Live shows
A bunch of must-see concerts, gigs and music-soaked soirees are coming to Brisbane this weekend, and we are ready to treat our ears to some live tunes. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are bringing their Carnage Tour to Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre this Friday, while Ruby Gilbert is taking over Felons Barrel Hall. Not On Your Rider’s sold-out Christmas Extravaganza will be coming to Fortitude Music Hall this Saturday with global wildlife warrior Robert Irwin, songbird Kate Miller-Heidke, literary hero Trent Dalton and divine singer-songwriter Ruby Fields. After sold-out performances across UK and Australia, Love Actually in Concert featuring a live orchestra will be bringing the magic to Brisbane again just in time for Christmas this Saturday. For some belly laughs, treat yourself and see Jimeoin LIVE at QPAC on Saturday. On Sunday, The Princess Theatre will host international sensation Clinton Kane, while Hardware is having a 30-year celebration of Australia’s electronic music culture at Fortitude Music Hall. The Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir is coming to QPAC this Sunday, offering an unforgettable evening of song and history. The audience will be transported in a musical confluence of Baroque and Romantic era choral arrangements and centuries-old sacred hymns, carried through time in ancient Aboriginal languages. The Zoo continues its 30th birthday celebrations this weekend with a killer line-up of talent on Thursday including The Predators, Suicide Country Hour, Milk Buttons, The Bluebottles and an acoustic set from Shag Rock. Friday will be headlined by none other than Hope D, with the stage also welcoming the likes of Concrete Surfers, Melaleuca, Miranda vs Arizona, Total Pace and Perve Endings. An all-star lineup is coming together for the ultimate birthday bash on the Saturday evening including Resin Dogs, Screamfeeder, Isis, iiwii, Danny Widdicombe, Dj Black Amex, Alison St Ledger and many more. Wrapping the birthday festivities up will be Why I Love The Zoo on Sunday, with a collection of artists and wordsmiths reading aloud their love letter to The Zoo. 

Exhibitions
One of our favourite ways to spend our free time is strolling through an art gallery, and there’s no better place to do this than at QAGOMA. The gallery’s summer blockbuster exhibition, Air, is showcasing immersive and large-scale works by leading international and Australian artists exploring the cultural, ecological and political dimensions of air. Courage and Beauty is another fresh exhibition to grace the gallery, and this spellbinding showcase celebrates the vision and generosity of Queensland art collector and philanthropist James C. Sourris AM. Curious culture lovers can also check out 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. 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. Giving us the perfect excuse to wander around the city is Brisbane City Council’s Outdoor Gallery exhibition, play/ground. Art enthusiasts are set to be wowed by a series of breathtaking artworks in light boxes, banners, vitrines, and evening projections across destinations including Howard Smith Wharves, Ann Street and Fish Lane. MoB is once again inviting art lovers to escape the world outside and enter a new, far more colourful one inside its fun-filled exhibition Play Moves. Opening this Saturday and sticking around until April 16, 2023, this fantastical display is bringing together a bounty of local and national artists for a boundary-breaking art experience like no other. Exhibition-goers can stroll through six large-scale installations where every action you take makes the art around you come alive. While you’re there, pop into the MoB Shop for some last-minute Christmas shopping. You can stuff your stockings with handmade jewellery, ceramics, prints, art pieces, homewares, candles, puzzles and much more.

Theatre
Queensland Theatre is doing something pretty special for its final production of the year. It has partnered with serving Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Johnston CSC, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, to present the world premiere of First Casualty, currently playing at the theatre until December 10. This hard-hitting tale, which is informed by the authentic experience of Christopher (who wrote the play) and his colleagues, is an imagined account of soldiers on a remote patrol base in southern Afghanistan. Lovers of F. Scott Fitzgerald can immersive themselves in 1920s glamour at The Great Gatsby: An Immersive Theatrical Production. Led by an ensemble cast of the highest calibre Australian actors, this production will offer audiences the opportunity to experience the story of Gatsby as they have never seen it before. Expect secret rendezvous, dramatic confrontations, bootleg gin and a party that only Gatsby could throw. We hope you’re holding onto your umbrellas as Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s supercalifragilistic new production of Mary Poppins is currently showing at QPAC for a strictly limited season. Adapted from the beloved stories by PL Travers and the original film, this stage show is a practically perfect time.Whisk the entire family away this festive season to a magical party where snowflakes flutter, fireplaces crackle, and enchanted toys come alive to frolic and play in The Nutcracker. Coming to QPAC this weekend, this family favourite is a glorious way to welcome in the most wonderful time of the year. Featuring a live band, a rag-tag team of Brisbane’s best (and rowdiest) performers and a soundtrack of Christmas classics that have been given a titillating twist, A Very Naughty Christmas is sure to have you feeling festive this December. Now in its sixth year, the scintillating show has moved to the La Boite Roundhouse Theatre for a more up close and personal experience. Those with the little ones in tow can gather the littlies for the tenth anniversary of Bear with Me at Metro Arts, showing from December 7 to 10. Featuring songs by Brisbane duo Tyrone and Lesley, this show is an excellent introduction to theatre for ages three to six years. Teddy bears welcome!

