Live shows, music and theatre
It’s Open Season, baby! A bounty of national, international and locally-loved acts are bringing sizzling sets to Brisbane City’s music scene until late August, so music aficionados and boogie bandits can rest assured that their ears are in safe hands. This Friday July 7, The Princess Theatre welcomes Lastlings, a Gold Coast-based duo that has taken their mesmerising and powerful sound across the globe. With a transcendent debut album First Contact, the duo are merely sitting on the cusp of what’s to come. Head to the Open Season website to book your tickets.

Taylor Swift’s reign is everlasting, and this weekend you can grab the groupie gang and unite with fellow Swifties for a belter night of Speak Now classics, in celebration of the Taylor’s version release. Bar-hop the night away or stay put if your feeling comfy. Fortitude Valley’s latest watering hole Wonderland, enveloped in purple glitter, is hosting a Speak Now Taylor’s Version Release Party on Friday July 7 from 8:00 pm, with Swiftie-themed cocktails, limitless chupa chups (why not) and dancer poles. While the sound-waves of West End’s beer-wielding establishment Archive Beer Boutique, will host Taylor Swift On Repeat from 7:30 pm. Pouring rain? meet us there!

Enjoyed by young hearts and old souls, Mickey and Minnie journey through timeless stories such as Moana, Toy Story and Frozen in Disney On Ice presents 100 years of Wonder. Don’t miss the chance to see the characters you love most glide on ice, do high-flying acrobatics, and unexpected stunts as they wow audiences from high in the sky and down on the rink. A chance to belt out Disney classics? Say less – purchase tickets here.

One would say Swan Lake is the most elegant production of ballet – and this may be true. But what if the creators went in another direction? It would probably take the shape of Duck Pond – an equally extraordinary performance yet skewed storyline full of feathers, sumptuous aerial acts, a clumsy film crew, a sequinned flipper-donning duck army, and the star of the show – a burlesque black swan. Showing at QPAC’s Playhouse until Saturday July 8, don’t miss out on this touching, funny and completely entertaining tale of identity. Waddle over to the QPAC website to purchase your tickets.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical continues to can-can into the hearts of Brisbane’s theatre-loving souls until July 27. Witness the musical mash-up extravaganza of Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film – which has taken performances to London’s West End and the shiny Broadway strip – and hear all of the tunes you know and love, as well as new additions from pop-royalty Katy Perry, Sia and Beyoncé. This love story for the ages is a theatrical masterpiece that is not to be missed. Saunter over to the QPAC website to purchase your tickets – before it’s too late!

Queensland Theatre’s latest production, Tiny Beautiful Things, is ready-ing for its last weekend of shows as its curtain closes on Saturday July 8. Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, the play follows Cheryl – a wife, mother, daughter, writer, ex-heroin user and now, unpaid online anonymous advice columnist called Sugar. Amidst the chaos of her own life, Cheryl receives calls of help from strangers via email, sent in response her unique brand of unadulterated advice. This authentic and vulnerable play reminds us that sometimes the best advice can come from an unlikely source.

All things food and drink
Over two nights on Thursday July 6 and Friday July 7, the Woolloongabba nosh-spot – D.Vino Bistro & Vinoteca, will host a four-course flavoursome-feast, offering a culinary experience of both French and Italian. A seat at the table will see diners dig in to Patagonia prawn spring rolls with basil leaf to begin with. These will then be followed by oven-baked Japanese scallops with truffle butter, and beef rossini, foies-gras, and brioches with truffle port jus and saute spinach. For the cheese aficionados, you will be delighted as a three-cheese selection with homemade figs quince makes its way over to end on a high. A bite is only elevated by a sip, and that is why each dish will be served with a specific wine, paired to elevate the dish’s flavour notes and highlight its produce. Mamma mia – this one’s too tasty to pass up. Tickets are $250 and can be purchased here.

