All things food and drink
Following its inaugural success in autumn, immersive art and feasting experience Night Feast is back! Transforming Brisbane Powerhouse from October 4–29, the spring edition of Night Feast will ignite your senses with an electrifying line-up of eats from Brisbane’s top chefs, paired with interactive art, spectacular visuals, live music and an enchanting program of free events. This weekend, Night Feast is treating ears to the unique rhythms of Josh Armour and dameeeela (Friday), and the earthy vibrations of Aunty Stan with Neesha Alexander (Saturday), before First Nations singer-songwriter Cloe Terare brings her genre-hopping pop to the Pleasuredome on Sunday. You’ll need repeat visits to work your way through Night Feast’s offering of exceptional eats – we’ve got our eyes on the master-stock duck ragu by Benny Lam of Southside and Ashley Mellor’s Eton Mess for this weekend. Overwhelmed by choice? You can take a peek at our top-ten Night Feast eats here.

Fortitude Valley’s The Prince Consort is transforming into a real-life botanical garden for Spring Fling, which will see an explosion of enchanting events roll out over the next five weeks. Dress in your spring best and head along this weekend for blooms and beats at Saturdaisy, featuring tunes by resident DJs and roaming performers, set against an extravagant backdrop of 40,000 vibrant flowers (which will adorn the venue for the next five weeks). Read all about the must-do Spring Fling events here – there’s everything from seafood festivals to burlesque nights and painting with drag queens happening over the comings weeks.

If you’re thirsty for a top-notch tipple then pop on the walking shoes and embark on the Urban Cocktail Trail this Saturday. A hand-picked selection of Brisbane’s best bars (think Brew Café & Wine Bar, Frog’s Hollow, Miss Demeanour, The Gresham, Tillerman, Leonard’s Bar & Bistro, Red Hook and more) have each nominated a signature cocktail for you to enjoy on this self-guided cocktail trail. Sound like your kind of Saturday? Grab tickets here and get sipping.

Live music
Wine-filled music festival Grapevine Gathering returns to Sirromet Winery this Sunday, pairing sounds from Spacey Jane, The Wombats, Hayden James, King Stingray, Vanessa Amorosi, Cannons, The Rions, Teenage Joans and Bella Amor with a stellar offering of wine. Tickets are still available here.

Closer to town, American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mount Eerie (Phil Elverum) is bringing new songs from his latest album to Brisbane Powerhouse for one night only this Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online – and (bonus!) you can check out Night Feast while you’re at it. Over at The Princess Theatre, American singer-songwriter Kevin Morby is taking the stage on Friday night, before genre-bending pop/rock trio Waterparks sends its sounds on Saturday night. Pearl Jam enthusiasts can rock out to their landmark hits live this Friday night when The Pearl Jam Experiences takes over The Triffid, and on Sunday Weezer and special guests Regurgitator are raising the roof at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

If string quartets are more your vibe, head to South Bank’s Edge Auditorium for a captivating evening celebrating the latest album by Orava Quartet, who are proudly in their ninth year as quartet-in-residence with Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra.

Festivals and outdoor events
Keen to get sweaty? Jump into a free wellness class as part of the Medibank Feel Good Program at South Bank Parklands this weekend. If you’re not already across it, until Thursday November 30, you can enjoy free fitness classes from heart-pumping Zumba and aqua aerobics to zen-style classics like yoga and pilates. This fun and completely free fitness program offers all-abilities sessions from Monday to Thursday and on Saturdays, all run by qualified instructors. Sweat it out at Zumba and/or Body Attack this Thursday night, then back it up with Pilates and Yoga Flow on Saturday. Check out the program details here and plan your weekly workouts.

Get into the Halloween spirit(s) at Spooky Putt Putt at Victoria Park this weekend. Gather your gaggle of ghouls for a fun time swinging through the putting greens – but take caution, there will be spooks galore! Putt your way through the chilling Broken Bones Boulevard, dodging toxic waste barrels, cackling clowns and wicked witches as you mingle with friendly neighbourhood zombies. Swinging while being spooked is thirsty work … luckily its licensed and you can get boo-zee slushies (spiked with Altos tequila) delivered while you’re putting through this creepy course. Yikes!