Out-of-the-box activities
Lasers, lizards and 22,000-sqm of custom-made lighting is just a taste of what you can expect to find at this year’s The Enchanted Garden, which is set to light up Brisbane once more. Taking over Roma Street Parkland until December 21, the family-friendly showcase sees the lush grounds light up in a spectacular technicolour display that is sure to take your breath away. Picturesque parklands, sparkling summer starlight and fantastic food – gather your loved ones and treat yourself to a night of cinematic splendour at Moonlight Cinema, which is also at Roma Street Parkland. Australia’s favourite outdoor cinema is set to showcase this season’s biggest blockbusters, hottest new releases and certified cult classics. Those feeling extra adventurous this weekend can hit up Brisbane’s most ‘grammable experience – Imaginaria. The stunning immersive play experience combines audio-visual art, inflatable architecture, light installations and futuristic gamification suitable for all ages. Nerdy about NASA? If that’s a yes, then you’re going to love the new space-centric experience that’s landed in Brisbane. Neighbourhood Earth is an out-of-this-world experience that lets visitors explore the solar system and our place within it. The most wonderful time of the year is once again upon us! Christmas in Brisbane is back and better than ever, featuring a line-up of magical events to celebrate family, friends and the festive season, including the return of The Lott by Golden Casket City Hall Lights. From December 9 to 24, witness Brisbane’s iconic City Hall transform into a Christmas wonderland with a vibrant visual and audio display of Rudolph and the rest of Santa’s reindeers saving Christmas. Those looking to get into the Christmas spirit can have a whole bunch of festive fun at Christmas Putt Putt at Victoria Park. Aim for a ho, ho, hole in one as you putt through festive fairways decked out with bells, bows and bright twinkling lights. On Thursday, Australia’s favourite seriously unserious Japanese beer – Monsutā –is bringing together beer connoisseurs with sumo-sized personalities to represent Australia in the country’s first ever Sumo Suit Grand Slam. Event participants will go head-to-head in the ring across six rounds at crowd-favourite pub The Breakfast Creek Hotel in Albion.

Markets and foodie fun
If you’re eager to stroll through some stalls and stock up on some fresh fruit and veg this 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 and the Redcliffe Markets. For delicious dinnertime eats, Eat Street Northshore is on for your snacking pleasure on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights or a hint of mystery, head to Westoria this Friday – a unique night market bringing a sense of wonder, excitement and sense-enlivening magic to West End. Brisbane’s favourite handmade designers and artists will gather once again at South Bank to satisfy all of your sustainable handmade shopping needs at the BrisStyle Handmade Markets on Saturday. For some plant-based treats, head to the QLD Vegan Markets at Portside Wharf this Friday. Stock up on vegan Christmas cookies for the holiday season and find a cruelty-free gift for your plant-based friends as you browse more than 30 stalls offering lifestyle and beauty items and tasty veggie bites, including loaded katsu fries, pizza, tacos and much more. For last-minute stocking stuffers, make tracks to the Gasworks Christmas Design Markets on Saturday. Shop fashion, art, vintage, homewares, plants, pots, ceramics, children’s, sweets, skincare and more. For something sweet, head to South Bank to check out pop-up Japanese eatery Kumo Kumo, which is slinging its signature jiggly souffle pancakes and speciality drinks for a limited time only.

This article was written by Sara Weckerle from The Weekend Edition.