Live music
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. The obscene intelligence and belly-aching humour of Reuben Kaye will entertain The Princess Theatre audience on Friday July 14, while critically acclaimed album holder and Brooklyn-based musician Oneohtrix Point Never, takes over on Saturday July 15. Head to the Open Season website to book your tickets.

Let’s be honest, a weekend of sitting, sipping, and snacking while live music soundtracks your day sounds pretty perfect. This Saturday July 15, Park Vibes is back with another instalment of live gigging and tipple swigging, boasting palate-pleasing plates from fired-up food trucks. Settle in on the green of Victoria Park from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm and enjoy sun-soaked sips on the grass with friends and family (four-legged members too). No bookings are required so you can wander in whenever you’re ready.

No photos, please! For the very first time in Australia, melodic house label This Never Happened, is bringing its trademark screen-free event to Brisbane’s The Brightside on Sunday July 16, showcasing incredible talent from around the world. With phones taped on arrival, These Never Happened events encourage attendees to foster in-person connections on the dance floor and ditch phone recordings for real-time enjoyment instead. This year boasts a mash-up of talented taste-makers including Le Youth, PARIS and Sultan & Shepard. The screen-free fun kicks off at 3:00 pm. Don’t miss out on the chance to check out and tune in. Tickets are $60 – purchase yours here.

Live shows and theatre
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!

Taking inspiration from the iconic Rat Pack, the tap-happy uniform of five – The Tap Pack, has performed to sold-out QPAC crowds in its 2021 season, and graced London’s West End stage as well as the Sydney Opera House. Until Saturday July 15, the high-energy outfit of slick-suited stage men will return to QPAC, melding tap dance with swing music and witty banter. Dance through the decades with songs from the 50s through to the noughties such as ‘The Lady Is a Tramp’, ‘Come Fly With Me’ and ‘One For My Baby’, as well as modern hits from Ed Sheeran, Michael Bublé and Beyoncé. Tickets start at $90 – book your seats here.

All things food and drink
Calling all wine enthusiasts! This Friday July 14, the Royal Queensland Awards are showcasing Australia’s best drops of wine at its Grape Grazing by Night 2023 event. Sample your way through Australia’s finest wine blends, each poured by a five-star server for an indulgent experience. Pair your glass with some of the nation’s award-winning produce from beef and lamb to wheels of cheese – because what would wine be without it. If a cold sip of beer is more to your liking, this year’s event will host a flowing reception of top-notch brews, too. Tickets are $98 and the event goes from 6:00–9:00 pm. Purchase yours here.

Nothing a cannoli can’t fix! You don’t need to fly 24 hours to get your Italian cream-filled pastry fix because this Saturday July 15, marks Locale’s annual Cannoli Pop-Up. By pre-order only, you can get your hands on the decadent dessert with your choice of filling from vanilla creme patisserie, traditional Italian chocolate, Sicilian sweet ricotta, Biscoff, apple crumble, pistachio and choc chip, and truffle. Ahh …  bless the Italians and their pastry-filled fare. The pop-up will be slinging sweet cannolis from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. Head to the Locale website to pre-order yours now.

If you’ve got a winter wardrobe that you’re itching to make the most of, head to Lina Rooftop and nestle up by the fire pit and custom-made private igloos at 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 mushroom and truffle arancini, and more. Or, go for The Igloo Wonderland Package for $99 per person, where you can 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.

Shake off the seasonal scaries and 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 premium AIX rose – all for $50! Book a seat 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 your 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.

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, baked brie and mac-and-cheese croquettes. Head here to book your igloo!

