Music
On Friday night, hitmaker Tones and I is returning to Brisbane with her first tour in three years. Known best for her ear-worm sensation ‘Dance Monkey’, Tones and I has emerged as one of Australian pop’s most recognised names. In this latest tour, the songstress will be performing songs from her new album Beautifully Ordinary as well as her chart-topping hits at Brisbane Riverstage. 

Melbourne outfit Northeast Party House also makes its return to Brisbane this weekend with a show at Fortitude Music Hall on Saturday night. Northeast Party House rose to prominence from Australia’s underground music scene, moving audiences with its electronic-pop sounds. This latest tour will see the beloved band perform songs from its fourth studio album Enhancer live.

Theatre and live events
Something wicked this way comes with QPAC’s new production, GRIMM. This brand-new show from Shake and Stir Theatre Co delves into the darkness of our favourite fairy tales with spine-tingling takes on the stories you know and love. The bold adaption reimagines the literary legends through a raw new lens, featuring lavish costuming design by Australian fashion icon Paul McCann.

Opera Queensland’s brand new show Straight from the Strait makes its world premiere this weekend at QPAC. Following a group of Torres Strait Island workers who laid the Mount Newman railway in 1968, this remarkable show pays homage to the passion, camaraderie and the power of song that made it possible. A uniquely local production, Straight from the Strait fuses traditional Torres Strait music and contemporary melodies for a truly singular operatic experience.

Exhibitions
Lightscape returns to set Brisbane’s Botanical Gardens alight with a technicolour wonderland of music and light. Back as part of Brisbane Festival, Lightscape invites you on a 2-km trail of glowing tree canopies, sparkling tunnels and neon-lit tree roots. The light show is running all September and kicks off this Saturday.

Experience fifty years of pop culture through the eyes of fashion’s enfant terrible this weekend with the Australian premiere of Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show. This new theatrical spectacle by the fashion powerhouse is a centrepiece of this year’s Brisbane Festival. Bare witness to new exclusive outfits by Jean Paul Gaultier alongside some of his most iconic creations on the Brisbane runway in this unmissable fashion event.

Fashion fans should also head to Brisbane Powerhouse this weekend to experience the trailblazing work of Grace Lillian Lee’s new exhibition The Dream Weaver: Guardians of Grace. The exhibition will showcase eight ethereal shields and armours of Grace’s totem, Koysemer (moth), exploring Grace’s multicultural lineage from the symbolism of the Koysemer to her Chinese name. The exhibition opens this Friday.

Iconic Brisbane-born author Trent Dalton begins his artist residency at Museum of Brisbane this weekend – unveiling an interactive love-letter experience. Trent’s work will return to the stage this month with the world-premiere Love Stories at Brisbane Festival, documenting Trent’s time spent writing the love stories on a busy street corner in Brisbane City. This new exhibition invites you to fill the Dome Gallery with tender tales by writing your own love letters to celebrate everything and everyone we love in the city.

If Saturday’s forecast of 36 degrees has you flocking to the coast, Stradbroke Island’s annual Straddie Arts Trail is back this weekend – so you can get your art and beach fix all in one. The arts trail celebrates the island’s diverse artist community of internationally recognised talents and emerging names with a series of open studios, pop-up galleries, community events, and workshops running all weekend long. From opportunities to play with clay at ceramist’s own studios to beekeeping classes, blacksmithing courses and community events, it’s a smorgasbord of art and community.

QAGOMA’s latest blockbuster Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses continues to captivate audiences this weekend. The exhibition showcases more than 100 mesmerising garments by the prolific Dutch designer, showcasing 3D printing, new-wave fabrications and robotics. The designs are exhibited alongside the specimens, contemporary art and artefacts to traverse Iris’ fascinating world of science, art and fashion.

Markets
Shake out your tote bag and stock up on fresh-local produce, bespoke goodies and street food snacks at one of the weekly markets as well. Riverside Markets, Kelvin Grove Village Market, Jan Powers Farmers Markets, Carseldine Markets, Nundah Farmers Markets and the Redcliffe Markets are open and trading this weekend.

Food and drink
With Riverfire, Father’s Day and of course, Queen’s Wharf opening all this weekend, there’s plenty of delicious goodness in store. For our beer buffs, head to Range Brewery on Saturday for the Queensland IPA Cup. This inaugural event sees 20 breweries go head to head for the title of the People’s Champion of QLD IPA’s. You’re invited to sample and vote for the winner, whilst Range’s local pizza makers Jacopo will be firing up fresh pies.

We’ve compiled your guide to Father’s Day across Brisbane so you can find the perfect spot to treat Dad to breaky, lunch or dinner. If you’re still unsure of your Riverfire plans, check out our Riverfire guide for some inspiration. Plus, Queen’s Wharf also opens its doors this weekend so it’s the perfect opportunity to embrace this burst of summer and explore this new icon of the Brisbane skyline.

Want more? Head to our comprehensive Event Guide for all of the fun around town where you can search by category, date, location and more! We do our best to remove cancelled events but be sure to check the organiser’s own event page for the most current updates.

To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.