Weekend of 11 – 13 September 2026
Brisbane Festival is in full swing this weekend, with theatre at QPAC and Brisbane Powerhouse, major exhibitions at GOMA and the Museum of Brisbane, and hands-on workshops across the city.
Events are arranged per suburb.
Outer Space Art Auction: Exhibition & Closing Event
11–12 September 2026 | Outer Space, Fortitude Valley
Charity art auction and exhibition supporting emerging/early-career Brisbane artists.
Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking
11–13 September 2026 | Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm
Solo theatre work presented with Brisbane Powerhouse; the Sunday show is Audio Described and Auslan-interpreted.
The Choir of Man
11 & 13 September 2026 | Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, Festival Village, South Bank
Music/dance cabaret celebrating pub culture and community through song, part of Brisbane Festival.
Shel We
11–13 September 2026 | Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane
Playful contemporary dance work by NZ choreographer Tupua Tigafua for Le Moana, making its Australian premiere, blending humour and family tribute inspired by Shel Silverstein.
Strong Is the New Pretty
11–13 September 2026 | Playhouse, QPAC, South Brisbane
World-premiere drama by Suzie Miller (Prima Facie) about AFLW, legacy and determination, directed by Sarah Giles.
Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company
12–13 September 2026 | GOMA, South Brisbane
Queensland-exclusive exhibition of Muppets, Fraggle Rock, Dark Crystal and Labyrinth creations; opening weekend coincides with Brisbane Festival.
Vipoo Srivilasa: Express Yourself
11–13 September 2026 | Children’s Art Centre, GOMA, South Brisbane
Interactive, multi-sensory exhibition inviting kids/families to draw, dance and engage with digital activities. Closes 13 Sept.
Snap Blak: Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Photography
11–13 September 2026 | GOMA, South Brisbane
Survey of contemporary Indigenous photography asserting visual sovereignty and self-representation. Closes 13 Sept.
Archie Moore: kith and kin
11–13 September 2026 | GOMA, South Brisbane
Major installation by Archie Moore exploring First Nations family history and archives.
Undying: Abdul-Rahman Abdullah
11–12 September 2026 | Griffith University Art Museum, South Brisbane
First Queensland solo show of sculptor Abdul-Rahman Abdullah’s carved/painted works on life, death and the natural world. Closed Sundays.
Introduction to Katazome (Rice Paste Resist) & Indigo Dyeing
12 September 2026 | Woolloongabba Substation, Woolloongabba
Hands-on Japanese textile stencil-dyeing workshop using natural indigo.
Weekend of 4 – 6 September 2026
Brisbane Festival’s opening weekend at QPAC and South Bank overlaps with a run of exhibitions at Museum of Brisbane and Griffith University Art Museum, plus a Wynnum Father’s Day jazz festival and a Camp Hill cultural celebration.
Events are arranged per suburb.
Lord Mayor's Photographic Awards 2026
1 August – 1 November 2026 | Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane City
Free finalist exhibition of Brisbane’s annual photography awards, capturing everyday city life and Moreton Bay scenes, including a new Brisbane Postcards Collection category.
The Red Dress
25 July – 13 September 2026 | Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane City
A Guinness World Record-holding collaborative embroidery artwork of 87 silk panels stitched by 367 contributors from 51 countries, including a Brisbane-made panel by Allthreads Embroidery.
Matsuri Brisbane 2026
5 September 2026 | Whites Hill State College, Camp Hill
A Japanese cultural festival at Whites Hill State College marking the 50th anniversary of the Australia–Japan Basic Treaty of Friendship, with food, performances and cultural activities for all ages.
Koreaboo
4–6 September 2026 | Roundhouse Theatre, La Boite Theatre, Kelvin Grove
Written by and starring Michelle Lim Davidson, this semi-autobiographical Queensland premiere follows a Korean-Australian adoptee’s return to Seoul.
Wynnum Manly Jazz and Swing Festival
6 September 2026 | George Clayton Park, Manly
Free Father’s Day festival at George Clayton Park featuring jazz and swing bands including Galapagos Duck and the Royal Australian Navy Band Queensland, plus swing dancing and food trucks by the bay.
Dead Bat on the Night Shift
4–5 September 2026 | PIP Theatre, Milton
A darkly comic new thriller by Samantha Hill, staged by PIP Theatre, following call-centre worker Sloane as ominous signs push her toward a plan to deal with her toxic boss.
The Choir of Man
5–6 September 2026 | Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent, Festival Village, South Bank
Olivier Award-nominated West End hit featuring nine singer-performers delivering powerhouse harmonies inside a restored Belgian travelling ballroom.
Fijian Flying Circus
4–6 September 2026 | South Bank Piazza, South Bank
Australian premiere of a high-energy circus spectacle by Fijian dance tribe VOU, blending aerial acrobatics, gravity-defying stunts and island storytelling.
Undying: Abdul-Rahman Abdullah
4–5 September 2026 | Griffith University Art Museum, South Bank
Perth sculptor Abdul-Rahman Abdullah’s major exhibition of intricately carved and painted wooden animal forms explores memory, mortality and inheritance. Note: the museum is closed Sundays and public holidays, so it isn’t open on Father’s Day (6 Sept).
QSO: Maestro 6 — La Mer
4 September 2026 | Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane
The Queensland Symphony Orchestra presents an evening of sea-inspired orchestral works including Debussy’s Petite Suite, Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and Ravel’s La Mer.
Death of a Salesman
4 September 2026 | QPAC, South Brisbane
Neil Armfield’s critically acclaimed revival of Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning tragedy, starring Anthony LaPaglia as Willy Loman and Alison Whyte as Linda Loman.
Strong is the New Pretty
4–6 September 2026 | Playhouse Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane
World-premiere play by Suzie Miller tracing the trailblazing formation of the AFLW through the determination of the women who made it happen.
THE BOOK OF MORMON
31 July – 4 October 2026 | Glasshouse Theatre, QPAC, South Brisbane
Tony Award-winning musical comedy from the creators of South Park, following two mismatched Mormon missionaries sent to a remote Ugandan village.
Gilbert & Sullivan
6–9 September 2026 | Concert Hall, QPAC, South Brisbane
‘A Soirée of Song and Satire’ – a semi-staged concert celebration of Gilbert & Sullivan directed by Stuart Maunder AM with a 19-piece live orchestra, starring Ben Mingay and Cassandra Seidemann.
Lord Mayor's Seniors Cabaret showcase
6 September 2026 | Wynnum Municipal Hall, Wynnum
Brisbane City Council’s free seniors cabaret program brings this year’s ‘Legends and Icons’ showcase to Wynnum Municipal Hall, with song, dance and spoken word from local senior performers.
