-sees for the opening week, so we thought we'd help out again with some guidance. Here are our top picks for Week Two of Festival 2018 in Brisbane, from Monday April 9 to Sunday April 15. more
We were still only starting to get to know each other, but the band felt like a home for people who didn't want to be in just any band ...~ Sarah Martin more
Although still several months away, the 2018 Brisbane Festival is already positioned as one of the city’s most anticipated events. If we were to hazard a guess, we’d say it was because of the festival’s recent announcement that psych R’n’B outfit Unknown Mortal Orchestra will be playing as part of the festivities. If this is the entree for the main course to come, we can’t wait to feast. more
Some people would look at a mountain (or a cliff, or a lake, or some other rugged topographical feature) and see it as something to be avoided. Other people look at these things and see them as enormous challenges to be conquered or playthings to explore. Though the more tame amongst us can only dream of the thrill that comes with conquering peaks and dangling off rock faces, we can experience the excitement second-hand. Whether you’re a daredevil or a keen observer, the Banff Mountain Film Festival is rolling into the Brisbane Powerhouse from April 9–14 to get your adrenaline well and truly pumping. more
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you may have noticed that Brisbane was privy to a pretty spectacular opening recently. Patricia Piccinini’s hotly anticipated Curious Affection exhibition has finally landed at GOMA, bringing the artist’s famously weird, wonderful and totally unique sculptures for us to witness up close. If you’ve been wondering what has inspired Patricia’s hybrid creatures, this might shed a little light. Coming to GOMA’s Cinémathèque from April 6 to May 30, the Curious Affection film program presents a selection of flicks that reflect Patricia’s interests and complement the content of her fascinating exhibition. more
Looking at some of Brisbane’s natural landscapes, it makes perfect sense that artists are inspired by them. The vibrant colours, unusual textures and sensory experiences of nature lend themselves to taking art off the canvas and into the wild. This is exactly what some of the best local and national artists will be doing this month with a Brisbane-first experience – Botanica. Running in conjunction with the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games from April 6–15, Botanica will transform the City Botanic Gardens into a living, breathing outdoor art gallery for everyone to enjoy – all for free. more
If you've already got your event tickets and every single day during April 4–15 planned down to the minute, then go you! For those a little less organised, then don't fret – there are still Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games tickets up for grabs at nail-biting events like swimming, athletics, hockey, boxing, squash and more. We like you guys (a lot) so we took the liberty of pulling together all of this week's Gold Coast-based events that still have tickets available from April 10–15. Go forth and get amongst it, dear readers. more
It's official – the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games have arrived! While most of the action is taking place down south between April 4–15, Brisbane will still be buzzing with a stellar program of world-class events and live entertainment thanks to Festival 2018. For 12 huge days, the city will come alive for an arts and culture extravaganza and best of all – it's entirely free. Here are our top picks for Week One of Festival 2018 in Brisbane, from Wednesday April 4 to Sunday April 8. more
When you think of the great inventors of history, odds are some famous names immediately spring to mind. Most of us are familiar with the Edison and Einstein-level creators from our high school textbooks, but there are so many more people throughout history who have improved our quality of life – and some of them are even from around our neck of the woods! Currently running until June 3 at the State Library of Queensland, Magnificent Makers shines a light on some of the canny creations, daring discoveries and imaginative inventions that all came about in our backyard. more
Although there is still a long way to go in the fight for equality, it’s always nice to look around and take stock of the progress that has been made. Between same-sex marriage laws getting passed and the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements taking off, there is a global conversation happening around the subject of gender – particularly in regards to breaking down conventions and entering a brave new world where women speak up, stand out and have equal footing. Coming to the Brisbane Powerhouse on April 6–8, Women of the World at Festival 2018 (or WOW if you’re feeling cheeky) is a three-day celebration of everything it means to be a woman in this modern world. more
Fans of breathtaking ballet, bountiful feasts and boutique accommodation (or a combination of all three) are in for a real treat. Spicers Retreats and Queensland Ballet are teaming up for a series of truly unique experiences across three weekends and three luxury hotels, where intimate performances will be matched with exceptional cuisine, making for a one-of-a-kind getaway. more
All good things must come to an end, but this adage is particularly poignant when the thing ending is something as magical as the Bromley Room. The West Village art studio set up to display the amazing work of celebrated artist David Bromley has enjoyed a jam-packed visitor schedule since opening in April last year, but the time has come for the Bromley Room to go into hibernation. Before the doors close for good to make way for building renovations, we are getting one last chance to take a look through the arts and events space that holds some of David’s most exciting work to date. Mark Saturday March 24 and Sunday March 25 in your diary – it’s time to say goodbye to the Bromley Room. more
When it comes to equal representation, Australia still has a pretty bloody long way to go. Considering our First Nations people have been here for a whole lot longer than white folk, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of people of colour in popular media. From movies to breakfast panels and even stage shows, things are looking pretty … well, white. Stuff that! There’s a new crew in town set to shake up the game and shatter some cultural paradigms in the form of song, dance and straight-up activism. Coming to Brisbane Powerhouse from April 4–7, Hot Brown Honey will have you fist pumping, booty shakin’ and leaving feeling all kinds of empowered. more
Folks, National Youth Week is almost upon us – it’s a time for the young (and the young at heart) to celebrate all of the amazing things that the next generation of Brisbane adults are getting up to. Youthfulness is all about innovation, invigoration and fun – who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Whether you’re heading along yourself, have your own offspring you need to entertain, or have a younger sibling you could be spending more time with, Brisbane Youth Week is a perfect opportunity to connect with your more playful side. more