Brisbane Festival
Brisbane Festival is back! Our favourite city-wide fiesta will set our town alight from September 2–24 with a thrilling three-week program that is shaping up to be the brightest party yet. The third festive weekend (September 16–18), brings with it a jam-packed line-up of entertainment. Festival-goers will be able to immerse themselves in major theatrical productions at QPAC, Queensland Theatre and La Boite including the Queensland premiere of Girl From the North Country, shake & stir’s world premiere of Shannon Molloy’s modern Australian classic, Fourteen, and Anita Heiss’ ‘love letter to Meeanjin’, Tiddas. You’ll also be able to deep dive into Dead Puppet Society and Legs on the Wall’s breathtaking production Holding Achilles, which features an original score performed live by homegrown pop queen Montaigne, as well as Queensland Theatre’s tri-lingual reimagining of Shakespeare’s Othello. Brisbane’s Art Boat, continues to set sail from Northshore Brisbane, this time celebrating internationally acclaimed Australian visual artist Lindy Lee. To learn more about Brisbane Festival and to grab tickets, head to the festival website.

Live tunes
A bunch of must-see concerts, gigs and music-soaked soirees are coming to Brisbane this weekend, and we are ready for some live tunes. Betty Grumble is back on Thursday and Friday with her new offering, Enemies of Grooviness Eat Sh!t, a deep dive into grief, pleasure and justice at The Princess Theatre. This will be followed by The Honey Sliders bringing The Beatles’ Rooftop Concert back to life on Saturday. On Friday, Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley will be taking the stage at Fortitude Music Hall, while post-millennial punk-rock group The Chats will be playing live and loud on Saturday. The Triffid will be hosting The Mangroves on Thursday, Willaris. K on Friday and The Beths on Saturday. The Stevie Wonder Story is coming to The Tivoli on Saturday, while over at The Zoo Terra will be playing live on Thursday, a Latin rock night is happening on Friday and Sametime will be playing a high-energy pop show on Saturday. US pop phenomenon Billie Eilish is returning to Brisbane this weekend, with shows at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday and Sunday. To move your hips to some live music while enjoying tipples from a tequila cart, head to Hey Chica’s 1st Birthday on Friday, while Teenage Dads will be taking over Black Bear Lodge. World music and other dynamite entertainment will be centre stage at The MOSAIC Multicultural Festival, which will be taking over Roma Street Parkland this Sunday.

Delicious happenings
Ease yourself into the weekend a little early with pizza and prosecco at Beats & Eats on Thursday nights at Will & Flow, where for just $20, you’ll enjoy a pizza or pide with a glass of prosecco. With entertainment, drink specials and of course the picturesque panoramic views of the Brisbane River it’s the perfect place to start winding down towards the end of the working week. Taste bud-tantalising tipples, bopping beats and springtime vibes is what you’ll be met with once you arrive at Spring Spritz at BQ, The City’s newest pop-up bar. Pouring delicious drinks every Thursday at Brisbane Quarter, the floral-adorned pop-up bar will be manned by the master mixologists from W Brisbane. Vapiano’s OG carbonara cob loaf is back, which sees a crusty cob filled with Vapiano’s signature creamy spaghetti carbonara and topped off with parmesan cheese. This time around we can also stick a fork into two new tantalising flavours. There’s the pomodoro cob, a pasta accompanied by vine-ripened tomatoes and onions, with the option of parmesan or vegan cheese. Last but not least there’s a bolognese cob, which combines pasta with tender beef and pork, onions, carrots and cherry tomatoes, which is then served in a delicious cob loaf with parmesan cheese. This year’s Negroni Week (presented by Imbibe and Campari) falls on September 12–18, and the residents of South Brisbane’s Fish Lane Arts Precinct are electing to get into the spirit with a host of limited-edition cocktails and events to enjoy. As for negroni-themed happenings, the Julius Pizzeria and Bar Brutus team will host a Town Square Negroni Block Party from 4:00 pm on September 16–17, while Town Square will transform into Rome’s Bar San Calisto from 2:00–5:00 pm on Sunday September 18 for an aperitivo afternoon that includes a negroni on arrival and individual charcuterie. Negroni lovers will also be able to embark on a self-guided tour of Fish Lane for the ‘Secret Handshake’ Negroni Trail on September Saturday 17, which will see select venues offer up their negroni-inspired specials.

