Discover an array of captivating shows at Brisbane Festival that won't break the bank. With ticket prices under $50, experience the best of music, theatre, dance, and more. Enjoy world-class performances on a budget!
#Cossie livs got you down, don’t worry, we can pick you up again with a huge range of amazing events that will fill your heart with art.
#Theatre
11 - 14 Sep
GURR ERA OP
What would you do if you could never go home? Is your culture bound by place or by self? What happens to your identity when the physical place that holds your ancestral foundations disappears? GURR ERA OP (which means 'the face of the sea' in Meriam Mir) is a celebratory sharing of culture and a call to action in the face of climate devastation, interweaving hybrid Torres Strait Islander contemporary storytelling, movement and spoken word.
31 Aug - 7 Sep
Meet Your Maker
Watch as an alternate reality unfolds on stage about indigenous artists controlling the narrative. A split second before the biggest show of her career, an Indigenous pop star goes missing. Wrestling with every choice she’s ever made; our icon traverses deep time to meet her makers. A high-octane, pop-fuelled debut premiere from Alethea Beetson (Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi and Wiradjuri).
4 - 7 Sep
The No Bang Theory
It’s the non-romantic comedy of the year. Heartbreak and hilarity. Too much sex talk from a self-confessed 26-year-old virgin. The Tinder date without the messy bits. Autism is no laughing matter, but laugh is exactly what Matilda Award-winning Brisbane cabaret performer Oliver Hetherington-Page wants audiences to do as he debunks the myths of 'cute' autism.
12 - 22 Sep
Fancy Long Legs
Something for the young – and young at heart! Rachel Burke, Brisbane’s international tinsel and craft icon, has created a brand-new glittery and vibrant musical adventure for children, based on her new picture book. This uplifting story takes a sparkly and relatable look at neurodivergence, offering a playful and glitter-covered adventure of acceptance, staying true to yourself, celebrating differences and harnessing your inner fanciness!
7 – 28 Sep
Dear Brother
Young men from across Queensland blow into the big smoke burning with unbridled energy, desire and confusion. Each of them filled with the need to escape, to make something of their lives, to defy the hand that life has dealt them. An individual ignition has driven them all to Brisbane but something else, something ancestral, will bring them together.
#Experiences
30 Aug – 21 Sep
The Art Boat
Set sail under the city lights! Step aboard and immerse yourself in an unforgettable voyage through the heart of Brisbane. Against the stunning backdrop of the ever-expanding city skyline, journey along the iconic waterways, tracing the mighty banks that shape the Brisbane River. The float away hit of the Festival is back!
29 Aug – 12 Oct
Lightscape
This globally renowned, multisensory phenomenon of light, colour and sound showcases Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens in a new light, with breathtaking installations created by acclaimed local and international artists. A special feature of Brisbane’s Lightscape will be two incredible sculptural installations created by Queensland First Nations artists Paul Bong (aka Bindur Bullin) and Michelle Yeatman.
18 – 20 Sep
Cirque Bon Bon – Le Retour
Prepare to be swept off your feet as the sell-out show brings an all-new, all-star cast of contortionists, acrobats and dancers hosted by Brisbane favourite and Bon Bon’s frontman, Mario Queen of the Circus! The brainchild of former Cirque Du Soleil Assistant Creative Director Ash Jacks (McCready) and Choreographer Julieann Nugent — both Brisbane natives – Cirque Bon Bon blends beauty with bravery into 60 minutes of electrifying action.
Sun 1 Sep
Be Iconic
Surround yourself in a glorious catwalk showcasing local creatives, celebrating inclusive designs that connect diverse communities and abilities. Curated by Annika Strange, experience a community-led design takeover, creating new fashion looks that explore life in Brisbane. Featuring artists with lived experiences of disability and neurodiversity, these artists creativity is informed by Autism, ADHD, mental health, and neurological diversities.
Sun 8 Sep
Jean Paul Gaultier: Freak and Chic
In the documentary Jean-Paul Gaultier: Freak & Chic, the playful genius offers an all-access pass into the intense two-year making of his lavish cabaret Fashion Freak Show in a vibrant homage to the artist's life and work. The film is the perfect companion to Jean Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show which takes up residence in Brisbane as a sensational centrepiece of this year’s Festival.
11 – 28 Sep
Adrift
In an infinite ocean, floating in the unknowable spaces between each other, together we create worlds, uncover mysteries, and fill in the blanks in each other’s stories. Part mystery, part game, Adrift is a participatory theatre work that brings audience members together to uncover a story exploring feelings of isolation and our fraught relationship with nature in the face of a potential mass extinction event.
#Dance
18 - 21 Sep
Private View
Performed with joy and fervour, and against the backdrop of an exquisite set, this production is an intimate exploration of unspoken stories and secret longing from Restless Dance, Australia’s leading creator of dance theatre by dancers with and without disability. Private View breaks down societal myths and misinformation and sets the viewer on a path to twist their preconceived attitudes around sexuality and disability.
12 - 14 Sep
Lighting the Dark
Chris Dyke, an artist who champions inclusivity, emanates compassion, transcending limitations and inviting us all into his radiant embrace. Yet, amidst his rich internal landscape of dreams and boundless imagination, the world often fails to see beyond the cover of the book — a book that if we dared to open, would reveal radical inspiration, creative brilliance, hope and love. Join Chris and Dancenorth ensemble as they dance to the very centre of what it means to be human.
