Our southern neighbours may have just come off the back of a long weekend, but we’ll get ours when October rolls around. To celebrate the fact that we are strong, superior and made it through a five-day working week (not bitter at all over here), we suggest getting out and about to enjoy all that our city has to offer. From burger invitationals to curious incidents and winter warmers, here is what’s good in Brisbane on the June 14–17 weekend. more
When it comes to a great day out, there are a few key ingredients that we like to include. Delicious food is a given, fantastic drinks kick it up a notch, a spot of shopping certainly doesn’t go astray, and something to keep the kids occupied is just the cherry on top. If this sounds like your idea of a nice time, we have something that ticks all of the boxes. On Sunday June 24, Portside Wharf will come alive in a flurry of food, fashion and family-friendly fun for its inaugural Flavours of Portside event, celebrating all aspects of the precinct in signature riverside style. more
When it comes to iconic voices, few people can hold a candle to Etta James. Known as the Matriarch of R&B, Etta spent decades singing songs across the spectrum of human emotion, all while battling some of the most paralysing demons that one can face in a lifetime. She didn’t just sing the blues – she lived them. Coming to the Brisbane Powerhouse for an exclusive run of shows from June 27–30, At Last: The Etta James Story shines a light on one of the most legendary voices of all time … as well as the rich life behind it. more
We’re less than a day away from the official opening of Brisbane’s newest five-star hotel W Brisbane and to celebrate, the hotel is kicking off one massive party. Want to know the best thing about this party? It’s mobile! This glamorous shindig will be brightening up Queen Street Mall at midday today before hitting the road and shimmying its way south. more
Real talk – one of the best things about Brisbane is that it’s a cultural melting pot. From the delicious food to the lively events, there is always something happening that celebrates the unique mix of people that call this place home. Whether you want to taste something exciting, take part in a new ritual, catch tunes from another culture or see art from across the globe, it’s all happening in Brisbane this winter. We’ve taken a look through Brisbane City Council’s Live guide and picked five must-do events that prove you don’t need a passport to see the world. more
Brisbane, the time is almost here – the haloumi is sizzling, the honey puffs are getting dusted with sugar and the zorba lines are approaching at a rapid pace. That’s right, Paniyiri Greek Festival is back! Returning to Musgrave Park and the newly renovated Greek Club from May 19–20, Brisbane’s biggest celebration of Greek culture will fill your belly and warm your heart. more
Drink, dance and dine the day away as South Brisbane’s iconic laneway is transformed into the hotspot of the city. From midday on Saturday May 12, bring your mates and your appetite down to Fish Lane Festival – it’s going to be tasty! more
Folks, the wait is finally over – after a sultry summer, Brisbane is chilling out and embracing the change of seasons. Now that we can go out during the day without melting into a puddle, it’s the perfect time to explore what The City has to offer. It’s not just dining, drinking and shopping – there are plenty of cool activities going down that you might not even know about. From live tunes to garden parties and even interactive skylines, we’ve rounded up a list of things happening in The City this May that deserve your attention. more
Although there is still a ways to go in the fight for equality and acceptance, Brisbane boasts a festival that is all about taking these struggles, throwing some glitter on them and using them as a vehicle for moving forward. Returning to its home of the Brisbane Powerhouse from May 17–27, MELT Festival is an open invitation for one and all to celebrate Brisbane’s wonderfully diverse queer communities. 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
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
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
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
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
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
Us Australians are well known for many things, but there are two particular qualities that we hold extremely high – we brew bloody good beer and we throw one hell of a party. The Byron Bay mavericks from Stone & Wood happen to be across both of these skills, and have teamed up with fellow legends Brewsvegas for a second year running to create a killer backyard bash. Held at the Old Museum on Saturday March 17, the party will combine tasty tipples, live tunes, mouth-watering eats and community atmosphere. more
Look, it’s common knowledge that both the Sydney and Brisbane nightlife scenes are copping a bit of a reputation as DOA – but this isn’t necessarily the case. Granted, there are some pretty silly laws in place at the moment, but our respective live music scenes are doing everything they can to keep the dream alive. One of the best ways to prove that we can still party is by throwing a party, and what better things to celebrate than music and food? On Thursday March 22, the legends at Stimulate your Soul will be taking it to the streets at Heya Bar for a night filled with two of the things closest to our hearts – dumplings and hip-hop. more
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you might be aware that a little old event called the Commonwealth Games is happening really soon. If you’re a Brisbane dweller, you might be feeling a sense of FOMO creeping up on account of our southern neighbours on the Gold Coast getting all of the hosting glory. Fear not, friends – Brisbane is getting in on the action with a huge roster of events running parallel to the Games! Festival 2018 is coming to Brisbane from April 4–15 to connect Brisbane to the exciting happenings of GC2018 – all without having to leave the city. more