The 27th Japanese Film Festival kicks off its Brisbane program this week, luring fans of Japanese cinema with a line-up of cinematic gems, from gripping historical dramas to innovative modern tales. The festival runs until October 22 – you can scope out the program and screening locations here.

It’s the final weekend to check out multi-sensory illuminated oasis Lightscape, the sparkling 2-kilometre path of immersive light, colour and sound that weaves through the lush canopy of Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens. The after-dark oasis wraps up this Sunday – be quick to grab tickets.

Check out the new Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon Planetarium Experience at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium – an ideal activity for some all-ages fun. Sessions are held on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and tickets can be purchased here.

HOTA is set to awe, amaze and inspire this spring with the return of its much-loved WONDER Festival. Set to dazzle from October 6–15, the annual event invites visitors to celebrate the changing of the season with a spectacular selection of art and performance in the outdoors. This year’s line-up is a delight for all of your senses, with a jam-packed program of free and ticketed events headlined by the dazzling large-scale installation Borealis by Dan Acher, which will illuminate the night sky and envelop HOTA’s Outdoor Stage with colour, light and sound.

Live shows and theatre
Promising a poignant, yet buoyant theatrical experience, Metro Arts’ newest production Every Brilliant Thing invites audiences to consider the small joys in everyday moments that make life brilliant. Taking over the Metro Arts’ New Benner Theatre from this Wednesday October 4, Every Brilliant Thing explores themes of family, love, loss and hope from the perspective of a child who compiles a list of worthwhile moments to help their depressed mother. This uplifting and touchingly funny theatrical experience is showing until October 21 – don’t miss it!

Queensland Ballet’s latest production Strictly Gershwin is staging its final shows at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre this week. Wrapping up this Saturday, the production summons the silver-screen magic of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to take audiences on a dazzling journey through ballet, jazz, tap, and ballroom dance genres, soundtracked by the big-band-era of the roaring thirties. Secure your seat to this wonderful homage to the Art Deco era through Queensland Ballet.

Over in Morningside, the Colmslie Recreation Reserve will act as an outdoor stage for Impact – an intimate under-the-stars performance of circus, physical theatre and poetry by Circus Vulcana, held over three nights.

Must-see exhibitions
Free art exhibition Sculpture By The River is springing to life at Northshore from this Saturday, showcasing head-turning works of some of Queensland’s most renowned sculptors on the Hamilton riverfront. The public is welcome from 10:00 am daily to check out the display of works from local and Queensland artists on both the riverfront walkway and in the Northshore Shed.

The Recovered Futures Art Exhibition is taking over King George Square from this Friday. As a major event during Queensland Mental Health Week, this iconic exhibition showcases 270 artworks by artists with lived mental health experience. Entry is free and all artwork is for sale. You’ve got until Thursday October 12 to check it out!

Venture to QAGOMA to get your eyes on sis, an incredible display that showcases three decades of art-making from a sisterhood of Pacific artists, featuring everything from large sculptural installations and compelling video to the most intricate weaving creations. While you’re there, check out Queensland Art Gallery’s newest exhibition, Living Patterns, which focuses on the way audiences perceive and react to artistic elements such as colour, shape and form. Spotlighting contemporary Australian artists like Scott Redford, Jemima Wyman, Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie and many more, this one is a must-see.

Over at Museum of Brisbane, you can marvel at Clay: Collected Ceramics – a celebration of the hand-crafted endeavour that combines works from the Museum of Brisbane’s esteemed collection of ceramics, plus works from more than 300 external makers lending their individual pieces in celebration of the art that beholds them. Clay is being showcased at Museum of Brisbane until October 22, running daily between 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

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. You can wander through this free exhibition until January 2024.

Markets
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 – along with the brand-new Northshore Produce Markets, there’s the 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 dinner time eats, Eat Street Northshore is open 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.

This article was written by Janna Hrastovec from The Weekend Edition.