Britney, theatre thrills and fiesta fare – here’s what’s on in Brisbane this weekend
From new theatre thrillers and comedy queens to foodie-fiend barbecues, this weekend is bringing Brisbane a smorgasbord of events, shows and master classes. Savour the last weekend of summer with plenty to do this weekend from February 22 to February 25. Here’s what not to miss …
Music
On Sunday and Monday, Queen of the Stone Age makes its highly anticipated return to Brisbane with The End is Nero tour. Experience the band’s 90s-Palm-Desert-infused sound of rock, grunge and electronica across two nights at Fortitude Music Hall. With Aussie-indie-royalty Pond opening, these shows are stacked with local and international rock music greats. On Saturday night, the internet’s source of pastel-coloured pop Cavetown will be making his Brisbane debut this weekend with the worm food tour. Featured on tracks from beabadoobee and Chloe Oriondo, this British alt-pop artist has become a Gen Z favourite for his bedroom concerts. Now, you can catch him live and loud at Fortitude Music Hall.
Live Events
At Brisbane Powerhouse, witness the life, loves and fame of Britney Spears with the satirical cabaret from star of stage and screen Christie Whelan Browne. This one-woman show features toxic music numbers for touchingly sincere tribute to our beloved princess of pop. Catch shows from Wednesday to Friday this week.
After a magical opening weekend, Beauty and the Beast the Musical continues its run at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre. With nostalgic tunes from the classic childhood movie and new numbers written for the stage, this Disney musical showcases your favourite fairytale like you’ve never seen it before. QPAC invites you to be their guest with fantastical sets, mesmerising music and heart-warming romance.
In the same precinct, QPAC’s latest psychological thriller Gaslight reimagines the classic piece of theatre that coined the term. The original story follows a young wife whose idyllic upper-middle class life begins to unravel. Queensland Theatre has reawakened Patrick Hamilton’s source material to captivate contemporary audiences and delve into this thrilling portrayal of marriage, betrayal and reality.
Queen of comedy Heather McMaham brings her famed show to Brisbane. After a meteoric rise following the success of her Netflix special, Heather has become a trail blazer in comedy for her brutally honest observations and unabashed sincerity. She’ll be cracking up Brisbane at the Tivoli on Thursday evening.
Exhibitions
Step into the fantastical world of fairy-tales with QAGOMA’s latest blockbuster exhibition Fairy Tales. Explore the artefacts, artwork and installations of this curated collection and traverse the stories that defined your childhood – now represented in new and unexpected ways. In collaboration with this exhibition, Australian Cinémathèque is offering even more mythical moments with a fairy-tale movie marathon. This weekend sees international flicks like Finnish film Valkoinen peura (The White Reindeer) and Tunisian film El Haimoune (Wanderers of the Desert) offer unique cultural perspectives of these age-old tales.
In the same precinct, Queensland Art Gallery’s exhibition North by North-West showcases the gallery’s range of Indigenous Australian art sourced from the diverse Countries that make up the north of Australia. This collection has been curated to explore the artistic tradition, songline and ancestral stories from these Countries – all the way from the Tiwi in the north to the Pitjantjatjara people of the south.
At UQ Art Museum, the latest exhibition how we remember tomorrow traverses the cultural understandings of the ocean found within the work of exhibited artists from the Majority World. This exhibition is a fascinating journey into the continuation of stories, knowledge and cultural practices embodied within the water around us featuring a unique array of artworks.
Food and drink
In celebration of World Margarita Day this Thursday, Howard Smith Wharves and its array of hotspots will be shaking up new infusions of this salt-rimmed specialty with a ten-day fiesta. On weekends, the Main Lawn will host a pop-up taco stall from chef Louis Tikaram – Stanley frontman and ex-West Hollywood resident – who’s putting a local spin on LA’s taco-truck fare. Feast alongside the festive tunes of The Kings Mariachi Band and step up for a swing at the piñatas.
Regatta Boatshed is hosting a decadent five-course degustation dedicated to the rich and robust flavours of steak and whisky in its private Henley Room this weekend. Whiskey Beef invites you to feast on 300-gm steak infused with different whiskies and dry aged for 40 days, with each course served with its own whisky pairing. Discover this intimate night of foodie fare on Thursday and Sunday night.
Settimo by Guy Grossi turns one this weekend and the Italian-eatery is celebrating with a line-up of events dedicated to the flavours of Amalfi. From Thursday night, escape to Italy for Aperitivo hour and indulge in a classic aperitif cocktail and assagini snacks like oysters, pizza frite and fritto misto di mare for $15 – available from 4:00 pm.
On Friday night, Guy and his award-winning head chef Alessandro Pizzolato are toasting to Settimo’s first year anniversary with a handcrafted a five-course dinner of dishes that capture the soul of Amalfi. Once you’ve sampled the authentic delicacy of Guy’s pasta, you can learn the mastery of this beloved Australian chef at his Saturday morning pasta masterclass.
Newstead’s garage bar Niky is hosting a neighbourhood barbecue this weekend, complete with a home-style charcoal grill, flowing wines and sounds by Levi Birks. Firing up from 1:00pm Sunday afternoon, sip from the bespoke wine selection and devour backyard barbecue bites elevated by Niky’s brand of flair.
For your furry friends, the riverside restaurant Mary Mae’s has added doggy ice-cream to its menu and is celebrating with a Puppy Palooza this Sunday. From 12:00 pm onwards, treat your pup to doggy ice-cream and discover a puppy fashion show, paw-print art station, pet-friendly photo booth, doggie treats and even a puppy pool.
Markets
Brisbane’s best markets are setting up for another weekend of local produce, street food and bespoke goods. Take in the sunlight and supercharge your weekend at Riverside Markets, Kelvin Grove Village Market, Jan Powers Farmers Markets, Carseldine Markets, Nundah Farmers Markets and the Redcliffe Markets. For our night owls still craving the delicious market fare but need a sleep in, Eat Street Northshore is open 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.