Fortitude Valley’s King Street is also getting into the seasonal fun by transforming into a winter wonderland. This weekend, Apres Ski at King Street gives 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
This weekend, Brisbane Open House is handing you the keys to the city during its outstanding 2023 program taking place this weekend on Saturday July 15 and Sunday July 16. Prepare to peel back the curtains and discover the hidden wealth of architecture, engineering and history held within Brisbane’s buildings, spaces, structures and places from heritage-listed homes to cutting-edge commercial spaces. Through the carefully curated 2023 event program, Brisbane Open House will be opening a full calendar of activities including exclusive events, talks and activations, guided walking tours, and more, with the exciting new addition of the iconic Herston Health and Heritage precinct joining Sandgate and Shorncliffe for this year’s perusal. On Saturday July 15, a special event – Ask An Architect, will allow those that are in the midst of a DIY project, thinking about a climate-appropriate renovation, or wanting to simply demystify the client-architect relationship, a chance to have all of their burning questions answered in a free mini consultation with a local architect. And, if you want to discover behind-the-scene secrets of ABC, the doors will be open for public viewing on Saturday July 15, giving guests a glimpse into how news stories are produced for TV, radio and online. The guided tours for this event take place throughout the day between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and is free to register.

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.

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 Camille Pissarro to Edgar Degun and Pierre-Auguste Renoir like never before. Expect to step inside a multi-sensory experience of light, colour, sound and fragrance as art meets technology and the Impressionist’s work beam from crystal-clear projections. If you’re a sucker for a French delight, head over to Le Bistro Delight located in the exhibition’s ‘Artist’s Square of Montmartre’. Tickets for Monet In Paris are $29 for kids, $39 for concession and $44 for adults – purchase yours here. To become further immersed in the Monet experience, dig into 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.

GOMA’s two new major exhibitions from artists Michael Zavros and eX de Medici are on show until October 2, where 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 activity’s cultural, social and recreational importance. 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, 2024. While you’re there, take a journey via Queensland Art Gallery’s Looking Out, Looking In – on display until August 6. This exhibition explores the various approaches humankind takes when envisaging oneself, whether 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 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.

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 was invited to submit an original ‘memory vessel’ to showcase the diversity 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.

Heading to Surfers Paradise this weekend? Perfect timing for you to catch HOTA Gallery’s Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize exhibition that will be on display from Saturday July 15. In celebration of Australia’s oldest and most-loved portrait award, The Archibald Prize, Archie 100 delves into the controversies and the commonplace, the triumphant and the thwarted, and honours the artists who’ve made the Archibald Prize the most sought-after accolade in Australian art today. The milestone exhibition will be showcased until Monday October 2.

Markets
Embrace the winter air’s cool chill and head to the Carseldine Wintertide Wonderland Markets this Saturday July 15. Wander into the food-filled oasis and lose yourself in over 250 artisan vendors and find your palate-pleaser from 40-plus food trucks serving up a selection of seasonal eats. From the comforting tastes of Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers, and Mexican feasts by Carlos Tacos to crispy stuffed corn pockets by Maizland, and teppanyaki noodles from Yamatoumi – every taste is catered for. This year, the all-new pop-up Alps Bar is heading to the marketplace where a piping hot mug of spiced mulled wine awaits and Stone & Wood craft beers are pouring. Cosy up by the crackling bonfires with your chosen tipples and eats while live music perks your ears, and roving entertainment, your eyes.

The infamous monthly market full of artisan treasures, pre-loved clothing, vintage finds and more is back in Brisbane City’s Brisbane Square this Sunday July 16. Dig into suitcases filled with vintage and pre-loved pieces from clothing to shoes, artwork, books, jewellery, handmade wares, records and more at this month’s Suitcase Rummage. Market-shop like they used to and have an old-fashioned haggle, bag a bargain, or set up a swap if your heart so desires– anything is possible! The market runs from 12:00–5:00 pm – if you have pre-loved items to sell yourself, register a spot for your suitcase here.

A mashup of DJs, tooth-gem booths, coffee, food, art and vintage clothing can be found at the Second Life Markets: Winter Edition this Sunday July 16. Head to John Reid Pavilion, located in the Brisbane Showgrounds, and shop sustainably from over 80 vintage sellers looking to upcycle their pre-loved pieces. Put together a chic fit (the festival season is coming up), or curate your dream capsule wardrobe – without breaking the bank. It’s a treasure trawler’s dream! Purchase your mobile e-ticket here.

If you’re eager to stroll through some stalls and stock up on some fresh fruit and veg over the weekend, be sure to 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.