This weekend from Saturday July 8–9, the flora-filled bounds of Roma Street Parkland are where you will find top-notch drops paired with excellent eats along with live entertainment, masterclasses and primo pop-ups. Once stepping foot in Providore Park, a wander through The Village will have you noshing on artisan treats to jaw-dropping eats, and wetting your whistle from a smorgasbord of brews. Here, take the opportunity to meet the makers behind the offering of antipasti, chocolate, oysters, cheese and so much more! Take your weekend antics to the next level and opt into a Providore Park experience such as a private picnic of bubbles and eats at Picnic Society or master the art of mixing and matching at a Masterclass at The Conservatory. For a frolic on the lawn, compete with pals at Croquet Club’s – croquet on the lawn, or for an adults-only oasis with tipple and eats at arms reach, make way to the plush lounge area of the VIP Chandon Secret Garden. Opt for a looser fabric and thank us later – purchase your ticket at the Providore Park website.

If you’ve got a winter wardrobe that you’re itching to make the most of, head to South Brisbane’s Lina Rooftop and nestle up by the fire-pit while its digs are decked out with custom-made private igloos for its Winter Wonderland. Until August 27, you and the crew can nibble on a delectable charcuterie spread and sip on tipple while you’re at it. Opt for The Igloo Fondue Package for $79 per person and you will be gifted a warming mulled wine on arrival, followed by a delectable spread of cheese fondue, a cured-meat selection, porcini and truffle arancini, and more. Or, go for The Igloo Wonderland Package for $99 per person, where you’ll be able to choose between a glass of bubbly or a warm mulled wine on arrival, before grazing on garlic and rosemary potatoes, Swiss brown mushrooms and melted raclette on crusty baguettes. Of course, a winter wonderland isn’t complete until the chocolate fondue starts flowing – Lina’s boasts strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, marshmallows, apple, chocolate and brioche to dip. Fire-up the group chat and book your igloo here.

Whether you top your scone with jam then cream, or cream then jam, you’re going to want a seat inside the historical surrounds of Brisbane’s Treasury Hotel for The Lab’s The Height of High Tea. This weekend, choose between a bottomless flow of La Maison Du Thé French hand-crafted teas or free-flowing Domaine Chandon brut rosé, sparkling pinot shiraz and sparkling Chandon brut, and enjoy a procession of classic high tea nibbles including gourmet ribbon sandwiches, petite quiches and frittatas, traditional scones with jam and cream, and more! Pinkies up – book your sweet spot here.

Eagle Street’s Riverbar & Kitchen is turning up the heat this winter. Every Friday and Saturday night until July 30, the waterside venue is transforming its digs into an adult playground for Nightfall & Neon. Step out of the Uber and into a soiree of live music, warming winter-themed eats and tantalising sips. Waste no time on arrival and make way to the bar for a glowing cocktail (our eyes are on the Electric Dream with Bombay Sapphire gin, blue curacao, lemon, sugar and soda water) before biting into a delectable dish from Riverbar’s new-season menu. Leave your worries at the door as you sip, snack and stargaze the night away, with DJs turning tables long into the night alongside roaming entertainers! With free entry, your winter nights have never shined so bright – book a table here.

Shake off the seasonal scaries and sit, snack and sip instead at Will & Flow’s SUNDAZE Sessions. Every Sunday, journey to the overwater bar and eatery and sample its grazing offering, where you and a pal can dig into a charcuterie platter for two while sipping on a warm pot of Hendrick’s gin tea of your choice – all for $85! Book a seat here.

Brisbane winter may be chilly, but it comes with some spectacular sunsets. What better place to see out the sun than in the splendorous surrounds of West Village’s The Common. On Sunday July 9, West Village continues its Sundowner Sessions, greeting guests with mouth-watering eats and live music filling the air. Leave the wicker baskets at home (but bring the picnic blankets) as palate-pleasing eats are within arms reach from a range of West Village’s delectable eateries. Dig into a flavour-filled Greek feast, a poke bowl, pizza and pasta, a juicy burger, a scoop of ice cream, or a sashimi platter. Bringing the little ones? There will be free face painting outside the Village Hut – just in time for the school holidays!

