Heading to Brisbane Festival this year? There is so much happening it can be hard to figure out where to start. We have put together a list of some of the not-to-be-missed free events happening around Brisbane.
Check out the Brisbane Festival website to see the full program.
Fireworks
This year’s Festival starts with a bang as Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust lights up the Brisbane sky on Saturday 2 September.
It will all kick off at 5 pm with Australian Defence Force Air Displays, followed by the Fireworks at 7 pm, from barges, rooftops, and bridges across Brisbane. Can’t make it there in person? The event will be broadcast live on Channel 9 and its soundtrack simulcast on Triple M.
JUMOO
When: Friday 2 September, 5.45pm
Where: BOQ Festival Gardens, South Bank
Tickets: Free
Under the creative direction and Custodianship of Tribal Experiences Managing Director and Yuggera and Turrbal man Shannon Ruska, this smoking ceremony cleanses and connects to country to lead Festival goers peacefully and respectfully into September.
DANCE HALLS
When: Friday 2 – Saturday 24 September
Where: Various locations across Brisbane
Tickets: Free
Dance Halls celebrates the beauty of our community under tingling lights and velvet drapes with disco fever! Led by the unstoppable creators Finucane & Smith, community members can come along and watch or get involved.
BRISBANE SERENADES
When: Friday 9 – Saturday 24 September
Where: Various locations around Brisbane
Tickets: Free
A program of bespoke concerts, celebrations and gatherings traverses the river to reach the North, South, East and West of the city. The bold Brisbane program brings the suburbs alive and places them centre stage.
EPHEMERAL
When: Friday 2 – Saturday 24 September
Where: BOQ Festival Garden, South Brisbane
Tickets: Free
This immersive light and sound environment explores the concept of ephemerality – that of fleeting existence. By sunshine or by moonlight, audiences can experience the magic and snap a picture inside Ephemeral.
MUSEUM OF THE MOON
When: Friday 2 – Sunday 11 September
Where: West Village, West End
Tickets: Free
The first in a series of three awe-inspiring large-scale installations by Luke Jerram at West Village, Museum of the Moon is a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound.
EEPHUS & SUDO’S FUNDERDOME
When: Friday 2 – Saturday 24 September
Where: Metro Arts, West End
Tickets: Free
A playful reimagining of the classic video game arcade, this exhibition will transforms the gallery into an interactive space filled with eccentric games and friendly monsters.
THE POOL
When: Tuesday 6 – Saturday 24 September
Where: BOQ Festival Garden, South Brisbane
Tickets: Free
The Pool, created by New York artist Jen Lewin, is a giant field of concentric circles that swirl with colour when activated by touch, inviting visitors to jump, dance and play across the cosmos.
LORD MAYOR’S CITY HALL CONCERTS
When: Tuesday 6, Tuesday 13 & Tuesday 20 September
Where: Brisbane City Hall, Brisbane City
Tickets: Free
Across three weeks, Brisbane City Council proudly presents a special series of free lunchtime concerts.
GAIA
When: Tuesday 13 – Sunday 18 September
Where: West Village, West End
Tickets: Free
See the Earth as if from space; an incredibly beautiful and precious place. Gaia is the second in a series of three awe-inspiring large-scale installations by Luke Jerram at West Village.
MARS
When: Tuesday 20 – Saturday 24 September
Where: West Village, West End
Tickets: Free
Created by UK artist Luke Jerram, this large-scale installation allows us to view Mars, as though we are a satellite mapping and studying the surface in perfect detail. Every valley, crater, volcano and mountain is laid bare for us to see.
