New year, new you
Embrace that fresh start mentality and try some wholesome new hobbies to brighten up your weekend agenda. On Thursday night, try your hand at life drawing with Studio Maverik’s first session of the year. Open to amateurs and seasoned artists alike, Thursday Night Life Drawing could unlock a creative calling.

Make a start at your reading goal with a browse through the titles at Lifeline Bookfest. Home to millions of pre-loved reads, you can discover classics to contemporary lit for all ages. Books start at $2.50 and every buy supports the Lifeline Crisis Support line – meaning you can add to that growing to-be-read pile with books that save lives.

Live events
This weekend is stacked with roaring live shows and rocking music events ready to bring the unexpected to your typical nights out. Be wowed by the world’s first interactive magic spectacular Metaverse of Magic currently on at QPAC. With masterful illusions, stunning stagecraft and awe-inspiring magic, Metaverse of Magic promises something for everyone – and with the help of your smartphone, you’re even invited to participate as well.

Walk on the wild side with QPAC’s feminist comedy, cabaret and circus show Dangerous Goods. This genre-bending experience lives up to its namesake – featuring heart-racing circus acts, burlesque and drag as well as music by iconic performance group Polytoxic. Catch this acclaimed show at the Cremorne Theatre and prepare for a night of fully loaded and flammable fun.

Electrify your typical weekend routine with The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland and its three extravaganzas of titillating thrills and flamboyant fun. Be mesmerised by the bold burlesque and astonishing acrobatics of Vegas-style comedy Suave or experience the steamy spectacle of Ripped and its ab-tastic affair. Even take a trip to Paris from Hamilton with La Teaze – The Pink Flamingo Spiegeland’s homage to the magical mayhem of the Moulin Rouge.

For a different pace, RnB sensation Brent Faiyaz is turning up The Fortitude Music Hall this Sunday with his F*ck The World It’s A Wasteland Tour. Famed for his collabs with industry icons like Drake and Tyler the Creator, Brent’s introspective lyricism and sick beats are the perfect chaser for your weekend.

Craving some 90s nostalgia? Rock out to Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson this Saturday at Felons Beer Hall. The Nobody Else Tour sees this ARIA award-winning artist go solo with a stripped-down acoustic set that goes perfect with a Felons brew and feed.

Speaking of nostalgia – Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is celebrating its 50th trip around the sun with a legendary album experience at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium until March 31, 2024. This Queensland-exclusive celestial escape brings together otherworldly visuals of space – all set to music from the iconic album for a trip like no other.

The infamous multi-award winning musical Chicago has kicked off Brisbane’s 2024 musical calendar with a pop, six, squish. Following the story of housewife and raucous criminal Roxie Hart, this West End show is a night of golden-age decadence, devilish comedy and riotous tunes. Jazz up your weekend with some musical murder, greed and treachery at QPAC.

School holidays
With back-to-school season in sight, make these final days of school holidays count with all-ages fun and unforgettable experiences. This weekend, Brisbane Powerhouse is taking us on a roaring adventure to the prehistoric age with Dinosaur World Live. The whole family will love this thrilling Jurassic journey, starring a cast of hyper-realistic dinosaur puppets. Unearth all your favourite scaly species at this world-renowned spectacular.

For more dino danger and delight, Jurassic World by Brickman at Queensland Museum features dinosaurs, props, scenes and activities created over more than 10,000 hours of LEGO building. This awe-inspiring exhibition is a must-see for LEGO lovers with roarsome experiences to inspire and engage every little LEGO master.

The unmissable magic of QAGOMA’s latest exhibition Fairy Tales is a must-do these summer holidays. Be immersed in the fantastical worlds of fairy tales with installations, costumes, artworks and artefacts that bring childhood stories to life. This weekend, the GOMA cinema is also hosting a double feature of cult classics Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian for a taste of timeless comedy.

Bluey’s Big Play has taken over Playhouse Theatre with a wackadoo original story from show creator and Brisbane local, Joe Brumm. See the Heeler family and their cheeky hijinks come to life with the help of adorable puppets and music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. There are only two weekends left to experience all the laughter and love of this award-winning TV series live and on stage. In the words of Bingo – “it’s got to be done!”

Food and drink
Toast to the work week done and dusted with Woodfired Fridays at Treasury Brisbane. From 4:30 pm, the woodfired pizza oven is firing up pizza classics in the open-air Treasury Hotel courtyard. Refresh and reset with beverages from the pop-up bar and start your weekend off right.

The Best Westin’s Nautilus Beach Club is here with your tropical holiday fix – transforming its inner-city resort pool into a Maldivian escape. Unwind with a new menu that’s been created by the chef of its Maldives location and relax with the ultimate luxury of the swim-up bar. Nautilus Beach Club’s Maldives Moments turns your average summer pool day into an enviable island escape – complete with tropical-themed dishes and cocktails.

Lina Rooftop is serving the ultimate match-viewing party for the nail-biting tournaments of the Australian Open in collaboration with Aperol. This smashing soiree has taken inspiration from ‘old English’ garden parties, with a menu of lawnside bites and flowing Aperols aplenty. Soak up the sun and rally with the spritz of the summer.

Elevate your typical weekend wine session with an afternoon at the Sirromet Wines vineyard. Its latest Twilight in the Vines event lets you taste award-winning wines whilst nestled in the glorious green of the vineyard. Unwind with wines expertly chosen by its team of wine connoisseurs and feast on gourmet charcuterie plates as you’re transported to the rolling hills of wine country.

Entertainment and exhibitions
If the forecast calls for a museum day, MOB’s exhibition Rearranged: Art of the Flower lets you still get your fix of the great outdoors. Discover art for all ages from local and international artists that celebrate the wondrous world of flowers. This collection of paintings, textiles, sculptures, ceramics and new media is in full bloom until August 2024.

Across the river, experience sis, QAGOMA’s exhibition featuring everything from large sculptural installations to compelling video. This exhibition showcases three decades of art-making from a sisterhood of Pacific artists with a bold and beautiful collection that intimately captures identity, history and culture. In the same precinct, the Living Patterns exhibition goes back to basics with a collection focused on colour, shape and form. Living Patterns offers a complex experience about the core of art – explored through the works of leading Australian artists.

It’s also the final week of the University of Queensland Art Museum’s exhibition Mare Amoris (Sea of Love). Pushing the colonial understanding of oceans and their connected waters, this exhibition considers the powerful role water has played in storytelling, bodily memory and culture from the perspective of local artists and their kin.

Markets
Stock up on treats, eats and produce from the leading stall of your local market this weekend. Find Brisbane’s best food vans, fruit and veg and artisans at the likes of   Northshore Produce Markets, Riverside Markets, Kelvin Grove Village Market, Jan Powers Farmers Markets, Carseldine Markets, Nundah Farmers Markets and the Redcliffe Markets. For our night owls, Eat Street Northshore is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and serves up an array of flavours of delicious street food vendors as well.

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.