Sat 21 Sep
Common People Dance Eisteddfod
Be bedazzled and booty shake along to the hilarious and wildly creative Eisteddfod performances at South Bank Piazza! For the sixth year in a row Common People Dance Eisteddfod is back and bigger than ever! Teams from across South-East Queensland will battle it out to see who will reign supreme in 2024!
Sat 21 Sep
Assembly Vol. 1
Get hyped to dive into an electrifying fusion of music and dance at The Princess Theatre, where Australasian Dance Collective and 4000 Studios are set to collide for an epic one-night-only event featuring four extraordinary performances. Featuring an extraordinary assembly of talent, Assembly Vol. 1 sees Danny Harley from The Kite String Tangle, Dominik Felsmann from Felsmann + Tiley, Louis Frere-Harvey from $0.003 and the acclaimed dance artists of ADC in the visionary Auto Cannibal created by Stephanie Lake and Robin Fox. These monumental artists come together to deliver a late-night party filled with dance, music, and good times.
Sat 7 Sep
The Alexander Ball
Ballroom families born out of safety and necessity celebrate their existence and authenticity on stage as thousands chant and scream for their chosen families for a night of drama, chaos, notoriety and status. Returning to the spacious beauty of The Tivoli, Meanjin’s groundbreaking ballroom house, The House of Alexander, promises an extravagant night of unapologetic excellence.
Fri 6 Sep
Urban Elegance
The Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts (ACPA) proudly present Urban Elegance, a collection of musical, dance and movement items showcasing emerging First Nations Arts Practitioners and their ambitions to amplify a bright, new generation of Storytelling. This production showcases the experiences of various emerging arts practitioners and showcases the diversity of their lived experiences, artistic prowess and cultural fierceness.
#Music
Sat 14 Sep
Eishan Ensemble
Led by acclaimed Persian-Australian tar player and composer Hamed Sadeghi, the ARIA-nominated Eishan Ensemble draws on contemporary and classical music traditions from both East and West. Through this unique combination the ensemble creates groundbreaking orchestral performances. Eishan’s repertoire consists predominantly of Sadeghi’s original compositions that feature diverse improvisatory idioms, including jazz.
Sat 21 Sep
So Much Myself: Piano Portraits
Following the success of their internationally acclaimed work Stalin’s Piano, virtuoso pianist Sonya Lifschitz and composer Robert Davidson deliver So Much Myself: Piano Portraits, an audiovisual epic that weaves solo piano, video, archival audio, and narrative in a complex, interconnecting tapestry of stories celebrating discovery. A millennium of female artists, scientists and leaders come to life, their words made musical.
Sat 7 Sep
Camerata, Lou Bennett & Lior: Ngapa William Cooper
Don’t miss this world premiere of the chamber orchestra arrangement of Lior, Nigel Westlake and Lou Bennett’s moving song cycle Ngapa William Cooper, exploring the extraordinarily powerful story of Yorta Yorta man, Uncle William Cooper. In this very special, completely unconducted, world premiere arrangement for chamber orchestra, Camerata — Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra and Lior once again join forces, this time with Lou Bennett, for this moving and heartfelt performance.
Mon 16 Sep
ACO: Tognetti. Mendelssohn. Bach.
Renowned for his Bach interpretations, Tognetti melds the genius of Mendelssohn, Bach, and modern composers into a celebration of musical artistry. Where Mendelssohn’s music is the pure pleasure of youthful exuberance, Bach is filled with drama, joy and remarkable discipline. Tognetti's recordings of Bach’s violin music have garnered three successive ARIA Awards, and live, his interpretation of the great Violin Concerto in A minor is a powerful experience, both intimate and electrifying.
Fri 20 Sep
Chamber Music Side-By-Side with LA Phil Wind Quintet
Experience a delightful musical collaboration as students from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University join forces with the world-renowned LA Philharmonic Wind Quintet. This unique concert celebrates the beauty and intimacy of chamber music, showcasing the exceptional talent of these young musicians alongside the seasoned expertise of the LA Philharmonic members.
Tue 17 Sep
Latin Guitar Extravaganza
A feast of Latin guitars featuring Brazilian guitar sensation Chrystian Dozza alongside Karin Schaupp, the Riverside Guitar Ensemble and special guests the Open Conservatorium Guitar Ensemble conducted by Joel Woods. Experience the astounding capabilities of the guitar and see what masters of this classic instrument can achieve.
13 – 14 Sep
Spirit of the Wild: A Vision of Nature
Queensland Symphony Orchestra along with the captain on your voyage into the wild, Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici, brings to you a musical response to climate change featuring two major works, Nigel Westlake: Spirit of the Wild for solo oboe (Diana Doherty) and John Luther Adams: Become Ocean for large orchestra.
3 – 7 Sep
Puccini Double Bill
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of one of the world's most celebrated opera composers, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University presents two of Puccini’s One Act Operas. Suor Angelica is a tragic tale of repentance within an Italian convent. This heartbreaking opera will be paired with Puccini’s only comedy, Gianni Schicchi in which love, lies and treachery take place around a family funeral.
Fri 6 Sep
Full Flower Moon Band
Kate Dillon, frontwoman and chief songwriter of Brisbane rock outfit Full Flower Moon Band, better known as 'Babyshakes', is all about subverting expectations and offering a new reality in its stead. The full five-piece, triple-guitar line-up has become one of Australia's must-see live shows, full of generosity, turbulence and fearlessness.