Snow is forecast for Brisbane this weekend, as Veuve Clicquot In The Snow continues to grace Customs House until the end of July. Sip champagne and indulge in a menu of delectable bites as you cosy up with your pals inside one of the riverside igloos. In addition to Veuve, you can imbibe on an array of Australian and French wines, beers and cocktails, as well as eats including Moreton Bay bug brioche rolls, freshly shucked oysters, whole baked brie and mac and cheese croquettes. Head here to book your igloo!

Fortitude Valley’s King Street is also getting amongst the seasonal fun by transforming into a winter wonderland. This weekend, Apres Ski at King Street give guests the chance to cosy up to fur cushions and warm blankets as the urban precinct’s eateries serve up winter warmers like Kuhl-Cher’s steaming-hot bowl of traditional lamb ragout with gnocchi and fresh chilli, a cheesy toasted croque monsieur from King St Bakery, and comforting pork wonton noodle soup from Fat Dumpling. Pull out the ol’ Uggs, they’re dying for a wear!

Exhibitions, Arts and Culture
Our hands can turn nothing into something and transform one thing to another. In a NAIDOC week celebration, the Queensland Museum’s three-day cultural event Mangal Bungal: Clever Hands, led by the Dingaal community, is reviving Dingaal stories that are entwined with Country by means of storytelling, hands-on workshops, immersive digital projections and dance. From Friday July 7 to Sunday July 9, you can listen to a panel discussion with archaeologists, researchers and Traditional Owners about their connection to Jiigurru (Lizard Island) and its historical significance, immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Jiigurru at a pop-up planetarium, and enjoy traditional dance performances and ceremonial jewellery-making workshops. This event is free to all ages and perfect for your weekend’s wander.

The Indigenous Arts Program is back and is turning Brisbane City’s Outdoor Gallery into a homage to our city’s waterways. This year’s exhibition Reflection: A reflection of Brisbane’s Waterways is jam-packed with a selection of activities from a lesson in the art of weaving and interactive drawing workshops to Howard Smith Wharves night visits and artist-led workshops with the curators. Meander the streets of Brisbane City and you will stumble upon imaginative, curious and engaging spectacles comprising large-scale banners, light boxes, vitrines and projections. As the town becomes a canvas, you’ll be able to find the beauty on every corner.

This Sunday July 9, State Library of Queensland’s Meet the Artists exhibition, where you can gain insight into the artists behind the James C. Sourris AM Collection in a series of in-depth and intimate videos, is coming to a close. Hear stories of how the complex and awe-inspiring collection of art has been brought to life from the artists themselves in a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience, offering an insight into the motivations, inspirations, trials and tribulations of some of the nation’s most admired artists. Take a step into the creator’s world while experiencing their breathtaking artworks in person. The Gallery is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays, free for your perusal.

The State Library of Queensland is uncovering the role Aboriginal people played in establishing our pastoral industry in its latest collection, Working Country. Peruse the halls of First Nations community space – kuril dhagun – and you will be transported to a time of colonial invasion where, amid upheaval and devastation, working Country became a means of survival. Step inside the iconic library as it pays tribute to Aboriginal stockmen and women through personal stories, historical photographs and individual profiles. Its aim? To acknowledge the common oppressive practices of indentured servitude, resulting in Aboriginal people working in extremely harsh conditions with little to no wages. This exhibition is free for perusal until January 2024.

If you haven’t already perused the French Impressionist painting-clad surrounds of Le Grand Palais (may I ask why?), then you know where to be this weekend. Until August 6, Monet In Paris is presenting the masterful works of French Impressionists from Claude Monet and Camile Pissaro to Edgar Degun and Pierre-Auguste Renoir like never before. Following your trip to the bar – helping you to a glass of bubbly in hand – a step inside the 360-degree immersive venue located in Northshore Hamilton, will greet you to a multi-sensory experience of light, colour, sound and fragrance as art meets technology and the Impressionist’s work beam from crystal-clear projections. Gather a glimpse into the Impressionist movement’s history with every glare, and a peek into the social and political turbulence of the time with every painting. If you’re a sucker for a French delight (oui), head over to Le Bistro Delight located in the exhibitions ‘Artist’s Square of Montmartre’. Book your tickets for the Monet In Paris here. To become further immersed in the Monet experience, nosh on a delicious High Tea in Paree (which will have you grazing on French delights and sipping tea or bubbles), let your inner Monet out at Paint Like Monet, or party like a Parisian at Monet by Moonlight.