Exhibitions
Curious culture lovers can check out Chiharu Shiota’s spellbinding showcase The Soul Trembles at QAGOMA. This enchanting exhibition is the largest solo exhibition of thread-weaving artist Chiharu Shiota’s work to date – and it’s an art-filled ‘gram-worthy adventure, to say the least. You can expect to see mammoth installations featuring millions of black, white and red threads, which express the intangible experiences of life – memories, dreams, anxiety and silence. Just nearby, you can stumble upon Embodied Knowledge, a focused survey of new work by Queensland artists showing at Queensland Art Gallery. This group of commissioned and recent projects brings to the fore the voices of women, people of colour and LGBTIQA+ artists, all with a close connection to the sunshine state. Are you ready to enter a labyrinth of mirrors? Installation artist Keith Courtney’s mesmerising mirror maze Kaleidoscope, an immersive artwork of glass, steel, mirrors and moving prisms that visitors can traverse through, has finally arrived at Brisbane Powerhouse. A sparkling crystal palace by day, Kaleidoscope uses a colour field of ever-changing light to both treat and disorientate the senses once the sun sets. Fans of Mickey, Minnie, Elsa, Anna and everyone in between are sure to adore Queensland Museum’s newest exhibition, Disney: The Magic of Animation. This kid- and adult-friendly exhibition will draw back the curtain on almost 100 years of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, revealing the magic and hard work behind scenes of your favourite animated films. Jewellery lovers can take their peepers over to Museum of Brisbane to discover World of Wonder: Margot McKinney, a mesmerising celebration of the brand that is Margot McKinney. You’ll be able to set your eyes upon a treasure chest of jewels – from magnificent opals and eye-catching pearls to rare, exotic gems like blue tanzanite, lilac amethyst and pink tourmalines. If you truly want to immerse yourself in an out-of-this-world experience then prepare to enter Eephus and Sudo’s Funderdome from September 2 to October 1. Created by Tara Pattenden, this playful exhibition reimagines the classic video game arcade of yesteryear and will transform the Metro Arts galleries into an interactive space filled with eccentric games and friendly monsters. The Calile Hotel recently welcomed Gerwyn Davies for an artistic collaboration that’s well worth checking out. Created in conjunction with Jan Murphy Gallery, Gerwyn’s photography exhibition Pleasure will be unveiled on location at The Calile from September 16, the very same place it was shot. The artworks follow a group of playful misfits that have checked into the hotel donned in colourful costumes, and have made the space their playground.

Other fun things
Those feeling adventurous this weekend can hit up Brisbane’s most ‘grammable experience – Imaginaria. Visitors are invited to step inside, slip off their shoes and engage with AI projections, sensor-triggered LED waves, giant silk parachute canopies, cosmic gardens, an anti-gravity sunset, an electronic hall of mirrors and a digital wishing well that whispers your greatest desires. Go digging in your wardrobe and free your most sparkly outfit from the dark confines of hardly-ever-wear, as Blanc de Blanc Encore has shimmied its way back into Brisbane. You can expect the usual suspects to turn up at its new Northshore home, Twilight Electric, including aerialists, comedians, singers and dancers. Oh, and there will be lots of champagne. If you like your drinks served with a side of enchantment and neon-lit charm, then pull up a seat at the Maho Magic Bar and prepare for a night that will leave you bewitched. Lovers of magic can settle in for a 60-minute performance session at the bar, which will see them sipping on a menu of curated authentic Japanese drinks while being wowed by Japan’s best close-up magicians. Those keen for a road-trip can make way to Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, which continues to bloom this weekend. Spectacular gardens, live music and local food and wine are just a small taste of what’s on offer over the course of this colourful event. There’s no rest for the wicked on the Victoria Park green. The creatures of the putt putt course are back from the dead for Halloween Putt Putt, which kicks off this Friday! Be sure to proceed with caution as you head onto their fairways filled with spooks galore from September 16 to October 31. Redcliffe KiteFest returns to Pelican Park in Clontarf for a jam-packed weekend of family-friendly entertainment this Saturday and Sunday. Entertainment will be non-stop all weekend with amazing kite displays, amusement rides, food stalls, kids shows, live music and entertainment on the main stage including everyone’s favourite animated dogs, Bluey and Bingo. Oz Comic Con is also taking over Brisbane this weekend with pop culture galore – think cosplay competitions, gaming, industry talks and some special guests.

Markets
If you’re eager to stroll through some stalls and stock up on some fresh fruit and veg, be sure check out these markets happening – Saturday Fresh Market, Riverside Markets, Kelvin Grove Village Market, Jan Powers Farmers Markets, Davies Park Market, Carseldine Markets and the Redcliffe Markets. For delicious dinnertime eats, Eat Street Northshore is on for your snacking pleasure on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.