The time has finally arrived – GOMA’s two new major exhibitions from artists Michael Zavros and eX de Medici open this weekend! From June 24 to October 2, you’ll have a chance to witness a rare contemporary art experience, featuring two major retrospectives from leading Australian artists for the price of one. Presented side by side will be eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness and Michael Zavros: The Favourite. Be enthralled by the works of eX de Medici in a 40-year career retrospective of the artist and tattooist that showcases more than 100 of the artist’s works, providing a window into their soul with attention paid to long-standing global issues. The Favourite surveys 25 years of painting, sculpture, photography and video by leading contemporary Queensland artist Michael Zavros, profiling his significant thematic explorations, including fashion magazines, European palaces, luxury cars, his children, Narcissus and still life, in addition to his self-portraits and reflections upon his heritage.

You’ll be caught hook, line and sinker for QAGOMA’s other major exhibition, Gone Fishing, which showcases a collection of Indigenous Australian artists’ works affirming the cultural, social and recreational importance of the activity. The works also touch on the threat of Traditional Owners’ struggle to have the power to care for Sea Country under Native Title law, and topical issues threatening to destroy our environment. Each of the exhibition’s installations – ‘Traps, tackle and gear’, ‘Sea rights: Politics, lore and custom’ and ‘Along the shoreline’ – allow a peek into the community’s response to issues including rising and warming seas, contamination of waters, and the destruction of cultural sites. This exhibition will be anchored down at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art until January 21. while you’re there, take a journey via Queensland Art Gallery’s Looking Out, Looking In – on show until August 6. This exhibition explores the various approaches humankind takes when envisaging oneself, whether it be with a self-effacing approach or one with flamboyancy. Peruse the halls and take sight of a collection of self-portraits from an array of esteemed artists.

The Museum of Brisbane’s latest exhibition, Clay: Collected Ceramics, is a celebration of the hand-crafted endeavour, combining works from the Museum of Brisbane’s collection of ceramics, a myriad of pieces from acclaimed author, poet and traveller Kylie Johnson’s personal collection, plus works from more than 300 external makers lending their individual pieces in celebration of the art that beholds them. The works on display span across a 60-year timeline, from seasoned ceramists to modern-day iconoclastic makers, with a noticeable transition of clay’s shift from functional ware of the 1970s to conceptual creations we see today. You can delve a little deeper into the processes undergone and the relationships formed between a maker and their vision, through personal ruminations of how they lost their hearts to this most elementary and seductive material. This collection of clay will be sticking around until October 22 – meaning you can visit more than once! Even better, this event is free to attend, so it’s a no-brainer!

Head to the Museum of Brisbane and you will find MOB’s largest community project to date, Commune. As part of Clay: Collected Ceramics, Brisbane region’s ceramics community were invited to submit an original ‘memory vessel’ to showcase the diverse and vigour of current Brisbane ceramic practice. From veteran ceramists to those that are finding their footing, each vessel fosters the artist’s individual interpretation of a vessel and therefore, a unique range of bespoke pieces dress the Commune shelves with moving and inspiring statements.

Markets
A vegan-friendly oasis filled with tasty treats, cruelty-free eats, artisan treasures and more, is hitching up at the Mount Gravatt Showgrounds for the Twilight Vegan Markets. On Friday July 7, flock to a foodie-feast and take an epicurean endeavour through the free dog-friendly market with a built-in mini golf station, and start your weekend off with a bitey bang. The market goes from 5:00–9:00 pm, and has free unlimited parking – it’s meant to be!

If you’re eager to stroll through some stalls and stock up on some fresh fruit and veg over the weekend, 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, Nundah Farmers Markets and the Redcliffe Markets. For delicious dinnertime eats, Eat Street Northshore is on for your snacking pleasure on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Events may be subject to be postponed or cancelled at the last minute. We do our best to remove cancelled events but be sure to check the organiser’s own event page for the most current updates.

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!

This article was written by Stamatina Notaras from The Weekend Edition.